Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-09-02

LOOKER.ON in IOWA

! LOOKER.ON IN IOWA i
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Alta, Iowa, September 2. 1t is
very much to the credit OF
the weekly papers of Iowa that their
influence is sought these days by those
interested in educating the dear people
on rate regulations and kindred topics.
The visitor has heard many, many
times of the efforts of the corporations
to secure the editorial pages of our
weekly press, but the modus operandi
as related by an editor of country
weekly in northern Iowa was interest,"
ing, and may possibly be to the read
ers of the T.-R. A we'll dressed, fine
appearing stranger came to town and
Immediately had business at the bank.
Later on said stranger, accompanied
by the cashier of the bank, came over
to the newspaper office, and the cash
Ter had the pleasure of introducing
Mr.. Stranger Of the Press Bureau
Agency, of Minneapolis. Soon the
cashier left the newspaper men alone
and for half an hour they talked shop.
Then the visitor frankly stated his
business. The railroad interests of
this country feared unjust and unwise
legislation at Washington and in the
state legislatures. Ii the people,
through the press, especially the week.
ly paper, could have the railroad side
Of the question presented. they had no
fear but what the people would pro-
tect their interests. So, he proposed to
furnish said editor each week type
written copy for his editorial page, for
which the Press Beureau which he
represented would pay regular adver-
Using rates in cash. They also sub
scribed for each paper, paying $50 per
year for the same. In other words, he
asked this editor to sell him his edi-
torial page at so much per column,
cash. This referred to editor declined
to accept the proposition.
This editor gave the writer some
Of the copy proposed to run as an
editorial in the weekly The headline
is Railroad Rates." Here are some
of the paragraphs:
"Divested of all palaver, commits
sion that will have power to handle
rebates, change d discriminating rate
81 lS W CAudAAGCSflS OH lAAStl 10 lCNuAACa
In rate fixing or rate regulation. 1t is
plainly apparent in the presidents
message that he SO interprets 1t. The
people do not demand railroad annihil-
alton or railroad Gripping. It is the
result of long years of evolution In
railroad worke that these errors have
gained a foothold. Rebates and 9is-
elimination have been forced onto the
roads by competition and i'm self et-
Tense by the greed Of monopolies, and
the lust of the trusts.
There are two kinds Of discrimina-
ton Then the Iowa railroads ma .e
a rate on hay that was barely enough
to pay expenses, they paved the way
to greater and more lucrative traf-
fic The first settlers were enabled
to sell the hay crop. The speculator
received the first return that he ever
received, from the grass growing on
his prairie investment. The price of his
land advanced, and settlers flocked III.
The wild prairie hay is gone never to
return, and land that sold at IS per
acre now sells at $50 and $50, the re-
suit of freight discrimination.
IF vegetables, berries and melons,
were planted and tended in sou. Ne n
Alabama, Georgia and Florida as they
are in North Carolina and Missouri,
they would be on the market two
weeks earlier than we now sc: them.
Who could start an industry of tina,
character without freight discrimlna-
ton until the industry was ION its
feet" It is one Of the unalterable laws
Of commerce that to build up new
Industry where none exists. that lin
durements" must be held out and that
means discriminating to the favored
shippers in the same town Or in a
netghboring town as against each 9TH
er Is another thing, and might be set
tied by a commission, perhaps more
satisfactorily, and perhaps better. but
it is pretty large problem for the
ordinary man to undertake to solve
or to be too sure that his judgment
on 1T amounts to hill OF beans.
Everybody wants the wrong righted
if there be wrong, AMI but few have
any confidence in the ra',t ng Of politl-
clans who periodically begin to damn
the railroads and getting themselves
in the lime light os "reforns-s There
is more unadulterated gall and folder
al in the average political reformer
than in any other class OF monIeoacks'
necrorancers or fakirs. That agitate
the air of Iowa."
Now. none Of US ought to object to
such arguments as the above being
placed before the people. There are
two sides to the railroad rate question.
But the reading public has right to
demand that this wholesale attempted
purchase Of our weekly and some daily
papers should be stopped. 1t is to the
credit Of the majority Of the weekly
papers of Iowa that they turned down
this offer Of say 500 month for the
use of their editorial columns II 1t
has come to this. that the corporations
own the editorial opinion of the papers
Of Iowa. can these papers in any sense
represent the people?
IT, N.e5A-.<