The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-11-03
QUESTIONS OF THE DAY.
Government Telegraphs and Rail.
roads.

Government Telegraphs and Kali.
roads.
The people of this country will find
no relief from the oppression of trans
portation corporations except in gov
eminent ownership and operation o.
railroads. Where canals can be built
and rivers improved and their naviga-
ton be made free for everybody who
wants to run boats, that will afford
relief to some, but all parts of the
country can not have these facilities
Besides, there are some kinds of freight
that require quicker transportation;
and passengers are not willing to wait
for the slower movements of boats,
therefore railroads are also necessary,
but in order to secure reasonable rates
of transportation these roads must be
owned and operated by the government.
Then we shall stop, in great measure,
the manufacture of millionaires and
paupers. The same law that gives
corporation owners an opportunity to
fleece the public and become million
aires, also creates paupers. These
corporations levy exactions upon the
public and enforce their collection.
They scoop large portion of the earn
ings of the many into their Golfers.
They take sail the traffic will BEAR"
and that means all that the people
earn except enough to live on. The
result is that people lose their farms
and their homes on mortgages and
become tenants or tramps. And this
process every year increases the mil
lionaires, and, in hundred fold ratio,
increases tenant farmers, paupers, Grim
inals, insane people and suicides. The
only way to stop it and leave their
earnings in the hands Of the toilers, is
for the government to own and operate
the railroads and teiegraphs, and levy
tax on the issue Of al! paper that cir
culates from hand to hand as substi-
tute for money. There should be no
money but government money-gold,
silver, and paper. And the govern
ment should have its own system of
railroads and telegraphs. This is done
in many foreign countries, with great
success.
In that part of the German Empire
known as Russia 1880 out of 1915
miles Of railway belong to the govern
ment, and in the past year the net sur
plus derived from their operation
amounted to s22 100000. Since the
Inauguration of government ownership
in lS49 and its extension in 1879,
$160, 100000 of the original cost of
construction has been met and Cancelled.
This is really a remarkable showing and
is great tribute to Prussian fnan-
ciering.
In France the government roads are
managed so that the receipts and
expenditures are about even, which is
the best way, for then the people get
their transportation at cost and are
enabled to keep more of their earnings
in their own pockets instead of being
robbed by law for the benefit of the
millionaire class.
The government railroads of Italy
pay about two per cent dividends on
their cost; in Austria two and one
fourth per cent; and in Hungary three
per cent. But the true way should be
to collect only trife over cost of
operation and repairs for then the
people would get transportation for
about one fourth or one third of what
they now pay. And it would be the
same with telegraphs. If the govern
ment had system of telegraphs con-
nected with the post.office department,
messages could be sent for one cent a
word to any part of the United States,
without regard to distance, as letters,
papers and packages are now sent for
one uniform rate anywhere in the
United States, without regard to
distance.
Will the people study these things
and wake up and throw off their old
party collars and bring the Populis'
party into power and accomplish these
great reforms for themselves and their
children? Or will they go on in the
old way until they become practically
the serfs of the money power? 1t is
for them to say.-.San Jose Tribune.
The Beginning of the End.
To those who have carefully watched