The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-03-29
protected by law in Kansas. every man

protected by law in Kansas, every man
of intelligence knows.
Only last year, when the price of cat
tie was never SO low in recent years,
and every hoOf marketable was being
rushed to the market and the cars and
motive power of these corporations were
insufficient to supply the demand of the
public for transportation therefor, these
corporations in Kansas arbitrarily
raised freight rates on cattle; this at a
time when they had more business than
they could do. and at a time when the
people could least afford to suffer such
eXtOrtion.
Last year. with hundreds of thou
sands and even millions of bushels of
wheat lying on the ground and ex-
posed to the weather, and in some in
stances rotting for want of cars or ele-
vators in which to store or ship it
these railroads after putting all of the
cars in use owned by them as well as
all others they could obtain, including
motive power to move the same, were
unable to care for the freight thus
rendered them, yet they raised the
price of freight on wheat. Last year,
when this state raised a corn crop new
er excelled in Kansas, and al a time
when every car that the railroad COM
pany owned or could procure, and with
all of it's motive power in use in NOV
ing the freight they had, they arbi-
trarily raised the freight on corn. Al
of these raises in freight were made
in the face of the fact that it was
wholly and absolutely unnecessary;
and that they were then and thereto
fore in the enjoyment of a business it
remunerative rates never excelled by
such corporations in any agricultural
community. Notwithstanding these
arbitrary raises in freights on cattle.
wheat, and corn, inexcuSable and in
defensible as they were, there is no
power in the laws of this state, any
where, to prevent the same or to re-
dress the grievances OccaSioned there
by In the face of this calamity the
people stood dumb. Verify, they are
tied hand and foot by these corpora
lions, and are powerless to raise
finger against these Infamous OutrageS,
extortions and oppression; and all be-
cause the people will not, or do not
care to elect enough members in each
house of the legislature who will 90
their duty, stand together, and make
laws that would render such oppres-
sions impossible
While no intelligent man wants to
deal unjustly with this class of our
property, yet all intelligent men not in
their employ should see to it that they
do justice to the people, as their lib
erty ends where the peoples begin
Justice to each would insure justice to
BOTH and anything less is an injusaice
to one or the other
4 know that you have been be
I traved outraged, and neglected by the
wronged. l know it because HOch.
Y Stubbs, Kelly and Wells, the latter two
your present officials, have told you
I 50 as to the last legislature. and Bailey,
/ Albaugh Leland and others tell us that
Z the former was as bad; and my inves-
/ LEGATIONS confirm what they all say
president Roosevelt says tell the
truth and witness how he has ex-
posed corruption under a Republican
administration; and he will be renomi-
mated by reclamation. Mr. Hoch says
4 tell the truth'-and witness how he
mercilessly exposed the shortcomings
of the last legislature; and he was
I nominated for governor by acclama-
! ton. l have told the truth, and if that
is what you want you viii nominate
and elect me-
Mr. Hackney then cites a number of
different quotations from interviews
and newspapers. already printed IN
these columns. covering the feeling OF
the state. as he expresses it, including