Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1894-10-26
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.
BY HON. THos. e. WATSON.

''reign of corporations" The people
would be boss again.
2. 1t would stop corrupt legisla-
ton in their behalf. The motive
would be gone.
8. 1t would unshackle trade and
commerce from 1.-THE trust and 1.-THE
ring" They can not operate without
the aid of the railroad.
4 1t would stop determinations
against certain persons and certain
places. The motive would be gone.
The postofiice treats all alike. So
would the government railway.
5. 1t would stop speculative rail-
road building. The government
would lay out a new road where
needed and nowhere else.
6. 1t would to great extent de-
stroy the tyranny of capital overlabor
and render strikes well nigh obsolete.
7. 1t would enable the cotton
planter to exchange products with
the corn planter on fair terms, which
would leave profit to both. At
present the railroads impoverish them
both.
8. 1t would remove the causes OF
the hatred of the people to the roads
and harmonize all interests.
0. 1t would equalize all avocations
and shippers; and would take away
the power the roads now have to de-
stroy business, a section or an in
dividual
TO- 1t would put into the hands OF
| the people weapon with which they
could destroy any combine among
capitalists in any article OF COM
merce.
II. 1t would save enormous sums
now paid in fancy salaries.
| IL. 1t would save the 5000 lives
lost every year for lack OF safety APP
planes.
10. 1t would bring about absolute
free trade and cheap traffic between
all sections of this great country;
destroy "the pool" knock the pins
from under the stock broker; put an
end to the insolence with which SO
many officials treat the public; remove
the leverage which English capital
has on our labor and it's products;
give a death blow to this internal
"booming" of towns and cities at the
expense of the country and for the
benefit Of few capitalists ovor many
laborers. It would be giant stride
in the direction of equality and
manhood rigata and to the destruc-
ton of our class system of special
privilege.
| IA. 1t would stop land grabbing and
would restore millions of acres to the
public domain.
| Is. 1t would, to great extent stop
the building up of towns at the en-
peuse of the country, and would en-
tirely stop the speculative boom"
which attempts to build a..city where
commerce does not call for it.
10. It would remove from public
life, from journalism, from politics.
and from business. some of the most
corrupting influences.
II. 1t would remove one OF the bull
warks of plutocracy, and knock one
of the main props from under that
den of thieves known as Wall street.
10, The railroad corporations are
gathering into their clutches the coal
supply, the iron supply, the oil supply,
the grain elevators, and the timber
supply.
The only way to check the remorse-
less despotism which this policy will
establish, is to have the government
possess itself of the public roads.
. Then the people will be masters OF
i transportation, and thus masters Of
the situation.
With the corporations owning the
sources of supply, and also the public
roads, the government and the people
are alike powerless to resist the APP
Mailing combination of wealth, of
privilege, of opportunity, and of legal
lied advantage which will rest in
the iron hands OF the corporations.
10. If the government decides to run
the roads OF the present rate OF net
profits the savings to the people would
consist in the abolition Of such fancy
salaries as that of Chauncey Depew,
for instance. He gets 100000 per
year for managing the Vanderbilt
lines, and has so much leisure that he
spends month or so every year hob
nobbing with European nobilities lie
is but sample of the absurdities Of
the present railway system. The
smallest salaries are drawn by the
superintendents who really do :hc
work, the largest salaries are paid to
ornamental "hgureheads" whose lin
fluence" is needed.