The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-08-27
By v. H. LoVEJOY
In Jefferson Bee

III ul6 EdllTOdUS Ildu -uGcu tUppttilS
lover into the abyss of bankruptcy
tThorne would have contended their
rates were still too high. If the rail
roads would give free tickets to ev-
lerybody Thorne would demand that a
five dollar bill, be attached to each
mass. Thorne is too biased and pre-
JUDGED to be in any official position
twhere railroad questions are involved.
or ateyyears Mr.. Cummins has leased
of" in his attitude to railroads, and
seems now willing to give them the
square deal. ..'
We can therefore draw but one con-
clusion on the railroad situation, and
that is this: either the present demo-
cratic administration at Washington
is allowing the railroads to pull off
tremendous steal from the people
in allowing them billion dollars this
year Ito keep them running" or else
Cummins, Thorne and a lot of other
politicians have lied like thunder to
the people during past years by tell
ing us that railroad passenger and
freight fares were too high. We
challenge anyone to disprove this
conclusion. If, under government
control, the railroads are running be-
hind to the tune of s1,000,0 ,000, 900
yearly, somebody must "show u.s. it
the railroads were getting adequate
returns on their capital invested be-
fore, the war There was either big
bunch Of crooked and lying politicians
before the war, or there are bunch
of crooks in power at the present time.
You can take your choice. AS to us
well we believe the people were lied to
continuously and feloniously during
the entire campaign against the rail-
roads in the past quarter of a century.
But the dire trouble of the railroads
now is the unionized labor running
them. The railway Unions are pro-
noting the "Plumb plan" of govern
ment control, a fine scheme to put
the railroads in politics where increas-
led wages can be had before breakfast
every morning. The scheme is al
most reasonable. The country has
the labor unions clutching it's throat.
and the great common people are the
country. |f.
The railway employees constitute
only small part of organized
labor" and organized labor itself is
only Is per cent of the population.
Is the other IS per cent going to sub
NIT to being held up at the point of
gun, and be told that Is per cent of
the inhabitants Of this land are going
| to run the whole shooting match? II
the railroad brotherho oods think they
can force the American people to ac-
lcept the Plumb plan as they forced
the American congress-under stress
tof war conditions-to surrender to
their demands through the passage of
the Adamson law, there ought to be a
surprise party coming. If we must
have a big strike, and a general revo.
luton in economic affairs, let US have
it right now and see if IS per cent Of
the people must submit to Is per cent.
We might as well come to grips over
the question first as last, so let the
strike commence. If the great COM
mon people have any rights let US
know what these rights are. If the
common people must put up billion
dollars yearly to keep the railroad
men on abnormally high salaries let
us find out why we have to do so in a
general free for all fight. II the COM
mon people can be whipped" let them
take their medicine. Lay on MacDuffii