The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-09-28

for years been travelling on railroad
passes; that he never gave aid or en-
enlargement to those who have hon.
estly endeavored to destroy pass brib-
cry; that he has never opposed the
extortionate freight rates charged by
the railroads; that he has been part
of the railroad machine in Nebraska;
that among his prominent supporters
were railroad attorneys, railroad pass
grabbers, railroad pass distributors,
and railroad lobbyists, and we con-
denim in unmeasured terms the hypo-
critical pretense that man with this
record and this support is now op-
posed to corporate rule in Nebraska.
Against Free Pass System
We demand that the next legisla-
ture shall enact law which will COM
pletely destroy the free pass system
in Nebraska. We favor law that
will make it punishable by fine and
Imprisonment for railways to give or
for private individuals, except bona
fide employees of railway companies,
to receive transportation from any of
the railways in the state. We believe
that the free pass bribery system is
wrong for two reasons. In the first
place it is unjust discrimination and
| in the second place it is a bribery sys-
| tenn. The free pass is indefensible
| from both of these standpoints. We
| do not believe that we can get whole
some legislation and control Of the
railways in the state until the free
pass system is destroyed. We favor
| the abolition of the free pass system
to the end that we can then control
the railways and pass laws which will
reduce freight and passenger rates
and compel the railways to pay their
| just proportion of the taxes.
| Legislature Condemned
We condemn the last republican
legislature and remind the people OF
the state Of the fact that it was a
railroad procured legislature, and the
most servile legislature to the corpOr
ations that has ever pretended to de
liberate upon the passage Of laws at
the state house. That legislature
| spurned with contempt all the wishes
and interests of the people. 1t re
fused to modify or change the revenue
! law so as to distribute equally and
| justly the burdens Of taxation; it re,
| fused to pass an anti-pass law; 1T re-
fused to pass a rate reduction law;
it refused to reduce passenger rates
upon the railways; it refused to pass
laws giving equal shipping and eleva-
tor site privileges to independent per-
sons and associations of the state; it
refused in every instance to respond
to the peoples demands and always
obeyed the mandates of the railroads.
What Peoples Party Has Done
We call attention to the fact that
the Peoples Independent Party has
almost converted the entire country
| to the principles in which we be-
| lieve. The principles we now adyo-
cate we advocated in 1890. We were
then called demagOgues, anarchists
and dangerous for advocating these
principles. While we have not won
many of the Offices we have been true
to our principles, and now we con
graduate the people of the state and
of the entire country for the endorse
ment of our principles by public senti
ment almost. without regard to politi
cal party. No political party has ever
lived which has done so much towards
the dissemination of the true prin
ciples of our form of government and
for the revival of the spirit as well as
| the letter of the Declaration Of indie
pendence and the constitution of oul
country. What was demagogic ant
anarchistic in 1890 has become the &C
cepted belief of all lovers of goot
government, and this is better reward
h. al ia IF