The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1904-03-10

Year after year the people OF Okla
homa have looked to the Oklahoma
leg stature for relie: They have ask
ed tor a railroad commission compos-
ed of honest ana sagaclous men who
would impose justice in behalf of both
the people and the railroads. Year
after year they have seen the assemb
~ adjourn. loaded with railroal traus-
porta3on and ashamed 70 make an
honest explanation of he failure to
enact an honest and necessary law
A favor.te way to kill this kind OF leg.
islatlon Is TO permit some wild eyed
extremist to introduce law that
would tie up every railroad wheel in
the territory Members of recognized
ability. but questionable sincerity, are
then in position to roast the reformer
instead of the evil he seeks to demol
ish. and with artful Juggling the ses-
sion wears away and adjourns sine die
without having plucked single hair
from The roaring octopus" Legislat-
ors have returned home from Guthrie
with explanations that led the mass
of Their consttuen to look upon
them as little less than saints, defeat
ed but not discouraged" when as
matter of fact. they were as arrant
knaves as ever drew per diem from
the territory and stuffed their pockets
with passes from railroad companies.
New Roads Needed
The demand for new railroads seal
ed the mouths of constituents them
selves where otherwise they would
have been wagging in clamorous pro
test The prospect of a new railroad.
opening up a country to better Sc tie
ment and freer access to markets and
reducing long, wearisome rides in wa
gons IN disagreeable weather to a
journey of only a few hours in com
Portable coaches. has great allure
ments and the possibility Of putting
such advan ages in jeopardy by an
tagonizing railroad corporations may
be invoked easily to shackle an OBJ
streperous community But Oklano-
ma now is a network of railroads and
this argument can be used no longer
to intimidate.
Had statehood come at this session
Of congress It Is not improbable that
the railroad question would have been
the greatest issue in the political
movements that would have taken
place next fall Never was hope that
the next legisla i've campaign would
be largely upon this issue but the mar.
row margin in maioritles between the
two political parties and the cowardice
or cupidity of their leaders give no en-
couragement to the wish that the peo-
pie more especially the producer and
the consumer. may have opportunity
to crush their enemy There are Ok
lahomans Of ability who declare pri-
vately that under statehood they
would be willing to go before The peo-
pie upon an anti-railrcad platform.
They believe that the grass is as tend
er for a bigger political fire than ev-
or swept over Oklahoma, and that the
people are waiting for a leader The
Mephistos Of the third house sneer
al such expressions of confidence and
say, Drive up your mules"
The Roads Can Be Forced.
1t .s a fact, however. that the rail
reed obligarchy in Oklahoma can be
forced to relinQuish plunder The Ok
lahoma and Indian Territory Mlllers
association control the flour output I'm
he wo territories and over sixtysix
mills with daily capacity of 1900 +
barrels. Prior to October. 1908. the
rates in the territory accessible tol
these mills were about the same as
the rate given to Kansas and Missouri
mnlers. An arbitrary raise Of so per
cent over the Kansas and Missouri
rate was made and the Oklahoma anl
Indian territory millers were in bad
shape Il was fight or perish and they
decided 20 dght. even if they perished
Attorney were employed and negoti
atlons begun with the railroads The
millers obtained little satisfaction I'LL
Their attorneys submitted this al +
matum If the old rate Is not restor-
cd Tho railroads will he made 10 run
the gauntlet or immense petitions
signed by every taxpayer in every
county in Oklahoma asking the gov
ernor to call special session Of the I
legislature for the single purpose of
.crnatlna a rallr1ah commission and