The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-10-19
sAUK CENTRE HERAI
STATE isSUES-RAILRoADS.

When we were discussing ma
tional questions we discussed the
subjec. of transportation and
formulated plank on this question
but owing to the peculiar and
complex form of our government
the question of railroad rates and
railroad transportation is a proper
and very necessary subject for state
legislative action as well as national.
There are two kinds of transpor-
tation,-Inter-state and State
Interstate being where the things
transported pass through more than
one state, and State where both the
starting point and destination of
the freight shipped or the passenger
carried are within the boundaries
of a single state. Over the first
class the general government has a
supervisors: over the second class
it has no jurisdiction and so it is
necessary Tor each state to regulate
the matter of transportation confined
within it's boundaries. The rail-
road companies are fond Of asserting
that state traffic cuts little figure in
the volume of their business, but
this is not true. State traffic on
railroads amounts to five times the
volume of Interstate. Interstate
freight traffic is connected with
comparatively few gigantic con-
Germs and interstate passenger
traffic is made up of persons of
wealth. 1t is the numberless small
shippers and countless people of
limited means that 60 to make up
the state freight and passenger
traffic and an examination in this
matter will furnish striking
example of the principle that "the
less man has the more he must
pay for what he gets" We had
500 pounds of freight shipped to us
from Connecticut and it only cost
US trif1e over twice as much as the
same amount shipped from st. Paul.
At the same proportional rate that
a man can buy return ticket from
St. Paul to San Francisco or Boston
and return, we would only have to
pay about 50. Is from Sank Centre
to St. Paul and return, yet it costs
as much per mile to carry ton of
freight or passenger over each
mile traversed on trip from St.
Paul to Boston or San Francisco as
it does from Sank Centre to
Melrose. 1t would be absurd to
state that goods or passengers can
be carried as cheaply per mile cover
short hauls as long ones but it is an
insult to the intelligence Of the
people to assert that the difference
is as great as is made by the railroad
companies, and that railroad rates
in Minnesota are abnormal]y high
is self evident proposition.
There is no hostility to railroads
among intelligent citizens but the
people who furnish the money to
run the railroads, have the right to
insist that the people composing
the corporations that operate them
keep their contracts with the people.
They not only have this right but
it should be insisted upon and it is
the duty of the lawmakers to see
that this right is enforced and the
people have no one to blame but
themselves if they do not put the
Legislative machinery of the state
in the hands of men who will en-.
force the fight. The people possess
the remedy to cure the transports
ton ills that affiict them and if they
do not use the remedy they are
entitled to no commiseration. A
farmer is entitled to no sympathy
for his loss if he stands with g
loaded rifle in his hands anC
supinely watches wolf carry of
the choicest lambs in his flock anG
the public is not entitled to any
sympathy for the robbery of unjust
and discriminating rates an6
regulations as long as they possess
the power Of removing them.
Everyone is aware that there are
two kinds of contracts, written and
implied, and there is just as much