Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-02-18
Working Up Sympathy

pealS under scare headings of
black faced type a half in high
or more, on the patent:sides of
all the big city papers, on the
first page of all the big city
papers, and on some page of al
most every paper or magazine
yoa can pick up, telling us of the
pitiful condition, and the direful
extremitieS to which the poor
railroads have been reduced by
the unjust and unnecessary in.
reference of legislators. courts
of law, and the interstate. com.
merce commission, with such
things as freight and passenger
rates, freight claims, rebates.
over charges, and a few other
such things that should, could,
and of right ought to have been
left entirely to the discretion
and management of the good,
trust.y, honorable and philan
thrOpic gentlemen who run.
manage. and sometimes ruin the
railroads and the small stock.
holders, while they themselves
remain millionaireS and gather
to themselves more millions.
that they may run, rule and ruin
more railroads and stockholders
and gather more millions.
If any one doubts the perfect
sincerity and unselfish motives
of these benevolent gentlemen,
just let him read the direfuI
warnings of dread and dire
full consequences tD the farmers
and merchants, the bankers,
doctors and lawyers, in fact,
everybody in general, and the
poor working men and real es.
tate and loan agents in particu
lar land editors, tooD
If we don't every one of us get
busy at once, or sooner, and
sign petitions and write letters.
and if need be go in a body Tor in
a special Pullman) up to Jeffer.
son City, or anywhere else where
Legislators and interstate com
MERGE commissions most do con.
gregate, and never cease. quit or
let up pleading, praying and be.
seeching the aforesaid legisla
tors until they they do of their
own free act and deed grant un.
to the aforesaid railroads, their
heirs and assigns forever, their
constitutional right and priv.
lege to do just as they blame
please in all matters of rates and
fares freight or passenger
charges or Over-charges. bait
or rebates, without any hindr.
ance from any person or per-
sons whatsoever.
And say, Mr.. Farmer or Stock.
man or Merchant or Whoever
You Are, if, after reading about
the campaign of the railway EN-
ployes and their enthusiasm for
a higher rate bill, about the
Monster Mass Meetings" at
Springfield, after being inter.
viewed by a few employees trav'
cling by special train to attend
those mass meeting, or by spec
ial permit leaving their regular
employ to canvass the
towns along the line to get sign.
ers to their petitions land when
they can't the business men to
sign, filling in with the names of
school boys of IA and Is years
old, as one of the employees did
here in Mansfield last week.:
yes, if after considering the ex.
pense of all this petitioning and
mass meetings and special train
doings, the editorial write.up
and front page write.ups and
patent side write ups, of sub.
Sliding the city press, and the
country press, and the farm
press, and the big magazines,
and the little magazines, and the
big politicians, and the li6tle pol
iticians, if in thinking of all this
expense you get a hazy idea of a
pile of money that looks as big
as a mountain in comparison
with all the money you ever
saw in your life, and that makes
you wonder where all the money
comes from to do all this when
the railways cant pay even
running expenses?"-
No, don't do anything about it.
Donit mrifo ufhinn funn thnl