y oppressed by every other kind of business--that they are
devoured by monopolies, especially by railroads.

Of course, the railroads are indebted to the farmers for their
prosperity, and the farmers are indebted to the railroads. Without them
Illinois would be almost worthless.

A few years ago you endeavored to regulate the charges of railroad
companies. The principal complaint you had was that they charged too
much for the transportation of corn and other cereals to the East. You
should remember that all freights are paid by the consumer; and that
it made little difference to you what the railroad charged for
transportation to the East, as that transportation had to be paid by
the consumers of the grain. You were really interested in transportation
from the East to the West and in local freights. The result is that
while you have put down through freights you have not succeeded so well
in local freights. The exact opposite should be the policy of Illinois.
Put down local freights; put them down, if you can, to the lowest
possible figure, and let through rates take care of themselves. If all
the corn raised in Illinois could be transported to New York absolutely
free, it would enhance but little the price that you would receive.
What we want is the lowest possible local rate. Instead of this you have
simply succeeded in helping the East at the expense of the West. The
railroads are your friends. They are your partners. They can prosper
only where the country through which they run prospers. All intelligent
railroad men know this. They know that present robbery is future
bankruptcy. They know that the interest of the farmer and of the
railroad is the same. We must have railroads. What can we do without
them?

When we had no railroads, we drew, as I said before, our grain two
hundred miles to market.

In those days the farmers did not stop at hotels. They slept under their
wagons--took with them their food--fried their own bacon, made their
coffee, and ate their meals in the snow and rain. Those were the days
when they received ten cents a bushel for corn--when they sold four
bushels of potatoes for a quarter--thirty-three dozen eggs for a dollar,
and a hundred pounds of pork for a dollar and a half.

What has made the difference?

The railroads came to your door and they brought with them the markets
of the world. They brought New York and Liverpool and London into
Illinois, and the state has been clothed with p