Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-03-04
END OF RAILROAD CONTROL
Nebraska Republicans Ready to Throw Of
Corporate Domination.
PEOPLE TO MANAGE THE GOVERNMENT
Widespread Sentiment in Favor of .
Revelation that VIII Put Power
Into Hands of the
Taxpayers.
(From a Stan Correspondent

tfTOm a stan correspondent
GRAND ISLAND. Neb.. March 3-CSpe-
cial. 1T is impossible to mingle with rep
resentauve republicans of six or eight
counties in the region about Grand Islan1
without being impressed with a sense Of
tho seriousness of the popular disposition
to revolt against railroad domination IN
this state. The people are actually in a
state Of instruction today, not, indeed,
organized as army in the field, but ev-
erywhere permeated with a determination
that railroad and other great corporations
and all who thrive by corporation servility
must take their hands of the state govern
ment The universal demand is that the
prostitution Of legislatures and the admin
istration of the laws TO selfish corporation
ends. in disregard Of the rights Of the peo-
pie, must, beyond a peradventure. be
stopped.
The high-handed course OF the Union Pa
cifc and Burlington systems is a fresh and
notable object lesson. especially in the
counties in this section of the state through
which their lines run. The railroads have
shown unspealable folly in challenging the
attention Of the people to their dictatorial
and perverse spirit in the matter of taxes.
II is a common story in these counties that
hundreds OF taxpayers come into the
county utdSuItT oIuCt anu OIltI 70 pa.
IS per cent or some fraction of the taxes
on their farms as merchandise, and an
grily ask why they must pay their taxes in
full If railroad corporations refuse TO pay
theirs in full
why don't you seize their cars OF other
property" This is a question that is
asked again and again at the treasurer's
ONCE in every county along the Burling-
ton and Union Pacific lines
More Than Mere Taxes Involved.
20 II means something when the mass of
the taxpayers are thus aroused. 1t means
far more than the mere matter of the taxes
involved, although that is important and
very embarrassing TO some counties. One
does not have to go far TO find that the
whole issue of the control of the corpora
tons is raised. 1t meets you on every
hand, in county after county. There is
practically no diversity of sentiment among
the masses, and popular feeling is the
more intense in most of the counties be-
cause of the fact that the railroad corpo-
rations are conspiring again this year to
thwart any effort for substantial and per-
manent relief.
The Roosevelt spirit has actually per-
meated the people. 1t is perfectly certain
that they regard the struggle in congress
only the beginning In all these coun-
ties men are saying that what is most
needed now rs a Roosevelt reform in Lin
coin. The people are now interested and
determined TO have Nebraska railroads
controlled by the Nebraska government.
They want a state government that in
every branch represents the people, on the
distinct and immutable condition that the
corporations. however great are subjects
and rot dictators.
Nothing il more noteworthy than the
conservative character of the popular de-
inaud however passionate feeling may be
n vicv of the outraged attitude of the
railroad corporations There is no wild
and reckless agitation, nothing that savors
Of the spirit of indiscriminate vengeance
and mischievous destruction. On the con-
trary. there Is every sign of disposition
TO treat the railroads fairly, and even
considerably.
The substance Of the popular demand /.
that the state government be divorced
from undue corporation influence. This Is
at the root OF the universal call for the
summary abolition Of free passes to leGis
lstors and public officials and all favored
classes, This is why there is such in.
dignant protest against the persistent eff
fort of the railroads to escape by hook oil
crook from their share OF taxes. But tn,
people in all this region have gone fal
beyond the matter OF free passes and col
lection of taxes, They are beginning ever
more insistently 10 demand that the publ,
be the decisive authority. and put a lint
on the enormous taxes which the rail-
roads extort in charges for carrying tn,
products of Nebraska.
This is the core of the matter as the cas-,
stands today-public control against rail
road control or railroad evasion. And II Il
upon this issue that the people through
this portion OF the state are ripe 20 choos
legislature, railroad commissioners, gov
ernor and state officers.