The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-08-24
A POPULAR INJUSTICE

The cheapest commodity in the
United States proportioned to the
cost of production, is railroad trans
portation. Against no other industry
or business is prejudice so manifest
When the farmer prospers from his
bumper crops" when the merchant
is gaining wealth from the result OF
wise enterprise, when the banker an
nounces vast capital and reserve,
when the wage-earner is steadily
raising the per capita of his savings
when everybody is happy the COM
munity rejoices with exceeding great
joy. But as soon as it gets abroad
that railroad corporation has de-
clared a dividend somebody is sure
to object, and there is a loud cutlery
against 1.-The rapacity' of. this phase
of predatory wealth" Only the
railroads are subjected to the popular
sheer that they are cutting another
melon"
1t is apparently useless for the
railroads to urge that their business
is sourced in the same economic
necessities as other businesses; that
the high cost of living" affects them
as it does every other business and
individual, that they pay the market
price for material and labor; that
they are handicapped by regulations,
restrictions and determinations
which are imposed on nobody else;
and that all they ask is square deal
based on a just opportunity to earn
a fair, reasonable and legitimate
profit on their investment.
The reason for this popular atti-
tude of antagonism to the railroad
corporations is probably melted by
fear of the power which might be
exercised by the corporations If al
lowed the same latitude of action
freely granted to every other indus
try and enterprise. The politicians
have taken advantage of this psyche
logical condition, not so much, per-
haps, for the purpose of hampering
and destroying the railroad business,
as with the intention of assisting
their own ends by arraying the vot-
ers in an antagonism that may be
utilized for the political aggrandize-
ment of the demagogues. The rail-
roads are helpless to retaliate in
kind. They are debarred from the
common right of manipulating the
political machinery of the state, al
tho that right is never denied to the
'lobby" Of any other interest endea-
moring to influence state or national
legislation. Railroad politics" Is
anathema.
Consequently when the largest en-
ployer of labor in the nation, the
heaviest taxpayer, the most import
ant industrial interest, comes before
the constituted tribunals Of the coun-
try asking for rate sufficient to
carry on its business, it is denied on
the general principle that If the rail,
road charges are increased "the
melon will be too big. The shippers
may sustain the railroads In their
petition for better rates; indulitable
proof may be offered that the rail-
roads thesemlves are paying the
highest rates for everything they
use; it may be made perfectly clear
that extension, betterments, new
roads for opening new territory, will
be impossible unless the earning ca
pacity of the roads is strengthened;
nothing of all this serves to secure
relief for the railroad corporations.
The fear of railroad domination"
is too firmly grounded in the public
mind; the politicians have succeeded
only too well in beguiling popular
pdejudice. And the railroads have
no other recourse than to submit to
the injustice. The condition thus i'm
posed, however, works its own re-
venge in public inconvenience when
a great emergency arises and the
equipment Of the nation is
found inadequate. But even in that
the politicians have no
difficulty in convincing the credulous
public that the railroads are entirely
to blame for the deficiency.
The San Diego Union.
Republican butter wrappers; none