Tonopah bonanza. [volume] (Butler City [i.e. Butler], Nev.) 1901-1909, 1907-02-16
A BUGABOO


without casting any reflections upon the sincerity of the speakers
at the banquet on Saturday night last, we desire to offer the opinion
time would be a admission of weakness and would in all probability
eneduany block for all time that relief that " e at present SO much de
sire. We fail to see wherein material advantage is to result to US
by permitting the railroads to rob us for two years longer n sup
position that this period of time would suffice for matters to right them
selves is a falacy. The Southern Pacific has had many times two years
to perfect h process u Fighting, we Venture to say tat lot \
single resident of the state of Nevada can honestly state that tines
have noticed any radical improvements.
We do not advocate arbitrary laws based mostly upon the desire tic
satisfy a antipathy towards railroad as a whole. but we insist that
the railroads must admit that the people have some rights and demand
legislation that I'LL force them to accord u is justly u u On
the other hand we arc opposed to such legislation that fails to conserve
the vested rights of the railroads or that places upon them burdens that,
are obviously unjust What W desire is fair play. railroads re
asking this also and they will get it and that is considerably more than
they al truthfuly say a regards their treatment of their patrons. Try
and cut on the supply of dollars ana cents n matter how wrongfuny
they may flow, from the corporation or the individual and witness the
wonderful mental activity that viii concoct some weird bugaboo and
desist from molestng them. In this time the Encouragement to con-
of this state with the admontion that we must continue to allow our
selves to be robbed or else the number of robbers will not be increased.
Is it not a encouraging picture. We must allow the present rail-
"a 70 Q is In mai " e may allow to come into existence other
monsters of the same specie to assist in the plunderng. Cogitate as
we may we fail to wherein the other roads of the state would be
detrimentaTy effected by the establishment of a terminal point at Reno
on the Southern Pacific. We are also willing to admit that Nevada is
the railroad that each individual citizen is a gold mine to be worked
till the vein pinches. To the man that has but barely enough to sub
wner ~ c.nita,sts Nevada az unara Lone SOW ranroad ahnao
and yet we are asked to suffer longer in order that more vampires may
propagate. We make this statement with a full realization of the
wonderful blessings that some of the railroads have brought to our state
veiopment. but sad experience has taught that n o matter what the mi
tal advantages may have been that the ultimate outcome more than
completely offsets the primary gain. If the people of the state desire
railroads that will pay for themselves from the pockets of the people
within six months and thereafter pay dividends of 100 per cent on the
investment surely it would be a good plan for them to build their own
roads, and without question they could readily borrow money for 50
short a time We mention this merely to show how foolish is the
bugaboo that they are asking you to swallow.
Is not 50 per cent a year on ones investment a fair return and
is it likely that with a prospect of this kind in sight that the capt.
talist would balk and keep his money at home where it could earn but
from 3 to 6 per cent per amman? We desire to see the railroads that
help our state receive just returns upon their investments, and a little
Ger besides. al a bonus fr their temeruy in Undertaking so
doubtful a proposition, but in our zeAousness we do not commit our
selves to the obligation of submitting to any demands that they may
make upon us. There is such a thing as justice and likewise equity. We
contend that the people of Nevada are Obliged to pay rates, both passen-
ger and freight, that ar way out of reason and that bring to the rail-
roads profits beyond what they are equitably entitled to.
We are happy in the knowledge that the legislators themselves APP
preciate the necessity of immediate action and we console ourselves in the
confidence that they are men of men, and that Nevada will receive her
just deserts through the Introduction of a railroad bill that will de-
mand a compliance with justice and reason. W. caution against radf-
cal o nl-advised legislation and advocate such regulation, in its endeavor
to help the people, IS will at the same time accord the railroad the
srictest protection of its every right and will deal out justice alike to
the railroads and the people, and will preserve inviolate the equities of
both Such a measure would not discourage railroad building and would
give to the people a guarantee of just treatment in the years to come.