The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1892-11-03

Can the government buy the rail
| roads, and par for them: II th
tariff was eased up . little, woaI'
not the daily toilers pay for them b
1922, and allow the sc, 900 with thei
wealth to enjoy cheap rides an,
cheap freights on the government
railroads, and pay nothing for them
If our statesmen could be assures
of these facts it would not cost then
no thought, sare them from their in
yincihle horror and from the pain
full work of t-straining ata gnat ant
swallowing . camel"' IL wouls
save them. too, from the difficult
breathing caused by attempting t;
have a new ideal.
The government, as the people
has the absolute right to recall th.
railroad franchise. which is always j
dcfeasible title to be divested for {
sufficient reason, and rcvested in ths
sovereign people. Government is in.
.stituted on the idea that privat,
rights must yield TO the genera
good. 1t is pursuant to this priaci
pie that the railroads obtained theil
franchises, and pursuant to the same
principle they must yield back thu
right in turn to the higher right
aud sovereign we'll being of the
country. The franchise ia granted
upon the express or implied condi.
tion that it shall not be used to the
injury of the c1tizens; and if it. is sc
used, the condition is violated, and
the franchise may be reclaimed
On this ground, there is no doubt
that the government may justly
possess itself Of the railroads. But
especially may it do 50 by paying The
equitable value of the roads. Thi.
is the just, the easy and the natural
solution of the apparently perplexina
question. a..7s !
The government has both the H.
gal and the moral right to own and
to control the railroads. AS o ques.
tion, not of prudence and good poll
cy, ought the government to own
them: When truly considered, in
the light Of reason, this proposition
must be answered in the affirmative.
The scheme is for the sole good OF
the people or country. The busi-
ness will be conducted for the wei.
fare of the whole people. There
will be no profits made. That il
not the object. 1t Is the people act
ing for the good of themselves. II
is their government, their enterprise,
their railroads and their business.
But the politician of q century
ago, fuller of objections than OF
craftsmanship, now becomes theatri.
cal again: at will require an army
Of men to ceaduct the business Of
the roads! and, think Of the patron.
age, in an election, these will give
to an administrationw To the states.
men whose chief care consists in
drawing their salaries, IN living
high, and in smoking and drinking,
this may seem to be sn insuperabIs
objection. But to other kinds OF
Statesmen. to whsn are committed
new questions fraught with good
to great nation there ought to bt
little trouble involved. These ars
deemed to be men of thought, wise
men, men not racked by ambition
nor sold in slavery to their own self
isk ends. They are, by the theor,
Of our government, the capable. hon
est. faithful agents of the people. t.
whom are committed the highest
and most sacred political trusts
These are to devise the new plan
means of obviating incidental diff
culties. TO these exalted, unselfist
statesmen, is not such away Of reas
ohing as the following free from
doubt? 1t is the peoples busines.
that is to be conducted, and thos.
who conduct it are the hired agent.
Of the people. 1t is their SOLE
business to do the work as are di
rected: and the law of congress di
rects how the work shall be done
There are grades in the work; but al
the employees are simply agents, and
no one has the slightest right to 81,
how the work shall be done. Vel
what! Pay men fair and homes
wages for the services they perform
Let their time, talents and service
be given to their work. Let tn
elective franchise be suspended 9
long as they are in the employment
of the government. The honor o
voting shall be lost in the highe
honor of service; aud to attempt t
vote or to influence another how h
shall vote, shall be a misdemeanor
and shall forfeit his employment
added to fine and imprisonment. AM
herein is the solution of this part 0
the question. A new needed meas
urs originated in the ongoing of SO
ciety, must gather about it all the ii
cldents necessary to give it effect.
The true ground Is, That the gov
ernnent should carry on whatever. i
for the general good: for, when ne
corrupted, we must ever bear il
mind that the government and th
people are one and the same. Sep
arate the government from the pee
pile and its management by them
and the management goes to partie
which are managed by politician
for personal and class purposes. Th
result is seething, corruptiye, result
ing in the benefit Of the few and th
oppression and the distress of th
many.
No intelligent and fair ninde
man can deny that for score 9
years the two leading political pal
ties in this country have been bani
rupt in moral and civil integrity. az
healing TO the nassions and prei,,