Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1905-06-22
Trying to Find an Issue.

| Trying to Find an Issue.
Hnronite: The insurgent press Of tt e
state aided by the democratic Siot x
Fails Press, is attempting to raise ii e
railroad issue in the state again, iii ii e
! hopes that the present repnblica', lead.
ers may be displaced and the coterie Of
would lie bosses placed at the HELM
The railroad issue was tried by Petit
grew when the state was sorely &C.
pressed and its people suffering from
the effects of populisin, democrat, !,
| hard times, poor crope: low markets,
and cheap lands. The issue failed, but
not until a strenuous campaign OF ettu-
cation, conductedb by men now high in
/ the councils of the party convinced the
| people that the theory of PettigreW
would not stand before the cold facts
opposed to it,
Whatever may be said against rail-
roads in general it must be readily adj
mitted that this state has no cause for
complaint against the great railroad
companies which have developed the
state, built its roads here in advance OF
any demand for them, brought people
| here 70 settle and improve the country,
that they have always dealt gene ously
| with the people. They pay their pro
| portionate share of the expenses of the
| government, and in every way meet
| the demands Of the country through
| which their lines run.
When people were emigrating from
the state, instead of immigrating to it,
| when after years of repeated crop fail
| ureS 1t seemed as if the bottom had Just
dropped out the ralroa Is turned not
| the cold shoulder to South Dakota
| when our people needed free coal the
| railroads did their share, whenever the
state has needed help the railroads
gave it. When the time came to re-
| duce freight and transportation charges
| the railroads reduced the rates yolun
| tarily, and then too, after the courts had
decided that rates were not too high.
South Dakota has no just grievance
against this railroads. 1t needs more
railroads and more mileage. 1t needs
to treat them fairly instead of other
wise. Their interests here are great,
| they have right to see that those in
! terests are protected.
This political cant against railroads
is for other purposes than to redress
| grievances or correct wrongs.
4 Allied with this effort to raise rail
road issue, is the attempt to create the
impression that our congressional dele
CATION is owned by the railroads, not,
Wthstanding the votes of the delega-
/ ton III congress were cast for the rate
! bill. An effort is being made to show
that the delegation is not in sympathy
/ Wlth.the president upon these questions.
| The record however is a hard thing to
/ get around aud it stares the would lie
political leaders squarely in the face
and gives their assertions the lie.
The Huronite does not contend that
the railroads do not need watching. 1t
does not contend That there are no evils
in railroad management. But it insists
that South Dakota is not railroad rid
den, that it is not controlled by railroad
1 influences. That tour congressional dele
cation is anxious to do the right thing
us between the people and the railroads
and that no good can come from this
political bugaboo raised IN this state
not in the interests OF the people but
to promote personal ambitions.