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

thought or two. me FARMER lop IL
not done when he has produced some
thing, the pie has to be distributed
passed around, and he has to see OF 1t
that too many fingers don't get In on
1t. A great day is ahead for the farm
er. 1t used to be that the leading cit
izen was a man most ignorant OF agri-
culture. Today a man who knows not
agriculture is an ignoramus fit only to
be sent to make our laws. And they
used to think the farmer had hayseed
In his haid and didn't know how to
cut his whiskers and wore one suspen-
der by preference. That old farmer is
dead. The high class farmer papers,
the newspapers, the telephones and
rural delivery killed him.
The modern farmer is on to his job
and what he does not know he is
learning. And the main thing that he
is learning is to take care of himself
and look after his interests. You need
not be surprised then when he gets
after the beef trust and makes it hot
for railroads. It's part OF his bust
ness The people are coming into their
own and are learning that legislators
are their hired men and that the ma
chinery of the law was meant to use.
The packers are great people. They
have helped to make the country what
1t Is. Thy built the plants that slaugh-
ter the thousands of animals that it
takes daily to feed the multitudes, but
we have q right to ask that they con-
fine their slaughtering to the animals,
and let the farmer live. We must look
after the goose that lays the golden
egg. When the packers go beyond
the purpose of their existence and COM
bine to fix prices and violate the law,
the people have right and ought to
break up their illegal combinations.
hope have not stated the case un-
fairly against the packers-but II the
beef trust is not serpent whose head
needs bruising, then am no judge OF
snakes. will confess that I am a
little bit sore on the packers. have
been feeding cent hogs for about four
months on 5 cent corn. when know
and you know that the packers have
arbitrarily held the price there until
they could load up their coolers to I'M
load on the public later at an exhorh'
tant price and tremendous pront TO
themselves. And If that won't put
farmer on the war path, what will?
| wish I were great big lawyer-big
enough to be attorney general would
take a few rough riding lessons and
tell you farmers to get up behind and
we would charge the beef trust before
breakfast. was a lawyer once--rne
kind you read about-whO get a dip
Iona but never got case. But I'm
very we'll satisfied with my position
there is a better opening in Missouri
for live kicking farmer than for a
democratic candidate for office.
So much for the packer. Now this
beef trust has brother a twin broth
er, the railroad monopoly. Regulation
OF the railroads is the question of the
hour. In the early davs the railroads
were built by everybody The capital
came from many sources and COMPETE
ton was sharp. The people suffered
no evils. But times have changed.
We have had organization and COM
bination until a half dozen families
own the railroads of America. Compe-
tition is destroyed. Rates are fixed
Determinations abound. Rebates are
behind the scenes. The peoples rights
are ignored and the farmers only pro-
lection is to look out for the cars.
AT the outset I want to say that on
this railroad question I'm a govern
menter." l want to see the people in
control of every public highway from
a dog path up to the Atlantic ocean.
Because I believe that when anything
belongs to the people they ought to
! have possession of it. My politics is
public ownership of all public utili-
ties want to see every city own and
operate her street railways, her water
works and her lights. / want to see
the great American continent knit
with net work of railroads owned and