The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1915-01-28


statement to group of New York
bankers, an old veteran financier who
has survived many financial storm
remarked to his profoundly silent
auditors, 1.-THE sheriff, with writ,
lis on the doorstep.
In the present instance, the
railroad crisis is of tremendous i'm
|portance because in it is involved the
still greater problem of the integrity
and safety of the whole. superstruc-
ture of American business. That we
cannot shove it aside by broadside
of demagogic platitudes or minimize
lit by employing the strategy of an
ostrich is apparent to every man who
is seriously concerned in his own and
his country's future welfare.
UP TO PEOPLE OF IOWA.
In few other states have the rail-
roads had a larger share in progress
and development than in Iowa-a
state which stands without a peer
agriculturally and which has within
it's borders greater diversified per
capita wealth and less of poverty
than any other state in the Union!
Surely such great commonwealth,
the broadmindedness of whose peo-
pie is byword throughout the ma
ton, cannot afford to treat unfairly
the millions of outside capital which
have been invested in her network
of railroads and without which her
position among the ssterhood of
Estates would have been impossible?
Splendid as has Deen our progress
in the past, Iowa still stands merely
upon the threshold of her true pos
sibilities, and during the next twen-
ty-fve years our farm and industrial
wealth should be increased by many
hundreds of millions of dollars. That
we, however, still need millions of
outside capital and that these mil
lions will not be forthcoming unless
we treat fairly every dollar which has
been honestly invested in our indus
tries should be apparent to every
thoughtful citizen.
In the end, all the people and the
industries of the state, great or small,
must rise or fall together-for in the
final analysis we are all dependent
upon each other Thus, the welfare
of the town and it's surrounding
farms depend upon a spirit OF kind
| ly cooperation between those who
live in town and those who live
upon the farm. Without splendid
inland towns we would have rural
atmosphere which would soon drive
every bright country boy and
girl to the cities-while without the
farms the towns would wither and
die Even SO it is with all the other
Interests of our great commonwealth
which should contribute it's full share
toward the New Day"-a day
fraught with a broader understand
/ ing and justice for every man and
every interest whether large or small
At this moment there are million
idle men who stand in the Bread
Line" and depend upon Soup
Houses in every city of size in the
nation. A year ago the American
Steel Corporation had 100000 men
on it's payroll. Today the number
has been reduced to 130, 000-a state
of affairs largely attributable to the
impoverished condition of the rail-
roads. That this vast ''army of un-
employed" is depressing the price of
farm products and that it lays with
heavy hand upon every merchant
and manufacturer in the land is so
far apparent that comment is super
fuous. 1t is indeed time to think
gravely and profoundly.
| 1t is because Iowa railroads be-
lieve that Iowa people will be gener-
ously fair-once they knew the truth
about this great QuestlOn-that mas
persuaded them to make this appeal
through the public press. In doing
SO they have tried to state their side
of the story fairly. They have made
no attack upon anyone or sought to
appeal to prejudice-and that the
reader may accord to them the same
credit for sincerity which he claims
for himself-that he may be willing
to raise his voice in defense of their
rights as he would expect others to
do in his behalf under similar cir
Icumstances- this is all the railroads
of Iowa ask paid adv.)
Notice of Appointment of Admins
I = re-