Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1894-01-04
North and South Railroad.


receivers, Almost one.f'th Of our
great highways in the hands of the
agents of the United States; made so
by its courts That is the situation
the first day of aur Lord, 1894. And
yet there are many people-and many
honest people-who do not believe
that it is practicable for the general
government to control the railroads,
telegraph, telephone, express facili-
ties, etc, To such we would only say:
1t is practicable for the government
to transmit the mails and it does
without jar, extortion or delay, 1t is
practicable for the government to i'm
prove rivers, harbors, lay out and set
aside public parks, build lighthouses
and public buildings and also to es-
tablish and maintain public schools,
Establish post roads"--in fact, to
provide for the public welfare"
And, if you have noticed the papers
lately, to take charge Of some of the
greatest lines Of railway in our coun-
try.
The Topeka Journal said last Fri
day that there would Immediately be
distributed SlS0,000 among 5000 EN-.
ployees of the Santa Fe under the d.
rectlon Of the receivers, and adds that
the men "rather like government con.
stroll of railways, if that Is the way il
"works." Of course the men will
like it. When the United States gov
eminent owns and operates all the
railways in the United States, as il
will before some who read this pass
from earth, the railroad man will
like it even better than he does JUS
the "control"-Gor his life will bC
safer, his employment will be stead
Ter, his wages better, and best of al
when he becomes uperannuated O.
disabled. he will retire on pension
thus continuing to enjoy what he ha
helped to accumulate, instead Of be
ing, as now, "lald Off so often. Will
his earnings go into the pockets o
the holders Of the 'perierred stock
And there are other people who vii
"like it," too, Every shipper, ever,
buyer, every consumer and ever,
traveller will like it," because IT,
roads will be better, more substauti
ally built, double tracked, bette
equipped, and, best of all, there will
be no watered stock, on which divi
dends and interest are to be paid, n,
"perferrad stock" holders who TAX
all the net earnings and no extortion
ate charges as now, because there vii
be no need to earn more than enougl
to run the roads and keep them in re
pair.
OF course we shall hear the or,
"Utopiau" many times during tn
discussion that must come on thi
question, and many will say that it i
unconstitutional; many more will
say that it is impracticable, but t.
those we will say that the people ar
the makers of the constitution ant
have the power to make anything con
stitutional. 10 those others we will
say that if such things are practica
BILE in other countries they are here
In word that what man has done
imam can do" To those we say
India owns 1906 miles Of "stat
lines" and operates 4,701 miles, tn
remainder being worked by compa
MES. Germany has 26,675 miles o
railway of which the government
Gums and operates 23,364 miles, ant
operates in addition 289 miles tina
are owned by individuals. Austro
Hungary has 15,488 miles Of whicl
the government owns and operate
10,598 miles.
The above instances are sufficien
to dispel the objection of impractica
bility. The thing to do now IS t,
work out the theory. The west ha
set that on foot, beginning at Lincoln
Nebraska, by call from the Cover
nor under instructions of the stat,
legislature. The first convention wa
held at Lincoln, June % 70, and thu
second at Topeka, December 5 6, botl
in 1893. At the last meeting it being
found that our state constitution
would need to be amended 1t was re
solved to go ahead under the plar
published below and push the work
And now, Mr.. Editor, kindly spread
n little Of your ink on this subject
and to the people your correspondent