Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1896-03-18
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.

I
A good many good men who arr
also thoroughly posted on polite
affairs favor the exclusive ownership
u railroads by the government AZ a
party tenet we DO not care 10 discuss
the matter, but considered in the light
Of popular Proposition we have a few
suggestions 10 offer.
Tho lotil valuation Of tho railways
Of the country with their attouiaut
rolling stock, grounds AMI buildings,
l. fully $4,000, 600 600 This colossal
sum, which The imperfec, Intellect Of
man In IT, bs't estate cannot begin 10
gfaep, would either have TO be paid or
the government would have 10 resort
TO oonntoailon TO effect change Of
ownership, Surely no one u ~ lost
10 oil sense Of legal rights, to
say nothing Of concrete jus.
tlce. ne to even be willing LOT the latter
plan To DO fesotted 20, let alone 10 All.
vocate ~; We therefore turn to tue ques.
sion Of purcha,e, ana tue fret thing
that suggests itself In such connection,
~ 10 all similar oases, IL 20 10 where
the money is TO come from. The
nation Ia deeply In debt aud growing
somewhat deeper rather than other.
wise, aud the sum named represents
IL total Income for an entire decade;
uesides, II has 10 10 kept going ana
needs the whole Of IT, resources 10 do
u, leaving n smsli deficit 10 he carried
over at The end Of each fiscal year be.
sides. So,olearly the roads could not be
bought aud paid for out OF current re-
sources. Borrowing has become a IRE.
quent rosori with u, but where could
such M amount or any considerable
rart Of II be obtained In this wAy2 No
nation under tho sun Ia possessed Of
any great fraction OF II In movable
money; Indeed, We seriously question
" all Of thom combined could faiie q,
and II they could they would not care
10 lot II 20 even TO AS good debt
payer a. the United States Is ana has
always been. We might Issue q popular
loan, which would DO popular Tor
a very short time only, for 90
soon as The people learned that
they were only contributing toward
the creation Of huge mountain OF
debt. the principal and interest OF
which they must pay even while o.
teusibly receiving interest themselves,
the popularity" OF the scheme would
collapse like pticked bubble; besides,
only a little OF the needed amount
would be raised under any such cir.
eum,tAnees. The engraving bureau
might bo set TO work night and day
and In the course OF time issue enough
Hat money. o., paper not based on
coin or value, Of any kind-to equal
the figure named; bat suppose the rail.
road people refused to take sucn issues
for their properly-as assutedly they
would, coming from a nation wholly
aud hopeltsily bankrupt ne this one
would 10 under such oircumstancos--
thon whhl7 Tho purchase scheme
would undoubtedly, II carried out at
all, have to DO done by plecemsal,
one road nj time; by this means the
government would Immediately DO.
come a rival In business to It's own oitl.
re ., ami, holding the supreme power
within ita hands, could place such CHI.
zena At disadvantage by various
means which any government In.
vested with too much authority II
prone 10.
Another thing; The government,
which practically construed means the
naturalization, Ia full and complete
owneahip Of all railway systems In the
country AMI controlling all the en-.
ployes Thereof, would be sbls to cue
coed itself indefinitely, or nj least de-
eide AZ 10 who should succeed II. The
vast army Of men who live by,Tail-
road service arc 40 distributed
throughout the land that, act.
ing together NJ they could
bo made to do by orders from head.
quarter, they would constitute bal.
anco OF power which would swing
every doubtful state and many more
into line for whoma ever aud Whatever
the naturalization saw NJ. IlmIrht
not do this, but IL there any oousiiof.
able class Of people who would care to
Try the dangerous experiment OF plsc.
log within the hands Of the ruling
forces at Washington any such alarm.
ing Increase Of powei9 We shoul
hope not.
There arc yet other objections 10 the
proposition, such as the revenue who.
the counties through which railway,
pass derive thereirom, thls being a
very important item In tho newer
aInIaa paHlitutaFIys huf auanvn h.u