Page:The truth about the railroads (IA truthaboutrailro00elli).pdf/83

Rh union, and our form of government, has been too much inclined to fold his hands and leave the management of his affairs to a few without much check upon them. The member of the labor union too often, by credulously following an unwise leader and neglecting to express his own views, has caused great trouble to himself and to society. The voter has left the representatives in the Government too much alone, and the boss, graft, extravagance, foolish legislation, inefficiency, and waste have resulted.

The great mass of the American people are honest and fair, and when they really understand the great questions of the day, they will solve them correctly, just as they did the slavery and silver questions. But the individual must exert himself to obtain correct information and to form a sane public opinion. The printing of newspapers and periodicals in this country has grown from 11,314 publications in 1880, issuing 2,067,848,209 copies a year, to 22,603 in 1909, issuing 10,600,000,000 copies a year. It is a sad fact that some of these publications print statements that are not Rh