The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1907-09-21

Democratic speaker Of the Assembly
SAID the party must redeem it's promis,
aud pass the bill. Skaggs won. Will,
it Is believed that the railway lobb,
used money without stint and had il
Its deathly grip several members O
both Houses, it came to pass tina, th,
force of publicity was too great anc
word went down the line for all to yot.
Tor the measure, which they did.
And here is another feature of tn,
story. To person on the ground Al
the capital city the explanation could
be given in few words. The news
papers OF the State had been silenced
Tor years. bat never before did they de
clare themselves in the uumistakable
language that they did this year. Never
until within the past three years were
they unanimous or emphatic on the sub.
Ject. Some were apathetic; others cor.
rupt. This Winter they spoke as with one
voice and nobly did they redeem them.
selves. Their efforts did the work and
through them the concentrated force OF
public opinion sweeped down on the
legislative halls so strong that no law.
makers dared resist. / never saw a
better demonstration Of the force of
newspaper warfare. In the years be-
fore, corruption of the press was SO
generally believed to exist that the peo.
pie grew apathetic to the point of des.
pondency. That was shown to the
satisfaction of any one when the fight
was begun in January by the circula.
tion in the various counties OF a peti.
tion for rate regulation and a commits
sion. Many an old.timer refused to
sign it, saying it was no use. They
had signed petitions for years and
nothing came OF them. The people had
reached that point where they lost
hope. That applies to the ones who
had lived here and seen it all. But the
rush OF the past three years to the gold
regions OF the southwestern portion of
he State brought in several thousand
people from Alaska and Washington
State who are filed with vim and do
not believe there IL such a word as
"can't" They as one man demanded
the law. and with the strength the news
papers could recruit elsewhere in the
State the victory was won.
II has been said that the demonetiza'
tion Of silver gave Nevada its great set
back Of the past decade and half from
which it is just now so grandly recover
ing. That may be true to certain ex-
tent. But the extortion practiced here
by the Southern Pacific had more to do
with 1t than any silver legislation
good or bad. How could silver mine
be made to pay when the Southern
Pacific levied the extortion that it did
Those Of average richness were shut
down because they could not afford the
expense of freight, and had the railway
rates been reduced to the level OF
double those Of any Eastern State no
mine in Nevada would have lost shift
ON account Of the demouetization OF
silver. Throughout the State are many
monuments to blasted hopes. which
are no more or less than tumbled down
hosting works and stamp mills that
could not stand the expense OF opera
ton. whereas in Colorado. for instance,
hey would have never stopped Tor a
day.
Yet Nevada at this moment has
greater need than rate law. IL needs
law to compel railways to supply
equipment. The greatest blockade IN
modern history prevails on every line
leading to this State. for that matter
to the Coast.
The fuel shortage is not percepuoiy
improved, il indeed it is not worse tnah
last Winter. With general ireiRh'
avery side track is jammed and there
are not engines to move it. Merchants
n Nevada have had hundreds OF cars on
the way for three to five months
Tracers sent from both ends OF the hne
have failed to locate shipments. un'
less something is done to relieve the
situation. conditions next Winter or De-
fore will be frightful. Stores already
are short of supplies Mines are wait
ing for machinery. Every line oil In
industry is suffering. The people are
getting the worst of it. If the railways
are doing anything to bring ABOUT al
;mnrovement it is not apparent here
NV suggestion is that unless this oun,
msr sees results accomplished toward
providing equipment the Government
will have to take charge OF the opera
,ion OF the railways. as would De uoht
onder similar circumstances In urea'
Britain.
An attachmen thas been placed