Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-02-16
Justice For the Raj ilrOadS.
Justice For the People.

| sJuSlIcc TOT Vuc coIuos
Every man in South Dakota desires
that the railroads should receive a just
and fair compensation for their SER
vices as common carriers and are will
ing to stand the limit of an honest
rate, for we all appreciate their good
work at times to help the people when
misfortune stalked across our fair
| land, and the railroads can ask no
more than this-should ask no more.
The people do not meddle or interfere
with the business affairs of the rail
roads and the railroads shall not
interfere with the affairs of the peO-
pie any longer.
Why should a few self appointed
political bosses say to tile corporation
agents: We represent the state-tfle
people be id.
What has Mr.. Kittredge done for
the state or the people that he should
assume the position of a dictator? He
never faced a grasshopper or turned
an acre Of the virgin soil. Through
his connection with Senator Petit
grew, who gave him political stand
ing, he assumed that the people were
subjects and would forever stand a
bosses lash. He has played his hand
to the limit. The bosses whip is met
with contempt everywhere, and the
lash is the lash of palsed hand.
What has Senator kittredge,
Charlie Burke, f. w. Martin, Ed.
Kennedy or Mr.. Crane done to give
them the right to contract with the
corporations for the sale and delivery
of the commercial and political inter-
ests Of the state?
| There are thousands of men in this
state more deserving of political
honor at the hands of the people than
they are.
The railroads and other corpora
tions have always found these men
willing to represent them against the
interests of the tax payers.
Every corporation interest in the
state escapes a just and fair share of
taxation. Ask these men how it is
zone, tney CAN Tell you.
| None of them, including the gov
ernOr, are found working for the
interests of the taxpayer on the farm
or in the store. They have no time
for the people who support them
they are too busy looking after cor
poration interests, and yet we have
men who have brass enough to tell us
this tax robbing combination is a
good thing to keep in power.
We can't just understand the make
up of man who likes to be robbed
without protest.
We can't understand that brand Of
republicanism which knowingly sus-
tains a political condition that is
wrong and calls it right.
When men become so thoroughly
hidebound, in political sense, that
they are willing to sustain political
condition that is robbing the tax
payers out OF thousands of dollars
every year, rather than assert their
manhood and do their duty to their
state and their country, our boasted
liberties will pass away and there
will come a government composed of
coal barons, standard oil kings, life
insurance swindlers and corporation
agents, and we have a good deal OF
| that kind OF government today, and
what is more, every man who reads
the papers knows these statements
are true, and what is more surprising
than all is that man knowing all
this will vote to sustain this ''infam-
Gus combination that is sapping the
liberties Of the people.
IE the face of this ''infamous COM
bination'' there stands man in
Washington, man of the people,
bold, fearless, honest, who says to the
corporations: You have trampled up
on the constitution; you have usurped
governmental functions; you have re-
fused to obey the laws: you have de-
fed the courts: you are robbing the
people by excessive rates, and by the
Ieternal you shall be driven back with
in due bounds and made to respect
the laws of the land. In President
Roosevelt the people have champion
in whose support there will be nc
|division among those seeking Justice
President Roosevelt is standing for q
square deal, and every man who love.
a square deal is backing the Presi-
i dent.
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