Page:The truth about the railroads (IA truthaboutrailro00elli).pdf/124

Rh and its development along wholesome lines. Multiply this number by four and we have 10,000,000 to 12,000,000 persons, or from one eighth to one seventh of the population of the United States, who either fail to realize the importance of the policy under discussion, or who, if they do realize it, are generally silent through lack of opportunity or ability to make any statement in their own behalf.

Most of these people are attending quietly to their duties on the railroad, in the factory, or in their homes, and they form a very important part of the population of this country. Ultimately, any step under which the Federal Government exercises the power of fixing the actual rate to be charged by railroads will affect them adversely by introducing an economic force into their scheme of life which will mean repression and curtailment of the chance of success due to hard individual effort. In the clamor for fixing railroad rates, much of which comes from those who want some personal advantage, either political or commercial, from those who hope to obtain Rh