The leader., 1904-11-02
ATOte Fair With Railroads.


We may be mistaken, but there
seems to be d prejudice among the
people generally against railroads.
and this prejudice grows out of
| general ignorance rather than any
clear perception as to what rail-
ways do for the general develop
ment Of values.
Railroads are great civilizers,
land no one who cares to investi-
gate conditions before and after
a road is built Through any sec
ton, will doubt this fact. Open
ling up the country, railroad
brings the people in touch with
the outer world, widens their
view, begets higher ideals, and
improves the general moral condi-
tons, 50 that soon after a railroad
is run through any section, its
improvement materially and NOR
ally begins. Towns spring up,
new business is developed,
churches and school houses are
built, and the people mentally and
morally come in touch with all
the progressive and eleyatlng in
fuences of higher civilization.
Mississippi is prosperous, but
much of her prosperity must be
credited to her railroads, with
out which hel products could not
reach the markets in competition
with those of other sections, and
hence would not be valuable, as
they now are, Indeed, the devel-
opment of our vast timber inter-
est and truck growing would not
be possible without railroad facili-
tiles, and without them our State
would be tagging far behind in
| the race for commercial gain, for
we would be shut out from the
markets in the great commercial
centers.
4 In considering our indebtedness
to railroads, we owe much to the
4 Illinois Central, which has done
so much for us in the. North,
South and West portions of oul
I State, and it is strange that sc
many seem to think that it is fair
to mulct this road through preiu-
diced iuries, in damage suits fol
imaginary injuries, and it woulc
seem that some neOple are doing
their best to kill the goose thai
lays the golden egg.
The process INDUCED in has {
tendency to discourage railroads
and to put a stop to railroad build.
ing in our State, and the sooner
our people awake to this fact, anc
cease to pursue a persecutive poll
cy with the railroads, the better.
We have much undeyeloped terri.
tory, which can only be devel
Ioped by railroad facilities, ane
capital necessary to this develop
ment can be had, provided those
who would invest it had some
guarantee of fair treatment, but
to pursue the policy of bleeding
corporations must prevent capital
which at best is timid, from in.
vestment where the public preiu
dice seems to be against it.
Let us encourage railroads JUS
as we would individual invest
ments, and look to our railroad
commission to see that the people
are not imposed upon, for which
purpose this commission was
created, and is paid out Of the
public funGs, but let us not en-
courage the seeking of opportuni.
ties to trouble and legally worry
the railroads and cause them &c
regard US as their enemies, and tt
cease to improve facilities fol
State development. We arr
aware that this is not popular
side to take just at this time, but
it is right, and all people should
strive to be just, and to pursue
the best course to develop the val
ues of the State in general, which
means the increase of The values
of the individual units making VI
the whole.
Let us treat the railroads fairly.
and demand only fair treatment
from them, and then the road,
and people may work in harmony
to the fullest development Of The
commercial values of our great
State, which as yet have scarcely