The Topeka state journal., 1919-09-27
Transportation Situation Re-
minds One of POpulism.
Frank FARRELL Tells of Late SOS
and Early '9Os Here.
JERRY SIMPSON ONCE TRIED 1T
In Kansas Reform Days Rail-
roads Were the Victims.
Thirty Plans in Congress To
Dispose of the Railways.


situation in the October number of the
Nations Business. official publication
Of the United States Chamber of Conn
merce. Frank farrell. fomerly of To-
peka. asks in the headline. 'Is the
railroad question eternal?"
1T has been well up on the calendar
ever since the days of Populism, and
there is more interest in it now than
ever before" FARRELL says. And he
goes on to relate:
Away back in the sos and the
early SOS Mrs. Lease and Mr.. Peffer
and Jerry Simpson were leading a re-
form movement in Kansas under the
the existing disease, and as a preven-
issue was built around the railroads.
These noted phophets OF unrest and
calamity urged first as a remedy for
banner of the Populist party, and the
tive for future ills, government owner
ship; later, maximum rates to be fixed
by statute, and still later, full author
ity to be vested in state commissions
for control of all transportation cor
porations. Interest in the Lease-Pef-
fer-Simpson plan became nationwide.
Campaigns were fought over it. The
old political parties were Jared by in
ternal disturbances because of it, and
the new party of Populism domI-
"Populism ran its course in little
while, and was no more. The old par
ties resumed their business of beating
! each other at the polls. but the rail-
road question has had place on the
calendar all the time. and has been at
the top most of the time, as it is now.
Plumb and Populism.
''When Mr.. Plumb told congress
about Wall street manipulating and
exploiting the railroads, the old time
Populist sat up with a jerk, blinked
his eyes, and pinched himself to see
| if he had heard it in a dream. for 1t
was not unlike the rallying cry of his
party more than thirty years ago. 1t
was not a dream. 1t was the ever
present railroad question, in its cycle
| of agitation, and it had reached a
stage which revived memories of an
eventfuI period on the eX-Populist's
| career"
York, said to farrell recently while
Talking about Populist days in Kansas:
All Trying To Settle 1t.
"I see the politicians are still trying
20 settle the railroad question. They
have been at it long time; but now,
with prohibition and women's suf-
frage out of the way, maybe some
thing will happen. Here's hoping"
The fact that thirty plans for hand
! ling the railroad situation have been
| presented to congress, farrell says, is
the best evidence of the universal in
terest in the subject. Even the League
| of Nations failed to draw SO many diff
ferent schemes for its disposition. The
newspapers contain more letters than
usual from "Old Timer" Citizen" and
| PRO Bono Publico," the writer's con-
ducting a quiz, rather than making an
argument. They want to know what
it's all about. Congressman are over
worked explaining to their constitu-
| ents the several bills given to them
for consideration.
Government ownership had some
ardent hackers, and they were very
busy for several days" says FARRELL.
when the railroad brotherhoods
placed on exhibition their picture of
national despair, which they declared
would be realized unless the United
States bought the railroads and turned
them over to the employees for opera
ton, there were headlines in the
papers. A CULVER was noticed in the
stock market quotations for a day or
two, and then the country spoke, as IT
did when Mrs. Lease and Mr.. PeffeI
and Jerry Simpson made their de-
mands three decades ago. The YER
dict, as recorded in the daily and
weekly press of the country was
against the Plumb plan. BY the pro-
cess Of elimination, therefore, the pub
lie passes from government ownership
to other suggestions for disposing OF
the railroad question, offered for con-
sideration by various groups and in
diYiduals'
. Any Way, "Here's Hoping"
FARRELL gives a detailed analysis Of
the railroad plan adopted by the Ma
tional Chamber of Commerce, com
pairing 1t feature by feature with al
the other plans, and concludes:
AN examination of all plans sub
mitted reveals that there are many
points in common, and indicates thal
there is a strong probability of getting
together on a solution OF the railroad
question which will be satisfactory Il
a large majority of the people of the
| United States. In the language o
Mrs. Lease, here's hoping"