The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-10-06

noTt0tiOn. There Is q formulated Uo-
mand by one great party that govern
ment control of railroads be made more
efficient and by another that the gov
eminent shall own all the principal
lines Of railways, appointments to
~service therein to be made under civil
| service rules. It is very certain that
under the present system government
81 control, though held Constitutional
nv the Supreme court, is a sham. The
manufacture of m%illionaires by st cret
| rates and other methods, goes right on
with the coincidence Of crushing out
! all small competitors and the impcver-
| ishment of the masses by high rates. The
Interstate Commerce Commission
seems powerlese, and as to the State
! Railroad Commissions in too many in
stances, the railroads through their
LOBBYISTS have secured the election
! either of their tools, or of weak men,
| g 8 Commissioners, and in other States,
| as a railroad President c~ynically re.
marked, the railroads have simply
aOuSu G16 4G64l1O6N OOA1L4AC5AOA W
their assets" One of the results of a vic
tory by the people in this election will
certainly be the absolute and sure gov
er~nnental control Of transportation
and if that is found impracticable, then
governmental ownership, at least Of
all the trunk-lines SO as to fix rates. To
this end eny Constitutional amend
ment that may be requisite will be
made. Even with governmental con
troll a cabinet cHcer, Minister of Inter
State Commerce" will be created to SUI
pervise this matter, though this
can be done by act of Con-
gress. The governmental ownership
OF telegraphs and telephones will
require no Constitutional amend
ment since the electric mail is merely
a betterment-the adoption of modern
facilities for the post office and the
Constitution already vests the eTclu
size control Of the post Cfice in Con
gress. In truth the operation of the
telegraph and telephone by private
corporations is illegal, being the exer-
else of postal functions which by the
Constitution can be exercised only by
the government.
There may arise other matters of ur
gency upon the successful issue of the
present struggle in favor of the people
but the above are those Constitutional
guarantees which have been most il
evidence in all discussions and are
those which will most logically be de
manded by those intent on securing
the benefits of victory. The power to
make both gold and silver the money
Of redemption ard TO issue government
paper which shall be a lega1 tender has
already been held by the Supreme
court to be in the Constitution The
struggle to make the government ex
ercise that power will, when won, re-
quire no further Constitutional guaran.
tee. To that end it is only necessary
to change the Executive. He cen di
rect the exercise Of the governmental
to pay its coin notes and bonds
in silver. The further coinage Of silver
and the issuance of government non
interest bearing notes to supply casual
deficits ingtead of interest bearing
bonds, a be Done by authority OF a
Congress in accord with him. But the
struggle means more than this and the
victory OF the people will De bulwarked
by the exaction Of the above and pos
s bly, other Constitutional guarantees.