The daily gazette., 1877-08-04
SHALL THE GOVERNMENT BUY
THE RAILROADS? -
From the Lancaster, pa, J New Era.

tFrom the Lancaster, (Pa.,) New Era.J
The recent railroad troubles have di-
rected the attention of many thoughtful
men to devising some way whereby SIM
lar occurrences may be avoided. Among
other plans, it is suggested that the Cen
eral Government shall buy and run all
the railroads in the country. This seems
to us among the widest of schemes. To
buy up the railroads of the country would
be TO bankrupt the nation forthwith. 1t
would do more to centralize the Govern
ment than all the other schemes ever
brought forward. 1t would create about
100000 new otfice-holders and 90 far to-
wards placing dynasty at the head of
\ the nation 1t could never shake off. If
we have reason to complain of the 80 600
otice-holders we now have, where would
! ten or twenty times that number land
us? Have the advocates of this plan
! forgotten that this State once did own
the Pennsylvania public works, and how
the ownership plunged the State deeper
into debt each year until we were conn
PEELED to get rid of the Old Man of the
Mountains that was crushing the life out
of the Commonwealth? Do they forget
that New York still owns her canal sys-
| tenn, and that every industry In that
State is heavily burdened by taxation to
meet the annual deficit that is created
| through the rascality and incompetency
/ VI buo OluCldlS WIN line
State of New York would gladly shake
off this incubus if she only knew how.
| 1t has even been suggested that the ca
nails be given away if any man or set of
men can be found who will take them
| and run them at their individual ex-
pense. Do they forget that Great Britain
| four or five years ago bought up all the
telegraph lines in the kingdom and has
since had eX Xclusive control of them, and
| what the result has been? Have they
| not cost nearly double the original esti-
| mate, and has not the expense of work
ing them been largely in excess OF the
receipts? ....
One hundred years of national life
have proved nothing more conclusively
than that individual enterprise is far
more able to carry on the industrial bust
ness of the country than the Govern
ment can. r.
Can rejecting men doubt the result if
by far the largest single interest in the
country was concentrated in the hands
| of the Federal authorities? If the pow
| er now controlled by thousand organs
zati ons all over the country, and subject
| to State supervision, were placed in the
management of few men, what guar
| antee wonld the people have that this
huge animal, with its thousand iron arms
embracing every section of the national
| domain, would not in time crash out the
| very life of the nation in its relentless
grasp? If a single road can be made
power for evil and oppression, what may
| not united thousand do if they feel so
inclined, and who shall control their in>
clination? Will the people be more able
to manage them when once they are
banded together than they now are,
while they are acting singly and sepa-
raGely? We opine not, But when strikes
and troubles have occurred at Fall River
did anybody suggest that the Govern
ment should go into the boot or shoe
business, or the making of calicoes?
The absurdity of such suggestion would
strike the most ordinary intellect. And
can any sensible man see why the Gov
ernment shall buy and run all the rail-
roads in the country, and yet not do the
same with the forges, rolling mills and
furnaces? The rule is as applicable in
one case as the other.