Buffalo County, Nebraska - Chapter 51: The Anti-Monopoly Movement in Nebraska and in Buffalo County, 1916

In order to properly understand the conditions that gave rise to this movement it can best be described as a protest against railroad domination. It began in the early '70s and soon swept over this and other western states.

In order to induce ralroad building through a sparsely settled country, the United States Government donated to the Union Pacific and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad companies each alternate section of land for twenty miles on each side of their right of way. At that time Nebraska had few settlers, and these were mostly near the Missouri River.

When these roads were pushed west, settlers took homesteads and timber claims on the remaining sections. A junction of the roads on the north side of the Platte, a few miles west of old Fort Kearney, was effected, at the present site of the City of Kearney. This caused a rush of settlers to Buffalo County in the early '70s. They were generally people of limited means. Very few eastern men with good homes could be induced to sell out and invest in the great American desert. Those of us who still remain can compare our present prosperous condition with that of the earlier years of drouth, grasshoppers, hail and chinch bugs and gold bugs, and can tell our children and grandchildren some great tales of those early days.

At this date there were no laws regulating freight and passenger rates, and the roads were determined that there should not be so long as they could prevent it. In order to accomplish their purpose it behooved them to take charge of the political machinery of the state, which was done after the fashion which worked so well with the United States Congress in the Credit-Mobilier scandal. They dictated who should fill the state offices, the court judges, members of the Legislature, and especially who should represent us (them) in the United States Congress. To accomplish this required concessions to a number of easygoing politicians who would be useful in controlling the nominating conventions of the dominant party. These "concessions" were granted according to the ability of the men to use them. The most common was the free annual pass on all roads in the state. This made it an easy matter for them to attend conventions. The elevator companies had to be protected from the competition of private shippers. If any shipper should complain as to the rates, he could be easily put out of business. The elevators were permitted to trade unsight and unseen for a private shipper's grain in course of transit and substitute a lower grade and quality, and generally of less weight.

The writer shipped the first car of wheat from Poole. It was of his own raising. It was very good wheat, clean and dry. When it reached Chicago it was in another car, had been exchanged, probably at Omaha. It was smutty, damp and dirty. Sold as rejected. This was no isolated case, as I found by inquiry of other private shippers, who said that any car of good grain that they shipped was sure to be exchanged and often fell short in weight.

The farmers were famihar with these conditions, and vigorous protests were made to the Legislatures, and laws to prevent discrimination and for lower freight rates were demanded. These protests brought relief only in platform promises. Legislators, with annual passes in their pockets, had very dull teeth. It was soon discovered that protests and demands had but little effect; that it would be necessary to take political action.

The earliest concerted action that I can discover was a secret gathering of alliance delegates from this and surrounding counties at Kearney to consider what action to take. The Knights of Labor were called in. A rather stormy session was held, one part favoring the securing of control of the dominant party (then republican), pointing to the fact that the grangers of Iowa, led by Governor Larrabee, had succeeded in passing drastic laws and overthrowing railroad domination. The other faction said that that could not be done in this state, and they won out by a small majority. All of the alliances in the state were notified of this action, and all but one endorsed the plan and organization was pushed all over the state. The movement was called, in derision, "moonshiners." It soon tx)ok the name of anti-monopolist, and was afterwards officially named "The People's Independent Party." As indicated above, it was a fight to loosen the grip the railroads had on the business and politics of the state; to lower freight and passenger rates and secure better service. In order to build up a strong party, conventions were held and tickets nominated. Literature was distributed. A general campaign was started. Public meetings were held and good speakers secured. The farmers flocked to the schoolhouses and groves to hear what the party proposed to do. All realized that conditions were very bad, yet many were attached to their party ties, and had all confidence that these wrongs could and would be righted by their party. The first campaign was a defeat. But, like the suft'ragists, they were not discouraged and kept up the agitation, and finally became a power to be reckoned with. However, the enemy was strongly entrenched. Free passes were distributed to the legislators, state officers and in some cases even to the district judges. It was a notorious fact that when a United States senator was to be elected, a large company of trained lobbyists were quartered at the capital to work for the railroad candidate. What was accompHshed? Very much locally, in the state and in the nation. We secured control in the county, senatorial district, elected the district judge, and by 1897 swept the state, electing the state officers. Had a majority in both branches of the Legislature. We also elected the congressman from this (Sixth) district five times in succession. Also elected William \'. Allen to the United States Senate. At one time there were six members of Congress from this and other states. We were responsible for the reduction in freight and passenger rates. Passed laws preventing discriminations, and cut off pass bribes.

It required years to accomplish this. It has added to the good name of the state. Increased its prosperity. The two railroads are not in the hands of receivers. They, too, are prosperous. Perhaps they found it good policy to deal fairly with their patrons. We are now friends, and are proud that w^e have two of the finest and best equipped railroads on the continent.

Nationally, we led the fight against the giant monopolies controlling the large industries of the country. We forced both old parties to gradually adopt our principles and almost duplicate our most radical platforms. We accomplished the reforms that we desired. We are proud of our record. We have now virtually dissolved. Like the once despised abolition party, which was responsible for the overthrow of slavery, our work of agitation brought results.