The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-04-27
APRIL u. 1905.
dends to the Consolidated, 1t had laid aside q
surplus of $8,OOO,O0O by last January"


surplus of 100000 by last January"
The Tribune in another issue utters the warn
ing that "the fundamental principle of the munich
pal ownership men is the ownership by the ma
tional government of the steam railroads." that
"along with the ownership of the steam railroads
goes that of the express and telegraph companies;
that sit will be hand to hand fight, in which the
bayonet will be used freely on both sides' that
"the farmers, who have been the conservative
force in this country heretofore, will have a
strong inducement to throw their votes in the
direction of the ownership of railroads by the
federal government What is going to come out
oft it no man can TELL even fully imagine Yet
we must remember that the proposition for the
ownership of the mines arose from the oppressive,
unjust, unrighteOuS, and almost criminal conduct
Of the railroads and other companies operating
them, which put up prices and cut down wages
without any reference to the equities OF the case
and without any consideration for either the
pockets or feelings of the people,"
The New York World can scarcely find words
strong enough to express it's impotence with
existing conditions: "The American people have
been patient and longsuffering, but they are tired
OF being exploited. They are tired of having their
heritage stolen. They are tired of having their
servants corrupted and their government de-
bauched. They are tired of seeing public interests
forever sacrificed to the interests OF organized
capital. There may not be much economic the
DRY and practice about the remedies they pro-
pose, but an outraged public sentiment is not
likely to concern itself with political economy
II strikes with the first weapon which it can
lay it's hands,"
Under the heading, "The Revolt" that journal
goes to specify the forms of opposition in
various states: 'It is revolt that is spreading
with amazing rapidity. In Wisconsin, where La
Fcllette has been battling against railroad dom
nation of the state, the people sustained him by
unprecedented majorities and the legislature
elected him to the United States senate. In Kan
sas where the people are struggling with the
Standard Oil monopoly, the legislature voted to
establish a state refinery. The federal commits
sioner of corporations is making an investigation
Of the Standard Oil company in Kansas, and half
dozen states have taken repressive measures
against the trust. Folk in Missouri represents
first of all the public uprising against the de-
bauchng of government by the agents of cor
poratons In Michigan movement is under. way
to compel the legislature to submit an amendment
to the state constitution permitting municipal own
ership and operation of street-railway lines In
New York the legislature has undertaken an inves-
tieation of the gas monopoly of the metropolis,
which may result in returning to the people the
expired franchises of that outlaw corporation.
In spite of the threats of Wall street tax has
been imposed on stock transfers. The city of
New York is engaging in the ownership and opera
ton Of ferries, and the municipality will escape
some of the exactions of the gas trust by doing
it's own public lighting President Roosevelt's
policy of federal regulation of railroad rates has
been received with enthusiastic approval in many
western and southern states, while the question
OF establishing public slaughter-houses has been
aS a
beef trust There is hardly city of any size in
the union which is not considering project of one
kind or another for extending public control over
general utilities. There is hardly state in which
there are not signs of revolt against the exac-
tons in one form another of great corpora
TONS"