Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1904-11-16
FAIR Win RAILROADS.

JUDGE among the
people generally
~ against railroads,
and this prejudice
grows ont Of gen
eral ignorance rather than any
clear conception as to what rail
ways do for the general develop
ment OF values.
Railroads are great c~ivilizers,
and no one who cares to investi.
gate conditions before and after a
road is built through any section
will doubt this fact. Opening mp
the country a railroed brings the
people in touch with the outer
world, widens their view, begets
higher ideals, and improves the
general moral conditions, 30 that
soon after a railroad is run through
any section, its improys nent ma
terially and morally begins. Towns
spring up, new business is devel
Oped, churches and school houses
are built, and the people mentally
and morally come IN touch with all
the progressive and elevating inhu-
ence OF q higher civilization.
Mississippi is prosperous, but
much of her prosperity must be
credited to her railroads. With
out which her 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 interest
and truck growing would not be
possible without railroad facilities,
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.
In considering indebtedness to
railroads, we owe much to the H.
linois Central, which has done so
much for US in the north, south
and west portions of our State, and
it is strange that so many seer to
think that it is fair to mulct this
road through preiudiced iuries,
and it would seem that some peO.
pie are doing their best to kill the
goose that lays the golden egg.
The process INDUCED in has a
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, and
cease to pursue a persecutive pol
lev with the railroads, the better.
We have much undevelOped terri
tory, which can Ouly be developed
by railroad facilities, and capital
necessary to this development can
be had, provided those who invest
it on some guarantee Of fair treat
ment, but to pursue the policy OF
bleeding corporations must pre-
vent capital, which at best is tim
ia, from investment where the
public prejudice seems to be
against it.
Let us encourage railroads just
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 cOmmississiOn was
created, and is paid out Of the
public funds, but let us not en-
courage the seeking of Opportun.
tiles to trouble and legally worry
the railroads and cause them tC
regard as as their enemies, and tC
cease to improve facilities fol-
State improvement. w are
aware that this is not a popular
side to take Just at this time, bal
ii is right, and all people SHOULD
strive TO be Just, and to pursue thu
best course to develop the valueI
Of the State IN general, which
means the increase Of the value
Of the individual units making al
the whole,
Let as treat the railroads fairly
aud demand only fair treatmen
from them, and then the roads ant
people may work in harmony t
The fullest developments OF th
commercial values Of our grea
State, which rs yet have scareel
been opened up, much less deve.
oped.
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