The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-05-04
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The Lemon Eaters

NNd4laHS ny IpHAJ
The ii 81 tariff lemon handed out
pg the railways was the California
.lmon crop lemon The California
fruit growers MADE the effort OF their
liyes and won out for increased tariff
f0tecton on their lemons. In the
midst OF their iubilaton the trans
continental railways clapped on just
that much more in the freight rates!
The Caliio.nia lemon growers We're
given their lemon" raw and they
wear d twisted smile And the rail
ways are rejoicing. in brand new
principle of rate making.
IT is simple oh, so awfnlly simplel
Producers OF certain commodities de-
handed increased protection and got
ii though it has made the TAFT adj
mnlstration sweat blood since But
row The railways appear to be the
ones really getting it, for they are
busy iaising the freight rates in pro
portion with the added protection.
The long threatened revision or
freight schedules upward is now go
ing on with the railways filing their
notices Of higher tariffs with the in
terstate commerce commission Kan
sas CITY and Missouri river points
are said to be hard hit.
And it Is asserted chat the railways
are deliberately adding 10 their rates
ne margin between the old tariff and
tie new Aldrich tariff. Commodities
given larger protection by the new
tariff must pay tribute accordingly TO
The railways.
And Of course, the consumers must
lay the freight They are the lemon
,ea ,efs
Speaking Of lemons, the proof of
The puddin' is the eatin and ii is inn
portant, ii true, that, after years of
harpooning of trusts and combines
and pitchforking of public evils and
making the malefactors Of great
wealth appgehensive OF the big suck
-behold the consumers kicking
against the tribute they are obliged
10 pay for he privilege OF living
For several years, now, the muck
raking publications, boosting the
undertaking politicians, have earned
enormous profits in selling exposes
OF evils and exho tations for reprisal
and reform 10 the people. but what
have The people gained in material
wat? For instance, do the necessar
les of life cost less? And are there
more Jobs? self preservation is the
first law of nature And that has 10
ao with employment wages, income
and the cost OF living. II is somewhat
sasping To realize that the material
welfare oil the citizen has not been
improved, so far as his freedom from
the embarrassment OF Gaming less
than it costs TO live is concerned. Is
ii possible that the American people
have been handed gigantic lemon
and that The country now suiIe's
acutely from Indigestion caused By a
lemon diet?
We call attention TO this very sin
lister thing to invite the notice OF
democrats TO the large possibilities
Of sticking to definite propositions
ion the actual, tangible benefit of the
people
Piuchots conservation policy, for
example, won add one cent 10 tur
income OF the people. nor reduce by
one cent the cost OF coal and timber,
and it will not add one Job except
government jobs to be paid for out
e. taxation
But a reasonable taiff will have
actual. literal material effect on the
cost of certain necessary commod
ties.
And. by the way, do YOU realize
flat the interstate commerce COM
mission has no power whatever over
;he basis Of freight rates, but only
etcr their equalization between zones
and cities?
There is pfovender for useful
thought in that fact
ANA the great mission of the Demo
cratic party today is TO emerge sound
and strong for policies of downright
value and influence, rs opposed 20
the mere undertaking to satisfy the
mere human JOY Of seeing the sue
eessful ones embarrassed and ratified
and unhorsed.