The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1891-07-16

lar Congress--has p'anned the biggest OF
all the mail route steals. The robbery
assumes the patriotic title of Subsidy"
The star reuters were subsidized, but
under the act of the billion dollar Con-
gress the subsidies of the old star reuters
will appear insignificant. Steamship
owners are beginning to look after plums
and soon the people will be paying for
cXpedItiny malls to every obscure port
on the American continent outsi &c the
United States under prcteXt OF extend
ing our commerce.
1t is impossible to set any limit to the
probable cost to the people OF this cnor-
nous iobbrry whose sol. benefit goes to
wealthy steamship owners. The farm
crS who pay wi not rive anv benefit
from it. 1t was not intended they
shou Il.
Tariff Ic-i ,lation drove American ves-
sells from the h gh ,cas. The people
were a.cd for tho purpose Of running
their commerce, and now an enormous
addition is to be made to their burden
for the purpose OF r. storing the ruin
wrought by tariff taxation. It is hoped
that by this two-foId taNation an ruui-
ibrum may be thr result so that Ameri-
1t Is a new idea to set tax AGAINST raH
to produce prosperity invention of
the billion dollar Congress That Con-
gress will stand in history pre-emincnt
for its monumental crimes against the
people.
Let the pcopc watch this subsidy
business and demand that the neNt Con
grcSS shal! as far as possible undo the
work of the Reed Congress. 1t may not
be ossiblc to accomplish anything In
the face of Il Senate Of millionaircS and
a President in sympathy with monopoly
But the neAt Congress cannot find any
availa bic excuse for not trying. fort
Seat tkan.l Lantern.
Government Ownership of Railroads.
No quest on Of governmental policy is
of greater concern to the people at the
present time than the control of cor,
porate power, and of the corporations
railroads are by far the most inn ortant
Our industrial and CONNER, iai welfare
drfend upon their control. There are
two main ia tors which enter into the
question Of Government Owner3hip: the
one is tiuaEciai and the other political.
Private capital and individuals take the
place of the Government lA constructing
the railroads therefore they must scr,e
the PEOPLE as the Government would
serve them, or retire. They must not
show the spirit which Jay Gould mlni-
tested when he was contcnding with TIL"
citizens of Columbus concerning
road which lie was building
in that ction, when ~ 7ald.
";cntem"n. | can r7kc or unmakc
your city" I'D the condition f that
ci'v during the period Immediately fol
LOWING proved the truth of his statement
The railroad corporal ons d. not stand
in the same relation to the people and
the Government as other property, for
they. in their construction, exercise the
right of eminent domain. thus placing
themselves directly under the control of
the Government. But "a they p rsst in
exercising the rights of Il privGt" citizen.
the Government must take control as
the only alternative. Railroads exist
for the people. not the prop.e for tn"
railroads
Having shown that 1t is a duty of the
Go crnmcnt to own and control railroads,
We may proceed to the tina1rial and
political phases of the question
The prime pal reasons why Govern
ment ownership is 90 sire are. that by it
thereby reducing the rates.
The lolicy of the Government in re
gard to the postal system has always
been TO give to the people the s'rvice de-
sired at the lowest rate, while on the
other hand it is the policy Of the rail
roads t. give the lea i amount o service
for the money paid. which the pcopl,
will ac 'ept rather than not to us" them
theirs fore We have 70 ,Son to bel eve that
Goyernme II ownership aud control will
give us t g desired results
Government ownership will do away
with parallel roads, as the will the.
be no need of competition, viii II st
many have aimed was our only ho;e
but which has failed Tn is one Of tn.
many sources of expense which will b,
stopped
We have tried in vain to regulate rate:
by maintainii 3 Il syStt m of water routes
but these affected but a small area anj
but for part OF the year, and II is {
very easy matter for the ra r. ads tt
raise Il cs as soon as the canals o. river:
/ beco:n'' impossible. 1t would be fal
more feasible plan for the Government
to bui d parallel railroads throu ,hou
the entire country. for railroads hav,
taken business away from the bcs, watcl
/ routes i'll existence.
For these reasons it would be more
practical to invest the amount which
! they annually appropriate for this pur
| pLSc in railroads. 80 that all would re
cciva the bchclit instead of a few rcceiv
| ing small benefit from the waterways
Another source of expense will hs
! stopped. in tha' many officers who a,
! now we'll paid will not be required, n
| for their respective routes.
| The great railroad debt is now fas
/ becoming of Importance. amounting Il
/ 81, 311, OOo, 900, the interest upon which
/ is Sls7, 900. 900, or about s3 per capita
All this must come ont of the people ii
the end. and since We must pay this vas
! amount would it not be far better tha
( the railroads should come into tho hand.
OF those who are directly responsible, fo
! In countries where the roads are owned
| by the Government there is no Sucl
! debt and the roalS pay from 1 to pc
! cent. up IN the investment
There is a great power for good ol
/ evil In the hands OF a railroad Pre- 'ident
some of whom have very flexible con
/ sciences They have always read thci
| Bibles differently from the ma. .'ority
] The passage which most of us read a
+ "Go sell all that thou hast and give Il
/ the poor" they have read as "t;o save ;
surplus, then max" Il Sayacious invest
/ ment."
Some maintain that the commission
will do away with all these evils. The,
would have a national commiSs on o
five, with State commission Of from
three to five each receiving a arg
salary. for the, must have the bcs
ia ent the land affor!s. We wouli hav'
these men take entire control, thus saw
ing double expense, for we are in tn
interest of those who mu t pay. Gu
OBJ ect is to reduce the rate; to a mini
mum. And even without this advantag
it would take a strong minded commits
sioncr to withstand the temptation o
the railroad boodle.
All rcgu' alton of railroads tends t
concentrate them under one head, a
has already been the case to some cx
tent, and further legislation will drv
fbnrn SIN furfhnr nnInr r.,1