LIVE STOCK breeders' ASSOCIATION. 185 



So much for the packer. Now this Beef Trust has a brother, a 

 twin brother, the Raih-oad Monopoly. Regulation of the railroads is 

 the question of the hour. In the early days the railroads were built 

 by everybody. The capital came from many sources, and competi- 

 tion was sharp. The people suffered no evil. But times have changed. 

 We have had organization and combination until half a dozen families 

 own the railroads of America. Competition is destroyed. Rates are 

 fixed. Discriminations abound. Rebates are behind the scenes. The 

 people's rights are ignored, and the farmer's only protection is to look 

 out for the cars. 



At the outset I want to say that on this railroad question I'm a 

 "gover'menter," I want to see the people in control of every public 

 highway from a dog path up to the Atlantic. Because I believe that 

 when everything belongs to the people the people ought to have 

 possession of it. My politics is public ownership of all public utilities. 

 T want to see every city own and operate street railways, her water 

 works and lights. I want to see the great American continent with a 

 net work of railroads owned and operated by the national govern- 

 ment. I want to see ships and steamers, floated by Uncle Sam, and 

 waving the stars and stripes upon every stream that touches America. 

 Public highways and transportation belong to all the people and to 

 unborn generations, and should never be given or sold away to private 

 individuals. You say that we have the right to regulate and control 

 transportation lines. Yes, but history has proven that we cannot do it. 

 They have debauched our public servants with dirty money, and ob- 

 tained privileges and franchises for nothing that were worth millions, 

 and they have maintained a standing army of secret service men to 

 watch the halls of Legislature and keep the people out ; and I am sorry 

 to say that in many cases some of the secret service men have gotten 

 on the inside. The people furnish them a free seat, cut their whiskers, 

 shine their boots and furnish them a free bath. Now I am not kick- 

 ing on the bath — no doubt they need it — but the people need the seat 

 to put a man in. How many Senators in the United States do you 

 suppose there are who are more watchful of the interests of certain 

 corporations than they are of the people's welfare? More than one, 

 I assure you. It is a hard thing to say, but wrongs are never righted 

 by silence. Watch the railroad legislation now in process at Wash- 

 ington, and if no Senator raises his hand against the people's inter- 

 est, I will retract. As long as United States Senators are chosen by 

 State Legislatures we may expect railroads and corporations to con- 

 trol legislation. The people in every county and in every State in 



