, 1873-10-25
GOVERNMENT RAILROADS.

GOVERNMENT RAILROADS.
The Farmers Convention, before its final ad-
journment Thursday evening, passed the follow
ing resolution, practical Endorsement Of which
is now sought in the Natioua1 Board Of Trale |:
We demand tho construction Of railroads md the
Improvement Of water communications between tho
interior and aeabour the to be owned aud oper-
a{cd by the danora1 Government for tho purposo Of
nordlng cheap aud ample transportation, aud to pro-
teet tho people from tho e1acttonR Of monopolies.
It should bo stated, in Justice to tho Convon-
tion and the class 1t represented that tho reao-
luton was declared adopted on piua uoce vote.
although tho noes appeared about as numerous
as the ayes. We mention this circumstance be-
cause such resolution gould not go
before tho country as tho unanimous
expression of the farmers as GLASS
without doing injury to their Intelligence, and
poatponing rather than acce|arating tho roliot
they sock. We do not believe that 1t represents
their calmeat and best judgment, but prefer to
think that tho resolution was rather tho aoei-
dental result Of misguided energy on the part OF
fow mon than tue expression Of any deliberate
conviction Of tho agricultural class. The debate
before the adoption OF tho resolution warrants
this conclusion.
Tho vital objections to tho scheme for Gov
ernment railroad building have been previously
set forth in the columns Of Tue TRIBUNE and
wore also succinct]y and ab1y stated by Col. Il.
F. Morgan, Jr., in his speech in Mclean County
last Tuesday, which We commend again to tho
attention OF all who nre Interested in the sub
jeot. We may recapitulate some Of tho most
stirling points
/. There isa aerious doubt aB to tho authority Of
the Federal Goyernmont to go into tho railroad
business. This 10 mattor which Is by no 1neans
determined az yet, and the issuing Of Govern
mopt bonds to tho Pacific railroadsis not ploas-
ing precedent Tor such undertakings
2. Admitting the authority to be Established,
then 1t Is obvious that Government cannot stop
with tho building OF O. aiugle road, Whenever
Congress throws it's money In one direction, 1t
finds demand for similnr favors In all other
directions. To undertake tho construction
Of q railroad between any two given points
you'd lead to demands from all quarters, and
tleso lenanda would be louder and moro
justidable In quarters where there arc no rail-
roads at ali than in those where railroads arc
already numerous. Those who aro familiar
with tho "log-rolling" Of Congressional
schemes need not DO told that It would be i'm
possible to undertake. tho construction Of one
railroad without eventually undertaking d
dozen.
8. The demand that tho Government shall 60
into the railroad business in oue instance
being practically u demand that It shell provide
q system Of railroads co-exteneiye with tho
country. 1t includes an enormous increase Of
Government raiiroad is to provide transportation
at cost, it would Of course pay nothing towaid
extlnguiahing its own debt, which would conse-
quently be permanent burden upon the people.
Are THO people prepared to assume this now
dobt? Are They not already taxed enough
for the maintenance Of tho Government and
the reduction OF the preaont debt? Is 1t not
better that those who employ railroads should
pay for theiF service, at rates fixed BY natural
competition and restrained by the law that gov
eruB common carrters7
4. A system Of Government railroads would
add enormously to tho official patronage
Of the Government, which ia already
go largo and unBystomatle rs to DO
proverbially corrupt. Tue Goyernmout
service, II umttcd to the spheres which 1t already
occupies. grows too rapidly for the public good.
To add taus OF thousands to this service would
be to open up new fountains Of corruption.
There would not only be frauds In construction,
by the side Of which the Credit Aobilior ct
Union Pacific and tho Gourmet and FINANCE
Company Of Central Pacific would DO inalgnla-
can't, but there would bP frauds in operating
tho roads. The opportunity for corruption would
be much broader in running railroads than IT IL
In any existing branch Of the Government sor-
yfco, and those who honestly favor the scheme
mnat aBk themselves first II oflicial corruption
would aot entail worae miaories than any TINT
are now suffered from private corporations.
3. It is utterly inconsistent for those who
cry ont against land-erants aud subsidies to
recommend government to 60 further still, aud
actually build tho RAILROADS that tho various see-
tions will domand. It In universally acknowl-
edged That much of our presont trouble
may be traced directly to tho Investment Of
large amounts Of capital In unproduotiyo rail.
roads. II thA Government should 90 into tho