, 1875-12-14

Of railroads to this country Is met Mt the out
set by tho radical difference In tho form of
Government. The European Governments
have Il system OF civil neryico wfie!. insures
aa economical m .nasemont Of great enter
prisrs IN whcre The latter arc iutrusted to i'll
tliyi,iua1 cnptoi and discretion. This theory
was tho tasis of tl'e belgian system Of partial
State ownership. In tho United States, how
ever. tho only systcm Of civil service is tho
old Democratic "spoils" syslem. There are
two great political camps in opon war with
each other, and fighting upon the mutual un-
derstanding thns !" to tho yictora belong tho
spoi!s." The accession Of ethcr party to
power means summary eevolution in tho
tenure Of Office from the highest 10 tile low
est degree. Every individual oflcc-ollcr
mud every o!,ice sucker aro then ncl,l-
ated by the ruling motive Of making
as much out Of their p1aces as
possible. They hive 10 nulko up for tho
time they wero out Of Office, aud anticipate
for the contingency Of bolng displaced at tho
next election. IL is to snch system, rs this
TINT tho management Of Government mil
roads would hare to be intr'lstct1. Just the
Ramo rs tho management Of tho Post-O -Olllcc
Department, the revenue systonl, tho COL
lectinn Of the whisky tax, thu pension dis
burse,nents, and tho Iudian-f -fru,,ds Service
1t is In tie contemplation Of this ''on the
mike" syRtem TINT all idea Of Government
railroads must be dismissed: partial owner
ship for competition would probably Justify
the private railroad corporations In making
higher charges thnn they exact at present.
nnd MI absolute ownership Of nil railroads
with stc} management would bo t'c specilicst
road tint could DO taken to national bank
ruptcy.
Tho only counterpart Of tho Continental
system Of State ownorship Of railroads would
DO their purchase and operation by the Con-
could not 60 beyond their own boun-
daries in the control of my roatls they might
buy, and there IL no likelihood TINT there
would bo any more agreement among tile
several States than thore il now in tho rail-
road legislation. II there were, the ra1road
service would still be subjected to tho party-
spoils system, and, unfortunately, our local
regard than tho General Government, except
ns t.,oir opportunities are more contracted,
Ehlarge these opportunities by the addition
Of State railway system, and the public ser-
vice Of tlls Stntoa would bo as corrupt ns that
of tho General Government under the samu
circumstances.
In considering tho Government ownership
Of railroads in this country it must DO re-
,nemoercd that il would involve IN invest
ment greater thau the present national debt,
-so1ncwhero in the ncighborhood Of - ,5Do,-
ooo, mo perhaps. About million men would
DO added to tho public service, who would bo
increased Mt election times by many thou-
sant1s. The money handled By these olicials
would exceed every ycnr the ont;ro revenues
Of the State and National Governments ut tho
rreseut hu1e, and tho temptation to cor
ruption would DO increased in proportion.
Local md Congressional elections would
thereafter depend upon tho local interests
growing out Of the railroad question. Evory
city in tha country would wnut better atl,;7a.s-
tages and lower freiehts thun lss neigh
bors. Every village would insist on hav-
ing new aud lager brick or stone
depot. The location Of car-works,
and rolling-lnil1a, md general Offices,
would ba subject to Congressional lobbying
mud log-rcung. Tho saiaries OF railroad
officials md employees would be M Important
element in politics, and 80 would the number
Of employees in tls vast branch Of the public
service. Eyery city Of any size wonld desire
| to be M importaut rni}wav terminus. aui1