The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1894-07-14
THE KEY TO THE SITUATION.

OOnGrOl OF Jn0 RAILROADS. mas OCCuplou
q decidedly prominent and important
position in the field of political dis
cussion and the political economy of
the United States. The question as
it presents itself to the people of Amer
lea is, can the government of the Uni
ted States get possession of the rail
roads and operate them in the inter-
ests of and without imperiling the lib
critics of the massesl can the govern
ment, the people of the United States
manage the great lines of travel the
means of transportation of both per-
sons and things, with more satisfac-
ton to all classes of society than the
individuals and great railroad COM
panies have done and are doing2 It is
safe to say that the consensus of opin-
ion throughout the United States is
largely in favor of Matchmaking the
railroads.
But say the conservative and
moneyed aristocracy such change
savors two much of paternalism and
tends to dangerous Capitalization of
power. 1t would enable the party in
power to so fortify itself thro ugh the
distribution of patronage as to render
its deposition difficult if not impossible
and by long continuance in power
become corrupt and endanger the
rights and liberties of the people.
Such argument is well calculated to
mislead and deceive and to create
direful apprehensions lest the propos-
ed change prove even more disastrous
than the prevailing custom. is not
at all probable that the American peo-
pie would become any less soicitous
of their rights and liberties, should
such change be made than they are
now, and instead of centralizing wealth
and power through the naturalization
of railroads, that is one of the impend-
evils which the proposed change would
obviate and destroy.
No one can conceive of a more per-
feet scheme of centralizing the wealth
of nation than the one now in force.
Through the influence of gigantic syn
dicates, corporations and railroad COM
panies the wealth of the country is
being concentrated in the hands of a
few with alarming rapidity. They are
absorbing wealth as fast as it is created,
they not only own 80 per cent. of the
present wealth of the country, but YER
tually control the balance and have the
product of labor bonded for an indef-
mite period in the future Competition
once a potent factor in reducing rail
road rates and charges has been de-
stroyed through pooling processes
and extensive combinations of capital
and transportation companies. If a
man or a set of men see the necessity
of building railroad through GER
lain district W here no line exists and
The proposed line will Interfere with
The trade of any of the great roads,
the new road either dies a premature
death or if completed is swallowed
up by the more powerful companies.
The absorption of the lesser by the
greater railroads tends to destroy the
force of competition and increases
the tendency to form colossal combi-
nations and ruinous monopolies, COM
pels labor to servilely acknowledge
,apital as supreme, forces the, masses
70 pay extortionate transportation
charges, and by watering the stock
compel the public to pay tribute on
.bnormally increased and fictitious
,apital. It certainly is presumption