The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1918-12-06
RAILROADS AND POLITICS

VIII be the question as to whether tne
railroads are to be turned back to pri-
vste ownership or taken over by the
government, or whether some modified
means of government control shall be
established. We do not propose at the
present time to argue this question one
way or the other; but We do urge upon
our readers the importance of giving
some real thought to it, not alone as
citizens but as farmers.
One effect of the present situation
was disclosed by the Omaha Daily Bee,
of Tuesday, October 29ih, when it re-
produced circular-Ietter issued Octo.
Der Goth by the secretary of Division
No. of the Railroad Employees De-
partment of the Am rican Federation
of Labor Among other things it con-
tains the following:
'The state of Nebraska votes for
United States senator at the coming
election, and the one elected will have
voice and vote on the relinquishing
of the railroads to private ownership
or continuing them under government
control. The democratic candidate for
United States senator has, thru the
public press, in answer to an inquiry,
stated that he favors government oper-
alton of the railroads, it is therefore
to your interest to vote for him if you
are of the same opinion"
And further along we find the follow
ing;
I'm view of the benefits already re.
ceived from the present administration,
we as railroad employees should show
our appreciation and vote for all demo-
cratic candidates for congress at this
time"
We do not know how many railroad
employees there are in the state of Ne
braska. nor in the United States at
large; but there are enough of them to
have very pronounced effect upon the
election of candidates to any Office.
Note that the appeal to the Nebraska
railroad employees is made purely on
the basis Of their own seif-interest.
While in this case they were asked to
vote for only democratics. it is quite
conceivable that under other circum-
stances they might be asked to vote
only for republicans. In other words.
the employees of the railroads are fol-
lowing the policy followed for many
years by the big trusts and business
corporations, which have contributed
freely to both political parties. and
which have endeavored to see to it that,
whatever party man might belong to.
he will be the right kind of man to
serve their interests if he should be
elected.
The farmer should ponder on these
things. Reconstruction measures are
going to be pushed thru with great
rapidity, simply because the interests
now organized know what they want
to do; and they will try to do it before
other interests. and especially farmers,
can be organized to look after their own
interests.
The above clipped from Wsllace's
Farmer, Grain Belt publication. shows
that railroad employees look upon gov
eminent ownership or control of rail-
roads as beneficial to their interests,
because the policy of Mr.. McAdoo has
been to meet every demand made by
them and make such increases in freight
and passenger rates as was needed to
meet the necessary increase in expenses
and even then he has made deficit of
nearly a half billion dollars in less than
q year which must be made up from the
government treasury and the public
must loot the bill. Few projects in
which the United States has ever taken
q hand has proven as expensive to the
people as the operation of the railroads,
the express companies and telegraph
lines. Regulative measures are neces-
sary, but public operation is far from
the wishes of the public who have to
foot the bill Of expense.