The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1894-11-06
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP
A Burning Question, ard it Will Not
Down.
Editor Richmond Start

Editor Richmond Start
One OF the leading questions b. ing
argued ia the present Congressional
campaign is the naturalization of all
roads. This question, which is n Of
vital Importance to commerce, is not
being treatedjn the unbiased, Logical
manner which it deserves, but 10 the
narrow partisan spirit which asserts
that my party and my principles are
right and all others absurd and wrong"
This style of argument IA never %
vince any one who has given the sub
ject the slightest thought, but may
prejudice the great mass of people who
do not think for themselves.
The naturalization of m~onopolies is
a question that stands upon it's own
merits, and, right or wrong, is Of too
much Importance to be met by ridicule.
Until the strong arguments in it's favor
are satisfactorily refuted every n
who has carefully considered the sub
iect will remain convinced of its ece
sity and p~racticability. l am greatly
surprised that so able a speaker as
John W. Daniel should have treated
the subject with such fippancy and
lack of argument as he did here on
Saturday. If, as he processes to be-
lieve, the government ownership OF
railroads will ruin the country, he
should certainly have shown how it
could doso, and have enlightened the
public mind by exposing the fallacy of
the claims made by it's adherents, some
of which we're so clearly shown by Mr..
Alexander McCulloch in his letter to
Senator Hunton, published in the Star
of September 10Th.
The only argument that even such a
speaker az Hon. John ". Daniel could
bring against the government operat-
ing what (by reason of the enormous
amount the people have loaned the rail-
roads, it virtually owns was that it
would cost it a fabulous sum. This is
about the most thoughtless thing the
Senator eve uttered, as 1t Is known
that the Pacific railroads we're built
by money equal to if not greater in
amount than would be required by the
government to purchase them. What
the private corporations that now man
age the railroads could do the national
government could accomplish with
much more facility.
If the present ownership can earn the
interest on this enormous amount and
pay its officials eXorbitant salaries be-
sides the enormous fees expended in
purchasing laws for its benefit and
judges and juries to assist in their exc
~cution, surely the people could earn the
decreased interest resulting from the
increased security of government bonds
and have a surplus besides. We need
the improved facilities for commerce,
the increase in wages for the armies of
railroad employees, the elimination of
speculation and legalized robbery, the
end of the bribery of our legislatures
and courts and the o.her great advan-
tages derived from government opera
ton which our postal system leads us
to expect.
Times have changed. The masses are
being educated, and now to convince
requires facts. Eloquence and ridicule
are as so much vapor. Explain the
universal good that has resulted from
public ownership in Germany and other |
countries, answer the arguments of
Professor Richard T. Ely, and we will
be convinced that naturalization is an
evil, and if these are unanswerable,
give us some argument that wecannot
meet, or else explain whyrDemocracy
does not give to the people that which
they should expect. Why does not
Senator Hunton answer Mr.. McCul-
loch's letter when the application of its
theory, which is being clamored for by
millions, will doom us to destruction9
Won't some of our political leaders
show us the error of our ways7 We
don't want to ruin the country, and de-
sire some one to prove to us that we
are doing so.
GEORGE n. SKIPwITH
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EXTRAVAGANT CLAIMS.