Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1904-11-03
The "Psrfy of Deeds"

you may expect 1t only through the
party of Deeds" The above being
written in connection with a discus
sion of anticipated railroad legisla-
ton, suggests the propriety of a re-
view of the history of the sParty of
| Deeds" in it's relations to the rail
road.
/, For the purposes of this article
we can only mention some of the
most prominent facts, and we feel
that they should be of equal impor-
tance to the voters of all parties.
Confning ourselves to this history
as it relates to Kansas; in about
1868 large tracts of land in Kansas
were Withdrawn from the market for
the purpose of donating 1t to certain
railroad companies. The K. P,
the A. T. & S. F. and the M. K. &
T. Railroads received donations of
the alternate sections of a 40 mile
strip along each road.
At the same time the few settlers
| homestead in the railroad land limit
was reduced from 100 acres to 50
acres and the Government price to
the pre-emptor raised from SI.25
per acre to S2.5o.
Now. let US figure a little and see
what this act of the "Party of Deeds"
amounts to: twenty sections of land
to the mile, at the Government price
of S2.5o per acre equals S32, 900
and it is fair to presume that the
railroad companies realized at least
the government price for these
lands, as to my knowledge they sold
some of them for from two to four
times the government price. Not
long after this donation of the
Public Domain to the railroad COM
panies the "Party of Deeds. through
the instrumentality of the Kansas
Legislature, passed an act authoriZ-
ing counties 10 issue Bonds and sub
scribe Stock to assist in construc-
ton of railroads. This proposition
on it's face looked like an invest
ment, but in it's practical workings
was donation pure and simple,
but it's facial appearance materially
assisted the railroads In procuring
these donations. to which fact some
of the older residents of Meade
county can testify.
Now, to take birds-eye-view of
this matter we see the railroads re-
ceiving a donation of at least
twenty thousand square miles, or
about one fourth the area of Kan
sas at value of thirty two million
dollars or thirty two thousand dol
lars per mile. Now how does that
S32, 900 per mile donation look
along side of an assessed valuation
of less than 81, 900 per mile, or on
the bond proposition, taking this
county as a sample, where we have
donated So 500 per mile and the
road is valued for less than twice
our donation?
1 hope the Globe will pardon me
if can not share with them their
feelings of pride when l contemplate
the state of affairs brought about
by the acts of their "Party of
Deeds"
Now, another phrase of this:
That the railroads recognize the
''Party of Deeds" as the source
from which they receive these favors
is evidenced by the cheerful manner
in which they reciprocatc the favors.
1t is a notorious fact that when the
'Party of Deeds" hold convention
that free transportation for delegates
and visitors is supplied by the rail
roads, while delegates of other
parties pay their own transportation
or stay at home. 1t is further OBJ
served that absent voters of the
sParty of Deeds" are rendered free
transportation home and return at
election time.
Judge Dale is making campaign
on the Rail Road Issues. The rail-
roads take hand in behalf of the
'sParty of Deeds" by issuing free
transportation to the Hoch rallies,
thereby largely swelling the attend
ance.
Then much importance is attach
ed to a comparison of the Hoch
rallies with the Dale rallies which
are unsupported by free transporta-
ton.
The Globe intimates that 1 am
very deficient in political discern
ment of which 1 am painfully aware
and feel just as bad about it as the
Globe does, but in my stupidity
have observed these things of which
1 have written which together with
, other things convince me that there
, is at least a tacit understanding
amounting to an unholy alliance be
tween the railroads and the leader.
, of the "Party of Deeds" of Kansa.
and as further evidence of this
submit the fact that while the raj