The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1892-10-28

rom the railroads u5IEeE government &
ownership Is = valid objection to that /
sysiem, illeH oEze-,aTss 1t Is equally rs I
aid against Jiss~sys5em under which /
lie government carries on tbs postal {
business. Ths government at present +
!erives nutaxfro the postOfice build /
ings Throughout the country, and get /
sir. Peters does HOs propose that the /
government sturn over the postal bust |
ness to corporations in order that the /
buildings used by them may BE- taxed. |
9Fhe vessels in the navy are not taxed 4
and yet Mr.. Peters would hardly pro- |
pose that the government let out the |
BUSINESS of defending our sea coasts !
and protecting cur honor OH the ocean |
BY contract 70 corporations ia order
that the vessels used might be taxed. |
Most OF the cities of the country own
their electric light plants, their gas
works. water works and school houses. /
none OF which are taxed. But would
Mr.. Peters say that all this business
should be turned over to corporations
in order that the property might be
| taxed2 Again, where do the railroad
companies get the money TO pay the
| taxes with? They haye only one way
to get money and that is from the peo-
pie vii . use The roads. The taxes the
road pays is part of the expense of
| operating the road and is figured in as
such when the rate OF fares and
freights is fixed by the roads. Where
the government owns the roads, no
tax being paid, the expenses are much
| less, and as the government would
only charge such rate as would pay
actual operating expenses, the rates Of
/ fare and freight would be correspond
ingly lower. Fhe objection that the
| government would not pay damages
/ to any person injured by the operation
of the roads is equally as grOundless.
| At present there is court of claims
in which an action for damages against
! the government may be prosecuted, and
| every year many thousands OF dollars
are paid by the government TO persons
whose property has been taken or dam
aged by the government. But even if
there were no such court at present the
same law that provided for the opera
tiOn of railroads by the government,
could also provide for the settlement
and payment of claims for damages
caused by the mismanagement of the
roads, in the same manner that the
law now provides for the payment OF
damages by cities to. persons injured
through the carelessness Of city en-
ployes.
Mr.. Peters seemed greatly worried
about the difficulty the government
would have to get possession of tie
roads. 1t would not be necessary for
tine government to obtain possession
of all the roads in the country at once.
A few through lines cotId be obtained
q lby purchase if the railroads were will
+, ling 10 sell at reasonable and fair
price, and the price could be arranged
through a commission appointed fol
.. the purpose in the same manner in
which the English government obtained
possession Of tile telegraph lines Of
q that country, and the payment of the
: purchase price could be arranged foi
. by the government assuming the
t bonded indebtedness of the roads, anC
q issuing 2 per cent government bondl
d therefor which would amount to a
per cent at least of the value of TIN
II roads, the remainder could be pal,
r. either with government bonds, or will
"a currency issued by the government
IT If the companies were not willing t
re sell the ruads at a reasonable figure t
Ia be agreed upon, the government couI
rs either build other roads or sxercis
v the right of eminent domain, an
81 take the roads already in existence a
to Il price fixed by juries in courts, in tn
same manner that the companies tor
IN the private property of individual
ke when they built the roads.
r., The last objection urged is that
ut the government owned the roads til
o. party in power could manipulate q!
lie votes CT the employees, and thereby pc
e. petuute itself in power. The numbg
It's Of railroad employees in this country
We about 100000, (not sUo, 600 as N
he Peters had itl. and the total vuts
he the country is Is coo, 600. The 500
dis 600 voters are distributed ali over Il
we country, 50 according to his theo
lat 5OO, 200 voters scattered all over Il
IDS country together with the 1OC
lie 600 other government employees cou
l1e control the action Of 1S. 600, 600 voter
.he Even il the party in power could co
ssa troll tlss votes OF the employees Of 4
mt railroad the vote, scattered as it wou
,as be, would have very little effect in I
.ch election as ITS Rer cent OF the tot
vots-is Sc. small, and only in very cic
ant contests would It be noticed at al
mol But without any additional civil S,
For vice regulations, the party ia pow
ow could not control the vote Of the el
lgs ployes. a great many OF the stat
ais now have, aud In q few years all "
mi have the Australian ballot law, und
the which it is impossible Cor anyone
iity know how any voter votes, unless
her chooses to tell. Under that system I