The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1890-02-04

financial ruin and bankruptcy No
wonder that the stock of the New
York Central is up to l08 and ll5,
when we consider the immense busi-
ness conducted over its lines.
He tells US that the government
roads of India have not near our ad.
vantsges, yet are pros porous. India
is a monarchy, and people travel only
on government roads, labor, fuel and
such thing are cheaper there than
here, the rolling stock is lighter and
not as costly as ours; and thank God
this land of ours is republic.
And now for his great question of
vitalimportance "Should roads used
for the transportation of the peoples
produce or to further commerce be
used for profit? He holds that they
should not, but that like our county
roads be kept in good condition by
the people, for the people, for their
advantage and benefit. Brother,
these roads are put down at an enOr
nous outlay of money, energy and
everything else that goes to make any
business profitable and successful, and
they are built by private means for
private gain and public ease, speed
and convenience. Should they be
run for profit? Should the merchant,
the mechanic, the lawyer, the doctor
and all others engaged in business
conduct their business for profit? Or
should profit be overlooked and we
just pursue our several avocations for
fun? Think of a man investing his
money in something that never paid
dividend; think of man after years
of hard study investing his brains and
getting no monetary consideration
save just enough to keep him going,
is that what you are doing? And
your question is answered. Yes, let
the roads be run for profit, or cease
every pursuit under the sun. Let
your colleges be closed, your work
shops be empty and silent, and all bust.
ness conducted for profit cease.
The idea of taxing the people to
keep up roads. Just try it once and
you never in all your life heard such
a howl as will rend the vaulted sky.
How are you going to manage 1t? Tax
the people and then make them pay
for the transportation of themselves
and freight. Or will you tax them
and let each tax receipt be free pass
over all the lines for the taxpayer and
his family, and as much freight as he
desires to ship? Tax US if you will
to support the roads, but don't make
us pay for our rides, or you will sure.
ly raise dust. And are you going
to work the railroad and keep it in
repair as the county roads are? That's
what you said. Now just think of all
the able bodied men turning out four
days in each year to work the rail
roads. What would become of it?
Granted that the railroads are for the
public good, they are also for person
al profit just exactly as any other pub
lie enterprises is, from the college to
the farm. There is nothing on earth
conducted just exactly to suit every
body; and while railroads have their
weak points, remember that nothing
is aOle to stand by itself. Better be
content with the ills we have than
fly to others that we know not of. ,"
Talk about government control of
railroads, its all bosh. Give the rail.
road system into the hands of the gov
ernment and it would cease to be of
benefit to the people, for it would i'm
mediately become vast political ma.
chine to be used for the benefit of the
party in power. Place the roads to-
day in the hands Of the present admin
istration, and before to-morrow's sun
set the edict would go forth displacing
all employees not in full sympathy and
accord with the Republican party, the
heads of tried, true and trusted off,
cials would fall under the guilotine
of policy, and their places be filed by
incompetent officers whose whole duty
would consist in drawing nice, fat
salary while the public for whose good
it was constructed would work the
road. Government control, indeed.
You would centralize power, the very
thing most repugnant to true Repub.
lican principle. Give the government
the railroads, steamship and telegraph
lines, throw in few manufacturing
monopoies and then there would be
only one other step to take, viz: elect
a king or some other nuisance the
weight of whose little finger would be
heavier on the people than the heavi-
est yoke ever fastened upon us by all
the railroads in the country. But
again, place the roads in the hands of
as it exists and what
would be the result2 You would not
only have the negro in the postofice
and the mail car, but he would punch
,5our tickets, smash your baggage, run
the engine and do his level best gen.
orally to land you in kingdom come. |