The times., 1899-06-18

where Rice's refneries were. The raise
was only on oil, and only out Of Marietta.
THE control of the public highways is
the most important duty of the Govern
ment. Give me the control OF the high
way over which the products of your labor
must go to market, and let me fix the
charges, and l can make you my slave.
The eleven billions of capital combined in
the railways of the Republic, organized, as
they are, under joint traffic and passenger
associations, in which they have throttled
the law of competition, and have consti-
tuIed one gigantic railway trust, CONTROL
ing the highways OF the people, debating
who shall and who shall not do the busi-
ness of the country, condemning this man
to poverty and that man to riches-these
eleven billions of capital holding this pow
er. combined with the Standard Oil Com
pany. the Sugar Trust, the steel combine,
the Big Four beef combine, the Tin Plate
Trust. together with all the billions or
ganized in trust combinations, have con-
stituted themselves the political dictator
of the country. They furnish the millions
for corrupt political campaign purposes
They assume TO own the votes of all the
men in their employ, and he who becomes
politically obnoxious to them is blacklisted
and turned out to starve or hunt new &C.
cupation.
How can these railways be taken from
these corporations? II is easy. the public
welfare demands it under the eminent do
main of the State. The power exists to
condemn these railway properties just as
under the eminent domain of the State
private lands were condemned on which
to build these railways for the public well
fare. Pay these corporations for them
just what they are truly worth, and in
this transaction let us be careful that no
injustice is done either to the people or to
the stockholders OF these railways. But
some one says how could the Government
pay the interest upon the enormous public
debt which this purchase would create.
Mr.. Chairman, the people, who are the Gov
ernment, are paying it today. These cor
porations are taxing the people by exorbi-
taut freight rates to pay the interest on
all of the bonded debt of these roads. divl-
dends on much watered stock, and in ad-
dition, hundreds of millions annually for
the benefit of these trusts, monopolies and
favored shippers.
Under Government ownership the peo-
pie are only changing the managers OF
their highways, for these railways are the
peoples highways, and one of the great
est jurists that this land ever produced
has said that public highway cannot be
private property And the people have
: the right to control their highways and
maintain them on the principles Of equali-
ty. One of the great advantages of national
1 ownership is that the bonded debt neces-
sary to acquire these roads could be placed
/ by the Government at from IL to per
I cent less interest annually than the bonded
( debt of these roads are now placed under
! corporate management, and this great re-
I duction Of interest would be an important
/ factor in cheapening the cost of transpor-
tation upon the products of the people.
But a greater advantage, more over
shadowing advantage of Government own
I ership is that then we would be able to
shake OFF the grip of these monopoli5ts
from the throats of the people.
But some good men fear the power OF
patronage which the national ownership OF
| railways would give the party in power
do not fear it, that can be controlled by
civil service laws, but even if the national
ownership OF railways would be a source
( of strength to the party in power, they
would be obliged to be responsible TO tht
people for n just, honest, and fair admin
stration.
These evils can be prevented by assum-
ing control Of these railways and guaran-
teeing 10 every man equal rates on TIE
] TRANSFORMATION r Is products to the mar