The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-01-14
A STUPID PROPOSITION.

Powderly declares that he believes that
railroads and public highways should be
nationahZed, and that the telegraph sys-
tenn should be owned and operated by the
government" Mr.. Powderly is an AFRO
CANT, garrulous fellow that never weighs
facts and figures before he jumps TO con-
clusion. The facts and figures all go to
show that government ownership or oper-
alton OF railways would be frightfully e1-
pensive from an economic stand
point, and q fruitful source Of polit-
ical corruption through its enormous
imitation of the government patronage
We are not yet nation of scoundrels
ready 10 confscate the railroads of the
country, and to purchase them would cost
at least ten billion dollars, according to
the estimate of United States Senator
Carlisle. This enormous debt would be
an intole-able burden on the backs of the
people. We nave been trying to pay off
war debt OF less than three billions during
the last tnirty years and nearly half OF it
remains unpaid. Does any sane working
man WISH to saddle the people with pub
lie debt of ten billions of dollars, or four
times our original war debt?
The number of employees on American
railways is at least 100000. These num-
bers are a conclusive argument against
Powderly's socialistic plan for the govern
ment ownership of railways. The present
number Of Federal employees is about
185, 900, and the addition of the railway
force would increase the number to nearly
million. A million Federal employees
would be one-twelfth of the voting
strength of the country. and would be too
heavy a weight to be safely thrown into
the scale in favor of the dominant party
in a presidential election. Prof. Paul
Leroy Beaulieu, the great French econo-
mist, declares that when the mum Der Of en-
pIoyes of the state exceeds or per cent.
of the electoral body, political liberty is
greatly compromised, and that when the
functionaries of the state form ID per cent.
of the number of voters political liberty
ceases to exist. The number Of Federal
officials in the United States would ex-
coed 8 per cent. of the voters under gov
eminent control of the railroads, even if
Federal control meant no increase Of
force.
In no country in the world are railway
freights SO cheap as they are in this ceun-
try; in no country in the world are pas
senger railway service and accommoda-
tions so excellent as In the United States.
The operation OF the government railways
of Europe and Australia is far more costly
than our own; freights are vastly higher
and passenger service vastly inferior. The
gross earnings OF the railway system of
the United States for the fiscal year of 1892
was 81, 200, 100000, and the net earnings
about S125. O00,00
The transfer of suoh an enormous bust
ness to the management of million of
Federal Office holders, large and small.
would be sure to be followed by disastrous
economic results and political evils that
would swamp or paralyze the healthy
movement of our free government. We
would be changed from democracy rest
ing on the genius of industrialism, the
Jeffersonian theory that the best govern
men is that which governs least, into
bureaucracy, government by paternalism
and socialism run mad. Master Work
man Powderly, if he is really anxious to
save the state, would better try again; he
certainly will not mend the times, which
he deems SO grossly out of joint, by swell
ing the roll of Federal stipendiaries from
$4,000 TO a million strong.
Terence Powderly and Samuel Gompers,
recasting the American idea Of free
democracy, which governs best when it
governs least, into vast bureaucracy, or
government by the philosophy of social
istic trados-unionism, IS sight to move
men Of Intelligence and thought to amuse-
ment blended with compassion for men at
once SO arrogant and SO ignorant. Terence
PoWdery and Samuel Gompers recasting
and radically reforming the work of such
master minds as Franklin, Hamilton,
Jefferson and Madison are like couple Of
drunken sign painters obliterating the
frescoes OF Michael Angelo and Correggio
and replacing them with rough sketch of
Herr Most posing as q model for King
GaInbrlnus.
Shades OF Jack Cade, Sim Tappertit and
Arthur Thistiewo0d. be comlorted: the
race of the agrarian imbecie and anar-
chistic ass is not extinct; your rhodomon-
taIe IS not a lost art: it is heard today in
: the snortins OF Gompers; the harsh pea
cock cry of Powder.y, and the pelican
/ plant OF the pensiye PETER.
fFREfyTnG