Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1889-07-06

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ton and concentration under the con-
troll of the government, SO that our sys-
tenn of railways shall be operated with
the greatest economy and for the hene-
tit of the whole people, and not for the
profit of the few.
But let us examine the extent of rail
way combination as il now exists
among us. In the first place there are
some 600 independent companies But
these companies are small concerns ope-
rating on the average not more than
% miles of road each, and not more than
five trains per day per company. And
these little companies are steadily being
absorbed into the organized railway
monopoly, for which they are naturally
but outlets and feeders.
Coming to the monopoly itself we
find first a vast amount of auxiliary
business that has been tied to the rail
way system by its ambitious managers
Thus the Erie Railway has saw mills,
two Georgia companies run banks, six
Eastern companies control the entire
anthracite coal business, while through
out the West the soft coal lands and
mines have been acquired by the rail
ways. Several companies have gone
into the insurance business, while
score of companies hold public lands
amounting to, in 1887, ll0,j0O square
miles-an area two and one-halt times
the size of the State of New York
There are also attached to this railway
monopoly lines of steamships on the
lakes and on the oceans. Over 70
steamships, each of over $500 tons and
upwards, control traffic on the lakes,
and there are railway steamship lines
on the Pacific to Japan and Alaska and
along the coasts. The same is true in
the Gulf of Mexico and in the Atlantic,
where the railway steamship is fast
grasping the carrying trade and crowd
ing out competitors.
Coming to the mileage of this rail
way monopoly, 100000 miles out of the
100000 miles in the United States is
under its control. The business done
on this mileage is 90 per cent Of all the
railway business done in the United
States.
Now let me call your attention to
who controls this system of railroads.
First, you have the officers the presi-
dents, managers, superintendent, and
SO on. These men are appointed by
those railway legislatures, the boards OF
directors. The directors in turn are
elected. And what is it that votes for
directors? Why, it is stock. Every
share of stock has vote, And here
want to call your attention to a compar-
ison. Nominally railway share is
worth 800, and that one hundred dol
lars, whether controlled by saint or a
sinner, by capitalist in bank or a
thief in a penitentiary, votes. 1t has a
voice in railway control, 1t may help
put up rates or put them down, and
may hire men and discharge them. 1t
may, in short, share in directing all the
affairs of the road. The stock has a
suffrage III railway management
How, now, is it with man? Ordi-
narily man can earn at least $500 a
year. That is pretty low wages for an
able-boded man, but that amount will
do for an illustration. Considered as a
piece of property like a horse, man
that will earn $500 year is worth
$4,000 in cash; yet this abe-bodied,
brainy citizen, this man who as a COM
modify is worth $4,000 in cash, has not
the vote in railway management that is
given to a hundred-dollar share of
stock" "watered stock" very likely, too.
Now, is not this absurd More than
this, is it not wrong to give vote in
railway management to any rascal who
may happen to get control of share of
railroad stock worth nominally 500,
but actually almost nothing, for the
vast bulk of railway stock is pure
a vote to able-bodied, intelligent men,
who do not happen to have railway
stock? maintain that such a system
is wrong. And | am glad that, as
understand it, one of the cardinal points
of Socialism is to change all this and to
substitute the sutErages of intelligent
human beings for the property votes
and "stock-certilicate sufIrages" that
control our industries.
In conclusion, my friends, we want
the railway system taken out Of the
hands of the few and given to the peo-
pie. We want the railway service
opened to every man of merit and capa-
bility who desires to enter it, and not
closed to all except the sons, nephews,
pets and proteges of railroad kings
and magnateS, We do not want the
people taxed to pay dividends on iva
tered" stock, and interest on fraudulent
bonds. We want the system extended
so as to furnish liberal railway facilities
to every man, woman and child in the
nation These are some of the demands
of the Socialists; and when you 60
home | ask you to talk these things
over with your friends and neighbors.
Bring them TO these meetings. Set
their minds at work on the problem
presented here for discussion, We need
but to get these matters before the peo-
Mo in ordar n riu,,f rho vrranuS th a.