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THE COURIER
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should exist between the carrier and tbo producer, especially when
we consider that the producers are Nebraska farmers, while tho
carrier is an aggregation of eastern people known in Nebraska as
capitalists. Therefare thousands of these eastern people of moderate
means who have invested in Nebraska railroads expecting to earn
only interest on their investment; but to the Nebraska farmer, these
thousands of stockholders are unknown; are unidentified with the
new state, and, in tho aggregate, take the form in the farmer's mind
of an individual called the capitalists. In these later years there has
grown up throughout the country, a general hostility toward cor
porate wealth. This hostility has manifested itsjlf in each state
against such forms of corporate wealth as is most conspicuous and
with which the people come most directly in contact. In Penn
sylvania this opposition takes form against the iron king and tho
coal industry; in New England against tho m anufacturer; in Col
orado against tho mine owner; while in Nebraska it is direstod
against the railroad interests, as tho only visible sign of corporate
power. In a farming community, the railroad, without intending to
be so, is, by the very genius of its organism, a natural irritant. In
its necessary methods4t has the appearance of arbitral y power. Tho
individual farmer, when he offers product for shipment comes in
direct contact with only one railroad at his home town, whereas tho
carrier has business relations with thousands of farmers in hundreds
of towns at the same time. The manager or president of tho road,
not being able to be at all these different places at once and to meet
and converse with his patrons individually, must necessarily meet
them only by proxy and conduct his business through local agents
whose authority is limited under necessary rules. To the. farmer
these rules often appear arbitraiy and oppressive. When the pro
ducer comes in contact with these arbitrary rules, in tho making of
which he has not been consulted, and which are often enforced by
local agentB who mistake impudence for executive ability, the nat
ural impulse of the farmer is to go to the legislature and use the
lawmaking power of the state for the establishment of such rules as
he may deem just. The impression has prevailed among farmers
that the rules and rates in force in thb transportation business are
conceived and established by the management, board of directors,
the freight association, or some other invisible and conscienceless
arbitrary power. When a man feels that ho is being attacked in the
dark by an invisible foe, his natural instinct is to strike back regard
less of consequences. I believe it is uow.more generally understood
among the people that rules, rates and classifications are not fixed
at will by railroad managers, directors or freight associations, but
that they grow into form and develop little by little through the
evolution of of necessity by the higher law of supply and demand,
which places charge on each commodity of what it will bear. This
is the only law under which bulky and low-priced commodities have
commercial existence.
If a carload of Nebraska corn had to pay as much to reach tho
eastern sealward as it costs for a car of dry goods to reach Nebraska
from the seaboard, or if the charge on each car of corn was tho aver
age charge per car for that distance, Nebraska corn would be ex
cluded from the eastern market When it is more fully realizad by
Nebraska farmers that their outgoing product is of the bulky and
low-priced class and, that without this rule which classifies their
commodities and charges them not with reference to the cost of their
shipment to eastern markets, but only what they will bear, their
business as corn-raisers could not exist, much of the friction caused
by rules and rates will disappear. Jefferson said: "The danger of
tho government lies in the restlessness of tho politician. Its safety
depends on the contentment of the masses." The listlessness of the
Nebraska politician has done much to aggravate jealousy and dis
trust between tho railroads and the people. I do not charge that
politicians are naturally mischief-makers: but I have observed that
they keep a keen eye on the main chance, and when they op
erate in two groups, as railroad and anti-railroad politicians, having
this complicated question between them, they are able to "work
.toth sides for all there is in it,' and create a great deal of mischief
without, perhaps, intending to do so.
The railroad politician, operating and perhaps really seeming to
himself as a friond to the railroads, is able to secure personal advan
tages. The anti -railroad politician operating as tho farmers friend,
and possibly in his own mind really seeming to be such, has been
able in some instances to barter his wares as a politician in the mar
ket of public opinion for more than their real value; and I nm of the
opinion that some of these politicians have enjoyed benetita from
both sides in the controversy at tho samo time. They catch em
comin an goin'. In thomcantimo I believe it can bo truthfully said,
that while the disposition of the politician to make tho most of him
self out of tho railroad question is still fresh and vigorous, his ability
to creato mischief is growing less and less; that tho great body of
Nebraska farmers are instinctively honest and fair; that tho land
grant to the corporation is more and more appearing as a justifiable
expedient and not a wrong against the farmer class; that tho rato
question, the most complicated of all commercial problems, is being
better understood, is bein steadily adjusted in tho interest of tho
food producer; and that tho eastern man may safely trust his monoy
in Nebraska securities with the assuranco that the law maker of
this state will treat it with tho samo degree oof common honesty
and fairness that he does his own.
Lincolw, Neb.
Mr. Johnson's interestimg articlo is reprinted from The Inde
pendent. HIS GAPlTAIs JOKE.
"I suppose I should call this ared-letter day,' observed Banks with
a sigh.
"Why?" asked Rivers.
"My wife is going to give a pink T this evening."
AN INFALLIBLE INDICATION.
Thero was an intense silence around Mrs. Ilashem's table while
the chicken was being served. Jt was broken by tho girl with fluffy
white hair, who whispered to the girl with dark glasses:
"Billy Bliven has paid his board bill at last.'
"How do you know?"
"He got a piece of white meat instead of the wing and neck as
usual."
A NEW GROUND FOR DIVORCE.
Out in San Francisco a sensitive husband is suing his wife for
a divorce because she bleaches her hair. In his petition he says:
Bleached or artificially colored hair is easily distinguished as such
and does not appear natural, nor does it deceive any person, but it is
perfectly patent and noticeably conspicuous. It is regarded by the
majority of right-thinking persons as an indication of a loose, dis
solute and wanton disposition, and is recarded as and commonly
held to be a practice never affected by modest, pure and respectable
women. The husband claims that he is mortified and humilated on
account of the change in the color of his wife's hair. Ho adds: "She
is a brunette naturally. Her hair is of a chestnut brown color,
which, in its normal state, is modest and becoming, and harmonizes
with the natural color of her skin and eyes. Since we married she
has against my wishes and orotests and with intent to vex, annoy,
exasperate and shame me, dyed her hair, and changed its shade to a
conspicious and showy straw or canary color. As a consequence of
this artificial coloring she has been obliged to paint her face to se
cure an artificial color complexion in keeping with the artificial
color of her hair. Tho combination has given her a giddy, fast and
sporty appearance."
Fresh country milk at Central Milk Depot, 1.14, south 11.
Pants made to order at Hdrlbct & Co's 118, north 11.
When the ice man comes be suro tho name LINCOLN ICE CO.
is on tho wagon, they have no pond ice. 1010 O Street.
We are selling all summer suitings at cost.
Jeckfxl Bros., 119 North Thirteenth Street.
Have your prescriptions filled at Hawkk's Pharmacy.
Albert D. Hayden, Notary Public and general stenographer
Room 5 City Block. Phone 174.
Have you seen those Hammocks at Hawke's Pharmacy: they are
daisies and he is selling them cheap.
MU.