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THE TRUTH ABOUTH THE RAILROADS

they are fairly treated by the Government and the people.

The United States is a big nation, and I use the word “is” purposely because the growth of the country and the development of business has been so great that more and more must we think and act “continentally.” We can no longer conduct our affairs on the basis that the United States “are” a big nation. This very fact of size is important in its bearing on the industrial, railroad, and economic questions of the day. Being a big nation, we need big tools to do our work. We must have big railroads; we must have big banks; we must have big lumber operations; we must have big insurance companies; we must have big manufacturing establishments. In working out the problem of providing food shelter, clothing, heat, light, and transportation for the American people we have developed great systems of railroads, great industrial corporations, great financial institutions. They are necessary and should not be condemned simply because of their bigness. Yet some critics of

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