Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-09-05

bueHi. Anu tbefe Is mucn force In THIS
consideration. For the view taken of the
equity of railroad charges depends pri.
marily upon the location of the ownership
and control Of the railroads. 1t is a ques-
ton as to whether the producer or the
consumer shall fix the charges. Ii the
right to do so belongs to the consumer, he
cannot be expected to acquiesce in charges
which he has not dictated. If it belongs
to the producer he cannot be expected to
consent TO the dicta.ion of the consumer.
Up to the present time the dispute as to
the Saus OF the ownership has not been
determined finally, but since the ultimate
sovereignty rests in the people, and since
1t is the interest of the people to have
cheap rates of transportation, the tendency
towards enlargement OF the element of
popular control must be constant.
Nor is there any possible limit to the
expansion OF this tendency, short of State
ownership. For though politicians are
always ready to pretend that if certain ar BIZ
trary reductions in charges were made, the
people would be satisfied, experience proves
that no such assurance can be relied upon.
Experience proves that when reductions
are made in existing rates, fresh demands
for further reductions always follow, and
az, if the consumer is to fix the rates, he is
unlikely to be satisfied with any charges
whatever, it may be presumed that this
kind OF demand would 20 on until all
charges for transportation had been abol.
ished. The fac. is that the moment the
sitas of ownership is disputed, and becomes
confused, the fundamental principles of
control are swept away. All transactions
between men rest upon the initial assump-
ton that A. possesses something which B.
wants But if the right OF a. to dispose
of that thing is questioned if it is asserted
that B. has just as much ownership in it
as he, then it becomes impossible to make q
satisfactory exchange between them. If ab-
stract equity alone were concerned we might
say that the shortest way out of the diff
Guilty was to confirm AS title to the DOS.
session OF his property. But this question
involves many other considerations, and
the most influential of them is that of State
sovereignty.
1t may be regarded as impracticable to
roll back the tide which is setting 80
strongly in the direction of State owner.
ship OF railroads. The majority, when
continually assured by demagogues that
they are within their rights, and are con.
1inually reminded that they possess absolute
power, are not likely to relirquish any of
the advantages of that absolute power, nor
to abandon the dominant position they
have assumed. And as it is clear that
transportation as now harassed and assailed
cannot be conducted long under the ex-
istinsA conditions. it would seem that the
trans pc of the whole machinery to the State
was he next step in the programme. What
resultf ouch change would have it is not
altogether impossible to forecast, for one
Eurolfan country at least has tried the
experh nent quite thoroughly, and recent.
" pu fshed Government report upon the
subs 7 furnishes ample matter for refiec.
ton. The Government Of Italy has OBJ.
tanned control of all the railroads in that
County, and after administering them for
severA years, a Commission has inyesti.
gated the situation, and reports strongly
again its continuance. 1t is found that
undelt Government control the service
has teteriorated, tina. the needs of the
shippH are far less carefully looked to, and
that tand this is curious and significant
fact many cases the charges have actu.
ally nrreased instead of diminishing
Beiag encouraged by politicians it is
found that the most arbitrary and even &c.
centrie things have been done. Discrim.
nations against persons and places have
been sfequent. Partisan enmity has some.
times dictated these injurious arrangements.
Campaign exigencies have been looked to
often instead of the general good of the
community. And throughout the system
there has been a marked falling off both in
economy, efficiency and general faithful.
ness. The italian Commissioners, having
gone over the whole ground, conclude by
recommending that the principal railroads
be leased by the Government to private
corporations. This is what State owner.
ship has led to in Italy. OF course it is
open to anyone to assert that in the United
States none of the Italian difficulties and
drawbacks need be apprehended but no
man who is familiar with American politics
will bslieye such an assertion for moment.
The patent fact is that we have thousand.
fold more to fear from the same influences,
than the Italians had, and that if our rail.
roads were administered by the General or
the State Governments we should have to
expect chaos in the transportation system
within the first year.
Nevertheless it is quite possible that il
may be necessary to make the experiment,
" because things seen are mightier than
things heard" And it is also possible
that until the experiment has been made
every attempt to show the unwisdom of
such course will be set down to interested
or sinister motives. Cassandra was
prophecies, but she was cursed with the
doom of disbelief for all she foretold.
Only when her predictions had been full
filled was it reluctantly recognized that
she had spoken presciently. And so it is
with experiments of this character. Every
fact connected with our political system
serves to show the danger and folly of
putting SO complicated machinery in the
hands Of politicians but the current has
set strongly that way, and Unless popular
enlightenment proceeds much more rapidly
in the future than it has in The past, this
attempt to solve the railroad problem will
in all probability be made. c is delayed
at present by the considera ion that the
railroads would have to be paid for by the
nation. Bat if Communis &c doctrines
continue to spread as theF have done
lately, it is conceivable that nttwo or three
years the majority may have lot we'll over
that kind of moral squeamishsss, and may
be prepared to advocate and indorse the
mach simpler and easier melted of whole.
sale cAs6scatien.
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Is IT AsAFIsrAcroRY PLANK
We remarked rens>r,4lx, tha,4 ~. p.-1