The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-03-19
to catch birds, or is it wheat to feed them?

to catch birds, or is it wheat to feed them?
Governments are maintained for the
purpose of protecting the rights of the
people. That government is the best
which comes the nearest to giving equal
protection to all it's citizens. 1t is one Of
the rallying campaign cries Of Populists
that the government must give equal
rights to all and special privileges to
nome There may be a difference of opin-
ion as to what constitutes equal rights,
but it will be admitted by all that equal
rights to our citizens is to be desired.
When our legislators enact such laws as
give all citizens the same right to build
and run railroads and provide means
with which to enforce such laws, it would /
seem as though all had been done that
could be thought of so far as the build
ing and running of such roads is concern
ed.
When, in addition to this, it takes
measures to prevent those roads from OPP
pressing the people it has fulfilled its
whole duty to the country so far as
railroads are concerned. Yet, supposing !
that the Populsts idea should be adopted |
by the voters of the country, what natur
ally follows? The reader will please bear
in mind that the roads would then have to
be bought by the government, and that
| they would be paid for not from the le-
/ gitimate proceeds of the road, but with
L ID I
shown in previous papers, the govern
! ment would have no right to make profit
from it's roads-it would, in point of
/ fact, be compelled to run them at loss
Inasmuch as it is the peoples right to re-
eeive equal benefit from their taxes, it
would become the duty of the govern
ment to construct railroads in every part
of the country. 1t would be necessary to
! run trains for the convenience of every
town, whether there We're profitable uses
for those trains or not If this were not
done, the SO called equal rights of Popu-
lists would not be attained.
AS it is with the telegraph 50 is it with
the railroads, the one great illustration Of
Populist writer's and speakers is the mail
service. They seem to overlook the fact
that the success of our postal service is
largely due to the business sagacity of
men, who make profit therefrom.
1t hardly seems possible to believe that
there is any political party in this country
which believes itself capable Of successful
1u inc +la rli ,f
the land. Why, there are railroad men
whose ability and knowledge of railroad
matters make their services cheap at sal
AIRY which equals that of the President
might enlarge upon the fact that the gov
eminent of this country could not com
mand the ability to run railroads, if it
owned them, but it hardly seems neces-
, sary. What | have previously said in re
gard to telegraph and telephone control
applies with equal force to this subject.
The great cost to the government, the ne
cessity OF running roads in sections where
there would be little business, the loss of
. incentive to improvement which now ex-
lists, the magnitude of the business and
the special knowledge necessary to run it,
are, each and all, sufficient reasons why
the people Of this country should refuse
to accede this demand.
Add to these the other reason above
: stated, that the roads would have to be
bought and paid for under Populist IL
nancial system and it is readily seen that
there is nothing to recommend it. while
there is every thing to condemn it. In
this connection, it must be remembered
that no changes can be made which would
be an injustice to the present owners of
the roads. When everything is taken
into consideration, it becomes apparent
to all that the people of this country will
not become Nationalists, Socialists or
Popuists.
| shall conclude these papers with a
discusso on Of the temperance question as
apf mad Nv I,a lictc M