The record-union., 1894-08-06
BAD FOR THE PEOPLE.
What Government Ownership of Rail-
roads Means.

roads Means.
From the San Francisco Post.l
The question as to whether the rail-
roads should be owned and operated by
the Government is one of vast import
ance. Nothing could be better for the
railroads of this country than Govern
ment ownership. The roads were con-
structed at time and by such methods
that they could all be duplicated for 40
Indebtedness, held chiefly abroad, of five
bilious of dollars, not one dollar OF
which could be repudiated. To attempt
to repudiate would bring down upon the
Government of the United States the
combined military power of the world.
Hence, if the Government ever owns the
railroads it will be through the purchase
of the stock interest and the assumption
of the bonded Indebtedness. The rail-
roads, finding that their properties are
overbonded, will be glad TO sell out the
stock interest and have the Government
of the United States assume the payment
of their bonded debt with the accruing
interest.
The paramount objection to the "Gov-
ernment ownership" OF railroads has not
been suggested. We take the liberty of
presenting it for the first time. The Gov
ernment of the United States means the
party which is administering the Govern
ment-in other words, welding its power.
Government, therefore, with us Is cOntro-
vertible with the word administration.
What is.proposed is simply that the Ad
minlstration shall own the railroads.
That ownership would mean that the Ad
ministration would adjust rates, deter
mine where products would originate and
whether they should or should not reach
a market. The adjustment of freight
rates in the United States has more i'm
portant bearing upon community and in
dividual prosperity than the adjustment
of import duties. Railroad freight rates
are of vastly more importance than tariff
bills. Congress alone can modify or ad-
just the tariff, but under Administration
ownership of railroads the party majority,
acting through commission appointed
by the President, could adjust railroad
rates every day and thus hold over every
citizen q menace as to his rights.
If State, tor illustration, like Florida,
should not obey the party behests its
oranges would never reach market. We
find the administration making pets of
supplies; is 1t at all unlikely that we
should find certain States Or citizens that
gave safe majorities for the administra-
ton enjoying railroad freight rate that
would make com petition hopeless?
Secondary to this is the question Of
purchasing supplies for railroads. The
purchasing agent of the average road
buys 5000 worth Of supplies every year
for each mile of road served by him. The
amount that would be spent in purchases
by the administration for the railroads
would reach the stupendous sum of $780,
000 900 year, which would necessarily
be regarded as patronage. Would a Re-
publican administration buy from a firm
that had opposed it at the polls? Would
a Democrats administration extend its
patronage to Republicans? Read history,
black with administration ''jobs," and
the answer is plain.
But the Government will never own the
railroads; it will never enter in an under
taking so stupendous. The wisest men
of every age have declared that govern
mentS govern too much.