The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-02-01
POPULIST TOES
Feel the Weight of President
Ripley of the Santa Fe
In His Recent Discussion of
Railway Problems.
MIR. RIDDLE REPLIES.
Cites What He Terms Facts
of Government Ownership
Against Mr.. Ripley's TheOreti-
cal Objections.

President Ripley of the Santa Fe
in his recent discussion of the railroad
problems. has stirred up the opposition
to his views among the Kansas Popu-
lists.
Taylor Riddle, chairman of the Pop
ulist state committee, replies to Mr..
Ripley in the following:
Mr.. Ripley is a courteous and excel
lent gentleman, but of the old school
He lives back in the pOWdered-wig, vel
vet coat and knee-buckle age.
Every body before him who under
took to combat public ownership of the
railways made the same points. They
are the danger of political coercion of
railway employees by the party in pow
er, and the alleged failure of the state
owned railways of Europe and the Au-
stralian colonies. Railway companies
are, as the late Jay Gould said, Demo-
cratic in Democratic states, and Repub-
Hcan in Republican states. Power al
ways allies itself to power, and woe to
the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. section hand
or whatever he may be, who refuses to
let himself be used as a sticking plaster
to cement the two together If Mr.. Rip
ley viii acquaint himself with the his
tory of the corporation whose affairs
he now administers, he will find that
every art of cajOIery and every weapon
of intimidation has been used by its
management in all the recent political
campaigns to secure the success of the
Republican party in this state. de
won't find this in any of the official re-
ports, but will find it in the stubs OF
pass books, in the memories of minor
officials, and in the unrecOrded work
ings of political conventions. As a rule,
it succeeded. 1t failed in 1S96-the only
instance in our entire political history.
'One great fact, however, stands out
so pointedly and prominently as to
determine the whole question. That is
the governments of the countries he re
fers to adhere to the state railroad
system, and are constantly extending
their lines under it. France, l believe,
among all the countries, is the only one
to even partially return to the system
of private ownership. Against all the
claims of the advocates of private own
ership of railways, L submit the mas
putabIe fact that save in one or two in
stances. and then only to a limited ex-
tent the people who have tried pubic
ownership hold on to the plan, and are
perfecting their transportation systems
under it
These foreign roads furnish a serv-
ice that in cheapness, at least, settles
the whole controversy without resort
ing to abstract theories"
Mr.. Riddle then refers to COWles,
general freight and passenger post,
pages "a, So and go, showing statistics
supporting his theory that the govern
ment operation of railways in Europe
has proven successful. he concIoaeS
by saying:
largely maintained and operated by
these foreign countries for military pur-
noses and that the accommodations
furnished are inferior to those of our
roads The first of these is in turn
a reply to itself. If a government can
maintain q road for military purposes
cheaper than it can hire its accOmmo-
dations from private companies the
people can maintain road for public
purposes cheaper than they can afford
to hire the services of private COM
pany AS to superiority of accOmTno-
datfons I know nothing. They seem,
over there, to satisfy the millions of
good things and paying for them as
we of this country. My judgment is
that most people of this country would
prefer poorer railway accommodations,
if compelled to put up with them, pro-
vided they could get some cheaper
rates of freight and fare, but I will let
the next ten or fifteen years argue the
case with Mr.. Ripley"