The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-05-04
6be Nebraska Independent
"But she cut in there right while"

collectors along the line between Lincoln and
Kearney. They heard what you said about your
plan to reduce rates by petition and the thing
seemed SO funny they couldn't hold in You don't
realize, Minerun, how funny it sounds to hear you
talk hopefully of this petition signed by the legs-
lators who did not dare to open their mouths
about extortionate rates while the legislature
in session, and your district Judge and your coun-
ty officers and your leading citizens, all pass
holders, and all servants of the Union Pacific.
The Union Pacific has your town bound hand
and foot. Any one Of these pass-holders would
swallow himself, crawl through himself and tie
himself up in doube-bow knot if the Union
Pacific told him to. l suppose your congressman
also signed the petition
"Oh, yes And he agreed to see the railroad
officials personally in the matter. The congress-
man is mighty close to the railroads, and "
Sure! Of course he's close to them. The
railroads made him congressman and why
shouldn't he be close to them? And now, Mine
run, hold the phone close to your while / tell
you that because the congressman is close to the
railroad officials and they close to him, is the
reason that the coal consumers of Kearney are
SO far away. The congressman was silent on coal
rate extortion when he was at Washington be-
cause he was so near to the railroads and so far
away from YOU Your congressman, who signed
your petition and your judge and your legislative
members and your pass-holding county officials
will hurry away on their free passes to Omaha,
where they will explain to the railroad officials
that they didn't mean it, and your petition will
1ox.1 80 L.
as petition from lot of jack rabbits would have
on hungry coyote that was waiting to devour
them
But ~" M
But what?"
But we have also commenced case before
the interstate commerce commission"
Bur-rr-razzily- dazzily-
Here, Central! Keep out there"
Don't scold the girl, Minerun, don't scold the
girl The razzle-dazzle that you hear in the phone
is only another roar of laughter from the freight
collectors. The jack rabbit pass-hoders petition
ing the coyote ratemakers at Omaha is joke,
and suit before the interstate commerce COM
mission is another joke. Say, Minerun, do you
know what case before the interstate commerce
commission means?"
"Well, what does it mean?'
1T means years Of delay and then no result
except expense to you. The city of Chattanooga,
Tenn, had case similar to yours which they fol-
lowed for nine long years and then -"
"Then, what?"
Then the supreme court to which the rail-
reads had appealed sent the case back to the COM
mission with instruction that it should reconsider
the case all over again."
What did the people of Chattanooga do
them
sThey fell back and quit. They had had
enough. The interstate commerce commission
dent even pretend any more that they can help
the freight robbed public. They are simply wait
ing in the cleaning for congress to breath little
bit of vitality into their organization"
when will congress do that?"
Congress will put teeth into the Interstate
commerce law whenever the people of Kearney
and the other freight robbed communities of the
transMississippi country drive the railroad pass
holders out of the conventions and nominate and
elect men for congress who are under no obliga-