Omaha daily bee., 1906-02-28
SEWARD COUNTY SENTIMENT
People Indignant at Railroad Attitude
Concerning Taxation.
READY TO OVERTHROW CORPORATION RULE
DictatiOn from Bosses VIII Not BE
Hearkened To by the Republican
Voters at the Coming
Election.
CFrom a star Correspondent

SEWARD. Neb, Feb. 27.-CSpecial. Pop
uiar evaporation at the spirit shown by
the railroad corporations is even higher, IL
that be possible, in Seward than in York
county. Parties are more evenly divided
here This has enabled the political agents
of the railroads, with their coterie of fol-
lowers. to maneuver more effectively be-
tween the lines. They have time and again
recently defeated republican candidates
who would not bow TO their dictation and
were therefore ia the way of corporation
manipulations. This rule or ruin spirit of
great corporation interests has freshly
brought home to the people the seriousness
OF the need of real public control of them.
On top of this. and even more exasper-
ating is the perverse resistance of two OF
the great Nebraska railroad systems TO the
effort of the state to collect taxes assessed
against them. Seward is one of the i'm
portant counties on the Burlington system.
The tax holdup by that company, now ex-
tended indefinitely by appeal to the United
States supreme court. deprives this county
OF Sl2.6727o Of revenue for 1896 and SO, 1850
for 1906, a total OF s22,s49.SO for the two
years. The loss of so large a sum is neces-
sarily embarrassing TO the local govern
msnt and hits every taxpayer in the pocket
nerve.
Railroads Violate Decency.
But the serious feature is not much the
financial embarrassment as the revelation
of the selfish and dictatorIal spirit of the
railroad corporations. 1t has warned the
people of the paramount necessity Of
wrenching the government away from the
| influence Of great corporations actuated by
/, such a spirit There is a popular feeling
abroad amounting almost to resentment
The county treasurer says that there is an
almost universal feeling that the railroads
are violating all decency by obstinately re-
sisting tax collection. The local news
papers. which are so close to the life of the
people. have a significant story to tell here
The Seward editors are now, as for many
months they have been. receiving great
numbers of communications from their
subscribers, indignantly protesting against
the course OF the railroads.
1T is noteworthy" says the editor OF
one of the local newspapers, that thess
communications do not come from cranks
or agitators or aspirants for Office. but
from the very best and most substantial
men of the county. / know them well
personally. They are leading farmers and
stock raisers. intelligent and sincere men
Most of them are republicans. They are
indignant that the railroads, which al.
ways have been VIGOROUSLY and grossly
undertaxed. should tight so desperately &c
baffie the people at the first effort TO brinl
the railroads nearer TO their share of the
tax burden. And the feeling in the towns
among the merchants and shippers is tbs
same as IL is in the country. Go and ask
al random as you meet the people and
you will md out for yourself.
Inquiry more than verihes this editors
statements. II Is no exsggeration 70 SAP