Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1893-02-19

coinage of silver as guaranteed by the constitution
THE GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP OF RAIL
ROADS AND TELEGRAPH LINES.
The subserviency shown by the Republican and
Democratic parties to the gold combine in the east, in
refusing to recognize silver as metal money has dis
tngushed their actions in dealing with all corporate
capital of any magnitude and particularly with that of
railroad corporations
But little fifty years have elapsed since the
structon of the first railroad in the United STATES
Short that time been the citizens every section
have been forced to realize that it only by the in
reference of the government that the unjust exactions
and determinations of railroads could be prevented
Both the Republican and Democratic parties have
recognized this by the creation and maintenance of the
interstate commerce commission.
Created compel railroad panes to deal equita
bly, and Justly with all classes and al sections the in
terstate commerce commission has been and is
nudity.
BY system of transcontinental combines and local
pooling the railroads of the entire country have always
evaded the provisions of this and all other laws which
they deemed inimical to their interests.
Where it has been to their interest to favor few in
dviduals at the expense of many they have done So
where they have desired to build up community to
he detrment of other sections they have hesiIaed
to do so. With the power which the ownership of
railroads conters men have created and maintain
ing trusts whose exacons inquitous and selfish
any backmail ever levied. 1t has been the indi-
viua ownership OF railroads that has served the
basis of every monopolistic trust in the nation.
How effective and thorough and supreuiey tyrannical
such power the ownership Of railroads confer in
dividuals is, is shown by the Reading Coal Combine,
which today controls virtually the entire hard coal out
put of the nation.
Less than year ago three railroads centeng in the
hard coal regions of yvana secured control of
the product and arbitrarily increased The price of hard
coal one dollar per ton.
This increase in price not to cover any increase
in the cost of production. 1t was, instead merely
increase levied and collected for the benefit of the hand
full of millionaires who owned the roads, 1t a
that fell alike on the widow budding her scant
fire, and on the manufacturer whose furnaces de-
pended for employment and bread thousands of
laboring men and women. Not ship could leave the
ports of the east not wheel turn in the factories life
itself could not be supported in the northern states
without paying tribute to this combine
This is not isolated instance On the Pacific
Coast today the selfish exercise of railroad is
great aud iniqutous.
For .rs the half dozen owners of the Southern
Pacific rSNsoad system have held California-one of
the greatestSStes in the Unon-and through it almost
theentire coastNp grasp of steel.
Through the e>>Stons of these millionaires San
Francisco, the largesnd weaheSt city Of the coast
has been stjaed its gN>yth retarded and prosperity
stayed, and its citizens haS\ grown old and died know
ing that full of Prosperity Justly theirs has
been taken from them through the seshness of this
corporation until they have been forced in self preser
walton resort the methods of transportation of
forty years ago, by establishing line o. common
riers around Cape Horn.
Every territory and state in the Union has ltnessed
within its limits equally stubborn contests beUwe< the
interests of its people and that of railroad corporatQs,
in which the latter have hesitacd 10
bribery and intimidation to defeat the popular will
Money unjustly exacted by eXorbtant charges has
been used to corrupt the representatives of the people,
while the officials of such corporations have seldom
hesitated the power their hands dictate how
their employees should vote.
SO far has this intimidation of the individual
actions and opinions of American citizens been carried
that today there exist roads which rgdy enfore the
rule that in their employ shall join any society
intended for the mutual benefit and protection of labor
If within little more than half century such cor
poratious thus reduce American citizenship to the
level of mere peonage-what may be done when
increased competition III all the avenues of labor makes
their power still greater?
The injustice and oppression thus practiced
poyes is greater than that practced the general
public.
The services rendered by railroad companies in Ari-
iona as elsewhere have never been paid for by the
public in proportion to their just cost but in accord
ance with what the companies might care to exact.
For illustration, take the single example of the ship
of ores i'll which the territory is primarily in
teresed For ton OF ore valued at not to exceed $50
per ton shipped from Phoenix, the capital of the terri
tory to Pueblo the charge is IL; while for shipping
ton worth between $50 and 500 the charge SI45o;
yet the cost of transportation in each instance is the
same, is also practically the risk assumed by the
road. Thesame policy is pursued with all other pro-
duCers.
In this the railroads make themselves part
in the industry, the energy and the good fortune
of the miner, the cattleman and the farmer without
assuming any of his attending hardshps msfortunes
This rule which applies to the individual shipper APP
plies to entire communities AS large shippers
favored at the expense of the smaller so are the
weather. communities favored at the expense of the
poorer ones. The shipping a trainload being
given less rate than the man shipping carload, the
man shipping carload lower rate than the shipper
of tOn-the result being that the of small capital
is unable to compete with his Weather rival while the
small shipper of cattle any other product
Gzes less from his sales than does his stronger
petitor
This systematic oppression of the weak can only be
prevented by the government ownership of all rail-
roads.
Australia, Austria, Italy, Germany, Belgium and
Russia have each recognized the dangerous power
erred by the private ownership of railroads. and have
placed them i'll the hands of the government the result
being cheaper and better service.
By both the Democratic and Republican parties it is
urged that such ownership of railroads would be
constitutional.
If the government has built railroads, as it practically
has done, by granting enormous subsidies and land
grants, under the constitution why it exercise
the rights of ownership?
Wherever capital interested the objection of
consuonaty has failed to be used against any
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