Jasper County Democrat, Volume 16, Number 92, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1914 — Attempting to Blindfold the People [ARTICLE]

Attempting to Blindfold the People

on Its Former Attitude. The Republican is greatly con-’ cerned because The Democrat does' not join with it and tear up the' ground over the proposed Increase in telephone rates of the Jasper' County Telephone Company. Tie* Democrat made its fight to head off increased rates when there was a 1 chance to do something, and its sight 1 was effective in holding off an In- 1 crease until the passage of the present law regarding public utilities. At every step it was opposed and fought viciously by the Republican, which is now, for effect only, making a grandstand play m this respect.

The Democrat does not want to’ see any increase in telephone' rates, ’ but it la not always what we want that we get, and it has no hope what-’ ever of holding the rates down to the present prices. Not long ago The Democrat published a statement from the Brook Reporter of what had been accomplished there by the mutual telephone company, and commented on the fact that the Republican was wholly silent in the matter, and it never has published at any time, anything favorable to mutual companies or a lower toll rate in Jasper county. | Perhaps the Republican can de-' ceive itself, but it cannot deceive the people of Jasper county* who know how viciously it fought the organization and granting of a franchise to the then newly organized mutual telephone company is this county. The mutual company pro-j posed rates of $1 and $2 per month,! but the opponents of the company,! in order to kill off the granting of a' franchise, required that a system so expensive be installed that no com-' pany could comply with the de- 1 mands, and then got the council to kill the proposed franchise. These' are well known facts and can be sub-| stantiated by the records in the matter.

As the matter now stands the Public Service Commission gives the company already in, a monoply on the telephone business, .but requires that it give good service at adequate rates, based on the value of the plant. One’s individual opinion cuts no figure whatever, and only facts and figures can or will be considered by the commission. The Republican knows this as well as any one else, and its maudlin imouthings about fighting to the last ditch, ■ berating The Democrat, etc. ? , etc., is 6nly done in th£ hope of blinding the people to its attitude when there was a chance to accomplish something for the public good.