The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-02

ing MS Onlclal acts. Ihey eVade the
effect of this by insisting that the TAX
ing OF valuable thing In the shape Of
a pass from railroad company does
not influence them, but feel sure that
If you had case in court against
railroad company you would be very
much disinclined to submit it to a
jury, every member of which had q
pass worth several hundred dollars a
year to him. There is very prOmi-
nent gentleman down at Lincoln who
has been frequently heard to say that
the fact that member OF a jury which
tried his damage suit against rail-
road had round trip ticket to Wash
ington which cost him, the plaintiff
in the case, ten thousand dollars. He
found out about the ticket after the
case was tried.
"As a result of the use Of the free
pass in the creation OF an overlord
ship, we have this condition Of affairs:
No man can be nominated and elected
to any high Office in this state over the
active opposition of the railroads; we
can not get through the legislature Of
the state measures that provide for a
square deal; we are impOtent to COM
pei the railroads to serve the public
SO as to promote industry by insuring
TO all shippers equality of service and
like rates, to grant all cities the same
facilities that they do to one, to treat
Nebraska farmers as well as they do
Iowa and Kansas farmers; they die
tate what taxes they shall pay and
what rates shippers shall pay they
permit political manipulators to ride
free and charge the business man and
the farmer, without whose patronage
they could not exist, rate high enough
to cover the cost OF transporting all
three.
And what are we going to do about
it? How long are we going to permit
an irresponsible boss In an Omaha rail-
road office to force men, in whose
breasts ambition stirs, to come and
see him first before announcing their
candidacy for Office? How long are
we going to sit supinely by and see
our legislatures tied hand and foot by
a clique of manipulators that has ita
center in the person OF railroad lob
byist? How long are we to allow the
railroad companies to sit in judgment
upon who shall conduct our public af-
fairs to act as toll collectors on our
highways, to 'shirk their just share OF
taxation--in short to say how fast shall
be our pursuit of life. liberty and hap
piness? We, as editors ought
to use every means at our command to
assist in the restoration of the control
Of the state government to the hands
of the people, and the first great step
in this work is the abolition Of the
free pass. We should help wrest from
the hands Of the railroad its most pow
erful weapon, and we can accomplish
this only by presenting the facts to
the people and to keep agitating, agi-
tating."
The readers of this paper will re.
member that the editor has frequently
said during the last three or four years
that it was impossible for the govern
ment to endure and things go on In
the same manner as they had for the
last ten or twelve years, that there
was certain to be a revolt against the
tyranny OF corporations and trusts.
and now from almost every state there
comes evidences of such a revolt, and
it comes from republican legislatures,
republican editors and the rank and
file of the republican party. All these !.
men are saying exactly what populists
were saying ten and twelve years ago.
Populism is sweeping onward with the
Irresistible force of tidal wave.
The men who run the republican
party have retired from Office, whether
it was that of United States senator
or road supervisor, every man who has
shown the least indication of disl0y-
atty to the interets of the great trusts
and corporations, at the first opp0r-
tunity Such men never served but
one term, while the men who have
stood by those interests, like Allison,
have life situations and inside infor-
nation when to buy and sell stocks.
The question remains whether these
republican editors who SO gallantly as
saulted the pass system will, after the
next republican convention, which will
be called together by the railroads in
the same manner that all the republi.