The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1894-10-11

gigantic system Of Iog:rolling would be
built up to secure to each community
its grab from the public treasury.
But even II we made up our minds to
bear that. in addition to our other
political ills, we should still be in the
greatest difficulty.
Vhe resources and credit of the coun-
ery would be strained to the breaking
point to acquire the new roads now
built.
In the past we have been adding to
our mileage from 1000 to 10, 900 miles
OF new road each year. 1t is not prob
able that less than 1000 miles per
annum would satisfy the requirements
OF our people and our business for gen.
erations to come.
The most radical Populist does not
place the cost of construction in a
prairie country, where it can be done
sne cheapest. at less than $50, 900 per
mile. Even at that ridiculously low
18ure, the annual expenditure for new
seassruetion would be $3.50, 100000.
An sur experience shows that if this
wosh wese done By the government, it
veaM - lo0e less economically and
SsaseNsels estimate would place the
eese - not less than $500, OOO, 900
ysaE..
70 al tAs other expenses and diff
culoiss incident to government control
Enust bo addod this annual outlay, for
YAioh some new source Of income must
u provided.
To give NJ comparatively as large
HaAsase - 0seat Britain would cost,
q 20, 600 Per mile, about SIG, 500, O00,.
600 more.
No means BY which this money
shoald - raised has ever been sug-
Gested s 5
Last. but not least among the objec-
lions to state ownership and control, is
the fact that il oouldpnot be realized in
the United States until we have entirely
reformed and readjusted our civil SER
vice system, without eminent danger
Of overthrowing the republic and de.
stroying the liberties of the people.
70 = eommon habit of tho Populists to
3unD ~ some great conclusion, ignoring
~ nsst sbvious obstacles that must first
- removed.
r. . man were really in earnest about
Introducing here the naturalization of
the railroads, his first step, if he were
rational creature, would be to build up
. system of laws that should forever
divorce the control Of the civil service
from party politics.
The countries where government con-
troll prevails to any considerable extent
are mostly monarchies. It offers no
objection, under such government,
that the army Of its employees should be
multiplied; that those in power should
b provided with a host Unwilling and
devoted servants supported at the pub
lilo expense.
In q country like ours, such system
would necessarily lead to party despot-
ism.
The railway employees in the United
States are said to number altogether, at
the present time, not far FROM one
million men.
We have seen that the effect Of throw
ing into the political arena, to be strug-
gied for by hungry leaders, the one
hundred to one hundred and fifty
thousand offices now in existence, has
been to encourage corruption, degrade
politics and debase the civil service.
No such system as ours could possibly
stand the addition of million new
places to be filed at the command of
party leaders.
No political party, once entrenched
behind such an army as this, whose
daily bread depended upon fidelity to
it, could ever be ousted by anything
short of actual rebellion.
Tho existence Of a free Republican gov
srnment, operating the railroads of the
nation. under the spells principle. is an
Dnpessibuity.
It 10 as reasonable to ask an advocate
q state ewnership to first provide a
complete 1sform of the civil service
end che boAishment of the spoils prin-
apls from politics as it is to ask man
- ASst provide . vessel, if he insists
tAas Jon aceompany him on a voyage
assoss Ne Atlantic.
Ne Aoubt there have been and still
~ many grave abuses connected with
The dissatisfaction Of the railroads in
The United States. These abuses call
1pr strict regulation and for remedy,
bat \ 10 the most palpable absurdity to
psopess - . means of getting rid of
them tho adoption of system which
NJ nowhere been as beneficial to the
psopos and which has been distanced in
tAs competition.
Whether regarded as an investment
C cApitA or - q means of providing
cheap transportation for the people,
state ownership and operation of rail-
sosds hes been demonstrated by the
concurrent experience Of the whole
vosld 70 b failure.