The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1907-07-26
FARMER AND THE RAILROADS; &
THEIR INTEREST IS COMMUNAL

| see Farmers Association, Dayton, Tenn.
Dear Siri I have read your letter
headed Farmer and the Railroads" pub
lished In the Sunday Times Of Cha,ta'
nooga, On June %.
10 contains evidence Of your intelii.
gence and fairness Of mind and can
account for your criticism u my address
before the Tennessee Bankess' Associa,
ton, therefore, only on the ground that
you have read an Account IN which both
the substance and spirit Of what said
were grossly misTepresented. Neither
before the Tennessee bankers, nor AZ any
other time or place. have ! used lang
uagc that could. by any possible con
strtIction, b. made to convey the mean
ing that some one has evidently endea-
vored 10 give 20 my remarks. | encloss
herewith a copy Of my address 10 the
bankers exactly as delivered H. II you
win read Il you win see that some ono
has done me a grave injustice in at
tributing to me any reference 10 the
grange mania,- or any language that
can be distorted into a call upon any
men, or classes Of men, 10 ofganizs
against the politicians who seem 10 10
working tho socalled grange mania
Il shall be glad u you win send me
a clipping Of the account Of my address
which 20 completely misrepresented me
and 80 far misled you. Such an ae-
count affords a striking illustration Of
the misrepresentation 10 which railways
and railway managers have been per
sistently subjected In some quarters.
@Not only Ia my address 10 the Ten
nessce bankers, but on other occasions,
have referred In terms Of the highest
b appreciation 10 the work Of the last Ten
nessee Legislature, and the fact that .
majority Of its members represented the
agricultural communities Of the Stats
shows that would have been most un-
just n ! had criticised, in any way, the
farmers o. Tennessee
"No one recognizes more clearly the
Importance Of the agricultural interests
Of the United States than does the man
agcr Of a railway operating In a region
like the South, the wealth Of which 10
largely based on farming. know that
the railways Of the South cannot pros-
per unless the Southern farmer l. pros
porous. and ielicve there are few farm
ers who do not realize that their pros
perity depends In large degree upon the
highways over which their products must
BE- hauled 10 market
= believe that every one doing bush
ness of any Kind In the South i inter.
ested In the railways Of our section b.
ing able to increase and improve their
service a. rapidly a. the demand fos
transportation increases. but I DO not
believe that any other class l. more VI
tally interested in this than l. the farm.
er. lie must rely upon the railway 20
carry TO the consuming centers Of this
country. or 20 the seaports for export,
his surplus products which cannot b
consumed In the immediate locality In
which they are produced. The railway
also makes possible the establishment Of
factories and building up Of towns and
cities in agricultural communities. Thess
towns and cities furnish the farmer with
nearby market for the perishable pro
ducts Of his farm and enable him to d.
versify HE farming 20 an extent. that
would not b. profitable n he dii not
have the local markets 20 supply.
"All my life have numbered South
ern farmers among my friends. / know
their high character and their high av.
esage intelligence. know that when
they have studied the railway sitiua'
ton from the viewpoint Of abstract jus
tice and from the viewpoint Of their
own individual interests, the railways of
the South will have no reason 20 fear
unjust treatment at their hands. My
only fear l. that farmers and other
classes Of citizens ss well may be mis-
led hy false aud mistaken statements a.
70 the railways and their managers.
Il have written you thus fully, in or.
der that YOU should have no misunder.
standing Of my attitude AZ 20 the prop
cr relations between the public and the
railways. and In order, especially, 20
correct the mistaken impression you had
obtained AZ 90 my attitude toward tho
I farmer know that you viii regret az
much ~ I do the way you have been
misled. Yours very truly,
Nv. W. FINLEY. President"
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