The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-09-07
GOVERNMENT AND THE RAILWAYS.

timely lesson to the people of this country.
The catastrophe occurred on the Berlin e.
Potsdam road which had previously been
purchased by the government. The line was
i'll bad repair when it passed under control
of the empire. The arrangements at the sta
ton at Steglitz formed regular death-trap.
The Diet was asked to vote sum necessary
to make the needed re pairs and changes, so
that the danger to life and limb might be re-
moved. The grant was refused and in con-
sequence the serious calamity followed.
After the mischief is done the various fac
tions in the Diet fall to eliminating each
other for its action in the premises, and each
endeavors TO place the responsibility for
the failure of the grant asked for upon the
other
Bringing a similar case home to our own
people, is there sufficient assurance that our
legislative body would not place things in
the same predicament? In very recent years
have not the Democrats in Congress- for mere
partisan ends, withheld supplies and pay
Did they not at the same time threaten to
starve the government until it yielded to
their partisan and revolutionary measures?
Did they not in this State undertake to tie
the hands of Governor Morton and block
the wheels of the State government for the
most wicked and disloyal purposes? If the
railroads were under governmental owner
ship and control, and party ends should de-
mand it, does any one doubt that every
wheel would be stopped and the fire in the
engines put out? 1t would be no more
daring to cut off the pay of rail-
road men than it was to do the
same thing for the United States marshals.
The latter has been done, and may be done
again. And before rushing into the untried
experiment of national enterprises of this
sort, additional light can be gathered from
the manner in which the government con-
ducts the affairs already in the catalogue of
its exclusive prerogatives. The constitution
provides for the construction and main
tenance of a United States navy, and makes
it the duty of CONGRESS to carry this provis-
ION into effect. What have we in the way of
a navy? Does it fill the ideal of those clam
oring to extend the governmental powers to
the management and maintenance of our
railroad systems? Would man with
double-barreled shotgun be afraid of the
American navy if he were to meet it in the
affairs including American shipping upon
the high seas. What is the status at present
of this branch of industry? Simply that the
American flag has almost become an object
of curiosity on the seas and highways OF the
nations OF the earth. The government has
exclusive jurisdiction over the nayigable
rivers of the country, and has had under
way a system of improvements for many
years, and immense annual appropriations
are made for that purpose, but what is the
condition of the river trade and navigation?
AS compared with railroad transportation it
is insignificant now, and seems to decrease in
about the same ratio that the appropriations
for its betterment increase. The rail-
road business is in private hands
and is operated upon private capital and
any stoppage or interference of the
business sets up an immediate irritation in
the pockets of the owners, who are at once
stimulated by self interest to remove the OBJ
stacle and speedily resume business Under
the individual or corporate control of these
affairs, the government is not barred from
the enforcement of all wholesome regula-
tions in the interests of the public. If, in
deed, extreme cases should arise wherein it
would be proper, Uncle Sam would have
the right to pull the very charter out from
under the offending road. Hence it would
seem that the government has ample powers
and rights in the premises which, if wisely
applied, would remove all reasonable causes
of complaint against the extortlon and OPP
preston of railroads and other corporations
of the country. The change of conditions
and circumstances in the future may make
it necessary in whole or in part to adopt the
doctrine of governmental ownership; at pres
Gnt, uONSFeIs luc lSIueLCleS are largely III
favor OF a judicious and strict regulation of
these affairs rather than to ownership and
until all the powers of the government have
been faithfully applied to the present sys-
tenn and are found inadequate, the question
of absolute control and ownership by the
government ought to be held in allegiance.
THE presence in Indianapolis of so large a
number of German musical societies recalls
the fact that the world owes to Germany