The Caucasian., 1897-05-27
THE FUNDAMENTAL DiFFERENCI

The CAUCASIAN IS very mucn sur
prised to see the following in a lead
log editorial in the Washington Post OF
May 7th.
"The theory that the government
should take charge OF the industries OF
q country IL too pernicious to win ap-
pr0val in the United States. There is
no mere reason for government own
ership OF railways than there Is for
such ownership Of the farms. factories,
mi mes, and all other means OF produc-
tiOn."
Such a statement from the Post as
tonishes us : first because the editor Of
that paper is not so ignorant or obtuse.
as not to know better; and, second
because that paper is usually fair in
discussing economic questions.
The CAUCASIAN is not in favor OF
the government taking charge of all OF
the industries Of the country. The
Peoples Party does not favor any such
proposition. No patriot or anti-mO-
nopolist favors such proposition, for
such thing is not necessary to re-
move monopOlies and their evils. We
are in favor of every industry and
enterprise, subject to the law Of COM
petition, being lett free and open to
private enterprise. We are in favor of
every individual having the free op-
portunity to enter into enterprises on
equal terms with all other citizens.
Farming, manufacturing, mining, mer-
chandising, and similar businesses be-
long to the class of Industries referred
to above.
But there are few necessary enter
prises or businesses that do not belong
to this class-they are not subject to
the lsw ~ "c-r petition al. r,r,-
prrI moBopohes. Ia this Class are u
cludsi the carrying Of mails, the iss IL.
ing Of MONEY, the Transported" ';-"s,
the Telegraph ana telephone lines.
street railways, city water-works, and
similar natural mOnOpOlies. These
are not private businesses, and are
not subject to the law of competition.
They are public businesses-theya are
monopolies by nature. They are nec-
essary businesses and concern the well
fare, prosperity, and happiness of ev.
cry citizen of the republic. Therefore
they are public factions, and it is the
duty of the government TO operate
them in the.interest of all the people
just as much as it is the duty of the
government tc preserve law and order
The difference between these two
classes of enterprises are as wide a:
the poles. The difference is funda
mental. One are a necessary public
busin :"here there can be no com
petition, and therefore are natura
mOnOpOlies which should be a public
function: other private businesses no
necessary to exist in any certain L.
cality, open and free to all to embarl
in them, and subject to the natura
laws of competition. Therefore al
the governme mt has to do with the lat
ter class of businesses is to protect th'
rights and interests of the individual
engaged in them; and If any of then
should become mOnOpolies by unnat
ural causes. to remove the evils tina
produce the mOnOpOlles.
1t is the duty of the government t.
protect the rights and property of al
of its citizens. But the government
cannot do this if it turns over thes,
natural monOpolies into the hands O
. few of its citizens, to be used, no
for public welfare, but for their owl
profit and interest at the expense ant
TO the detriment of all other citizen
Of the republic. Therefore the gov
ernment must own and operate natura
m0nop0lies in the interest of the gen
eral public.
IL private individuals are to be al
lowed to operate these great natura
Nonopolies as their own selHshness an,
greed NAV dictate, then they will des
troy competition among the privat
businesses of the country. form a Dor
tion Of them into trust and 90 int
part nership with the trust, destroy al
competition and wreck the competin,
business. Thus they can break up on
merchant and make another rich, the,
can CLOSE up one mine and double th
value Of another, they can close dow
one manufacturing enterprise an
make another profitab they can max
ore branch of agriculture profitsbl
and another Improbable, and the,
can build up one town and leave An
other to decay with dry rot. In shor,
they hold the fate of almost ever;
private enterprise in their hand,
They can kill and make alive. Thu
the use of these private monopolie
Of private and selfish ends has create
trusts and monopo!ies of private bust
nesses to the detriment il not the des
truction Of all others engaged in thos
businesses as well as to the detrimen
Of the general public. The manager
Of these natural monopolies hav
made deal with the operators of cer
tain coal mines and created a COS
trust; they have made deal with Gel
tain oil men and created q Standard o
trust. And so on, until half of th
private enterprises Of the countr
have been crushed and closed up, Will
. few men in the business have bee
given . monopoly, and the publ
placed at their mercy. This woul
have been impossible II these nstur,
nonopolies had been used 40 publ
fanctions, and operated at cost an
without discrimination against IN,
individual, business or locality.
Shall such power over the welfar
of every man and every business o