The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-08-25
should the Government Assume
owDershIp and Control
OF RAILROADS DISCUSSED BY HIM.
a Fair aud AbIs Consideration OF tho
acknowledgements for the Mega.
tive Of the ProposItIon-why He
rhlaks the Present system should
RemalL
.rcog,rtgM iVI aad az riqAl. \. ,fpat !

ment assume Ownership and control of
tho railroads n aud We hear it discussed
in the market place, the shop, the street
car, the home, tho newspaper and even
in the pulpit. In my opinion tho an.
swor to this. question should be very
decided negative. In every cOuntry
there should DO proper legislation to
protect the people from extortiOn aud
to prevent unjust discrimination, but
aside from such restrictive action, and
with proper railroad commissions as
tribunals for the prompt aud iuexpeu.
sige disposition OF grievances aud tho
enforcement OF the laws, l maintain
that the government should have
no authority over tho railroads.
Of country. In considering this
question with regard TO our own
country OF the United States, there
is ono powerful argument against it
which will at once present itself to
every thoughtful voter. Lot US sup.
pose, for the sake Of argument, that our
railroads were controlled from WASH
ingtou. Is it not perfectly plain, oven
10 tho meauest comprehension, that
with such civil service laws, and such
administration Of them us we have seen
thus far, the party in power could never
be displacod by any means short OF q
revolution? Think Of the vast number
OF places that party politicians would
have at their control with which 10 re-
ward their followers. Think OF the inn
lnense amount OF patronage that the
successful! party would control. The
Imagination shrinks appalled, from tho
contemplation oil 1t aud tho conse.
quences that would inevitably follow.
oTuEG OBJECTIONS.
But this Is not the only objection to
having the government assume owner
ship and control OF the railroads in this
country. With our railroad systeui Us it
10 at present, tho bitter struggle which
Is constantly going on between the
many rival companies forces each to
raise its STANDARD OF excellence to tho
very highest point il the hope Of At
tracing to itself the greatest amount
OF patronage. AS II result of this in-
tonsity OF competition, improvements
are constantly being introduced, new
inventions arc eageriy sought aftor, and
cnurtesies and concessions arc extended
10 tho public in many ways. In u word,
briefly, under our present system, rail-
road directors arc forced to study in
every way the general comfort, safety
aud welfare OF the community upon
which they rely for patronage. These
numerous advantages accrue to the
people as the result OF tho intense com.
petition between tho many rival lines.
for the paralelling Of railway lines to
tho same places, however much II may
have injured tho companies themselves,
has henn OF great beueit to the travel
ing public. Now, government monopoly
would menu sure and certain death to
competition, and therefore death 10 all
railroad enterprise and progress.
The ownership OF railroads ia Europe
ia very commonly in the bands Of the
government, and let US illustrate the
difference between the competition ex-
isting in our country under our system
Of independent railway lines and the
utter lack OF such competition on the
continent OF Europe, whore, as have
said, railroads are under government
control. A dozen different railroads vic
actively with each other for tho traffic be-
tween Now York aud Chicago, but
Frenchman about to take his departure
from his beloved Paris has no choice in
tho matter. Ono company will tako
him south, but only one; another runs
to tho west or north, but neither has q
rival; and it Is SO in every part OF
France. Tho result is, therefore, that
while free competition haa blessed tho
UnituI States OF America with tho
model railway system of the world,
France, lingering still in tho darkness
Of monopoly, has not yet acquired what
some good people call I'll realizing
sense" Of her own inferiority.
Had railway science attained it's ulti-
mato development 1t is possible that our
government might be able to control tho
railroad lines oil this country SUCCESS
fully, but railway science is very far
from having said its last word, and no
government, since it would lack tho
hcalthful stimulus Of competition,
would ever keep abreast with the pro-
gress Of discovery, as is being done
from month to month by our great pri-
vato companies. As to improvements
which arc still to come, such as electric
motors. electric lighting, ct cetera, every
railroad man is essentially m optinist,
believing all things possible in tho way
Of rapid transit unless il DO aerial navl-
CATION, which as yet seems chtmertcal,
for railway trains ut least,
wRIGIIrY ARGUMENT.
Another aud very weighty argument
against allowing our government to
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