The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-01-05

with the private car; prohibit the car
rier from becoming merchant, and let
US make no compromise or accept any,
thing less.
| 1t would be we'll to note the great
difficulties that must be overcome if
relief is secured along this line. First
| here must be laws passed by congress.
Next those laws must pass through the
talerhbic Of courts where the judges are
almost Invariably ex-railroad attor-
neys. When all that is done, action
must be token before a small body of
men called an interst tie commerce
commission r'it that docs not end it.
There is anothec appeal to the ex-
railroad lawyers sitting as judges in
the supreme conrt AMI years may
elapse before it reachls the supreme
court and final action h at last OBJ
tained. What hope is thee that any
relief can be secured during this gem
Grafton or the next, along thafJine of
procedure? ~
But there are other elements 10 Con-
tend with beside TIE private car conf
panies and industrial railroads. The
fruit jobbers and every oIher associa-
ton of business men who widely dis
tribute goods find another franchised
enemy almost as powerful as the rail-
roads. That is the express companies.
Mr.. Ferguson has already found in
them an antagonist not to be despised.
He says:
Whssk we use the express companies
the hiaH rates we pay are almost a
POSITIVE barrier to profits.
If we refuse to patronize them they
become our competitors and solicit
business Of the retail merchant against
us. Their order and commission de-
partments are run In direct COMPETE
ton with our business. and Of late
hear mutterings from the retail trade
that the express companies are solic-
King direct from the consuming pub
he, for which they charge no profit
olner than they derive from their high
and exorbitant exnress rates
Mr.. Ferguson will neve to po l;t-
tie further in his populism before he
gets any relief from the express con-
panies. Government ownership OF
railroads would go far toward it, but
to that must be added the populist de-
mand for parcels post. Fresh fruits
are sent all over England and other
European countries by par cells post and
quickly delivered. That thing would
/. ia Immensely to the fruit growing
business. The government ownership
OF ths, telegraphs and telephones would
also al Ito it. A sudden call of friends
at county house where tne delicacies
of the season were absent, would send
the good mar on to the telephone and
the rural mail carrier would the next
morning bring h9r order.
What Mr.. Ferguson, the fruit job
bers, the fruit growers, the fruit con-
sumers and everybody esse really want,
is populist principles erac ed into law.
but they don't seem to know it. The
most direct way to relief, anE in fact
the only way, is the adoption on those |
principles. If this convention an1 vi |
other conventions, and there havt.
been scores of them in session lately,
protesting against railroad extortionI
and other evils, would &C to work to
put the populist party into power, they
would get what they arc demanding
Will they ever get by petitioning SEN
ators and members of the house who
hold their seats by railroad support?
1t will take something more than ap-I
peals to a congress already elected and
secure in Office through railroad influ-
ence. to bring about these reforms.
&S$$SSS$
The State University
The report of Chancellor Andrews Is
q document of intense interest from