Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1922-02-15
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sA.s ezInteeest Gin sHistliorx

800 = 80 ~ pay AAS sse6tl$-0110f-
nous rental for TIL ivilege, because
the railway manage and owners
themselves conceding that UnclesSam
could do The. job better than they
could, threw. ups til cir hands IN appars
$ent helplessness and implored to be
ken over rs
& This was equivalent to an admis-
Sion that in times Of stress and dan
ger the .governme nt could handle the
transportation business better than
the private owners. This being con-
ceded, it only remained to be demon.
strated that the government. could do
this work more satisfactorily, also III
times Of profound peace. The Pro,
gressiyes in Congress led by Senator
LaFollette did.their level bests.to con.
tinue this policy .of government man
agement long enough to determine
whether or not the plan is feasible
The governm ent had actual possession
a.! that was left to do was to deter
mine the real value of the railways
and to provide for the payment.
The Interstate Railroad Commits
sion had long been engaged in an .ex-
haustive research to determine what
the railroads were reasonably worth.
This work would be completed in IA
couple Of years. This policy: Of the
Progressives would seem to be wise.
But clamor arose among the railway
lackeyess and their tools in Congress
for their immediate return TO private
management.
As might be supposed the entire
kept press Joined in the chorus. But,
strange as it may appear, of more
than one hundred alleged agricultural
papers. in this country, so far as
know, only two, the Iowa. Homestead
and the Wisconsin, Farmer, which are
owned by the same people, raised a
protesting voice.
Even President Howard of the Ma
tional Farm Bureau, was apparently
hypnotized into giving his sanction,
While this Cumminsr Esch bill was
pending in Congress, a measure we
all now see is, the most far.reaching
and important legislation affecting the
prosperity of the country enacted in
fifty years, very little was. said about
this measure. This conspiracy Of
silence was profound and almost uni;
yersal among kept" newspapers.
How many. of the ordinary newspa-
pers:-I> mean those privately, owned
here in Minnesota, for instance, told
their readers while the bill. was pend
ing in Congress @that:if it became the
law Of the land, it would either de-
stroy all state regulation of railroads
and nearly double their freight AMI
passenger rates? Not, only did they
tail to do this but even now they are
defending Senator Kellogg and men
like Congressman Volstead and Steen-
ersOn who are coming up for re-elec-
ton. Il
lido you know that one of the effects
Of this law was to legalize about ten
billions (face value) of watered rail
way stocks and bonds some of them
worth only six cents on the dollar anG
put them at par by the guarantee
clause?
: Is mot this equivalent to transfer.
ring that vast sum of money from the
pockets Of the people into the Golfers
Of spectators and owners of railway
securities? Everybody is assessed to
pay this enormous tax
But the farmer is. hit the hardest
for he pays the freight, not only on
all he sells, but also on nearly all he
consumes. He. is. caught, as it were,
coming and going and he is feeling
the effect.
Never was there such spirit Of un-
rest among the agricultural popula-
ton of this country as prevails today
Happily will it be for the tillers of
the soil if they learn to see this matter
in its true light, and resolve to voice
their protest in the most effective way
and that is at the ballot box next. fall.
The defeat Of every one of these re-
creant Congressman who supported
the .sGummins-Esch act, mailing from
the West, I verify believe would 4besa
Godsend to eagriculture.: # they were
beaten by men who believe in govern
ment ownership, all the better.
Such a result would be, speedily fol
lowed-b big reduction in freight
rates: The railway manipula
would get down on their knees and beg
forsmercy.
The course Of action towards men.
like Sidney Anderson, :Volsteads and
Stevenson by the intelligent farmers
OF Minnesota should be, as; plain. as
day. These men should be repudiat-
ed. All the money that. can be poured
into their districts ought not be sniff
:cient to save them from the wrath of:
the people whose interests they have
betrayed. 5 ST. sz T
Joe Leuze was a Willmar visitor
Saturday.
Mr.. and Mrs. Henry 5Rhoda board
ed the train for illmar last Friday !
Mrs Rhoda remained at the hospital
for few days for physical examina-
.tion. .zs
Mrs. j. w. Lindner and daughter
VIYo1