The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1899-07-14
Government Ownership.

monopolies is occupying more and more
of public thought, as the oppression of
these monopolies in possession of private
corporations is felt with increasing weight.
A process Of combination is steadily
going OH among steam railway lines and
street railways. The lines are first organ
lied into systems and then combined
under one management, Large aggre-
cations of capital i'll this manner are
brought together and placed under
single directing board of managers COM
posed Of a few men, who soon grow to be
an irresponsible power greater, at least
more active, than the power of the State.
These combinations enter actively into
politics and use the treasury OF the cor
poration freely for political purposes.
These sources Of bountiful supply-cor-
poration treasures-are tempting influ-
ences to professional politicians, fanl-
iarly known as bosses, - who are supplied
with abundant funds to run election cam-
paigns and corrupt the ballot by the pur-
chase of votes and official patronage.
There is an erroneous belief more or
less prevalent that the great official
patronage which government ownership
would place in the hands of the party i'll
power would be dangerous to the people.
There could not possibly be a greater
error. The steam railroads, telegraph,
street railways, gas, electric light and
water companies are all in politics up to
the armpits, and i'll politics for corrupt
purposes. The post Office is the greatest
organization i'll the country, measured by
its magnitude geographically and amount
ofbusiness transacted, but nobody charges
that it is dangerous to the people, and
power in the hands of party used to per-
petuate party tenure of Office. The gov
ernment does not 90 into the public
treasury and take out funds to be used in
running election compaigns. II anything
is contributed from this source it is
secured by individual contributions Of
employees, and abuses from that source
are guarded against by a law Of congress
which protects the employees from the
political bandits known as bosses.
Municipal ownership Unnatural monop-
olies would not put them into politics, but
take them out, for every one of them is
now i'll politics and there for the most
corrupt purposes. All of these natural
monopoles for which government fran
chises have been granted to few persons,
claim to be great source of revenue TO
the States, counties and cities where they
ope.a ate, as tax payers. AS a matter of
fact they do not pay one cent Of tax, but
shift the entire burden onto the public.
The tax they pay is charged TO their
expense account and the rates for service
are put up to the highest notch to cover
expenses legitimate, election and other
OUTLAWS, enormous official salaries and
dividends on millions of watered stock,
with nothing TO snow for such stock ex-
cept the profitable franchise secured from
the government and which belongs to the
people and should be enjoyed by them.
The natural monopolies in the hands Of
private corporations are not only men
ace TO republican government but are
used as engines for plundering the coun
try and making it tributary to the con-
gested cities which are fast becoming
dens Of moral obloquy.
The railroads are used for building up
private corporations and locations in the
country prejudicial to the business or
location which happen to be placed
i'll competition with that favored
by the railroad. The Standard Oil
monopoly is a conspicuous example
of danger and wrong which private
ownership of natural nonopolies in
wolves. The entire country is discrim-
mated against i'll favor of the cities.
Lower freights and better service is had
by business located i'll the city than
in the country. The country has
been steadily Disseminated against in
this way till all manufacturing business
is centered i'll the city, which tends to
increase rents of real estate which belongs
to comparatively small number of
people, and those are likely TO hold con
trolling influence i'll the railroads.
Small, veal; business firms are discrim-
mated against by more favorable terms to
the large, rich establishments the trusts
and great combines whose headquarters
are in the city. Under this system Of
i'll favor of the strong |
against the weak, the country is rapidly |
becoming a nation of vast monopolies, |
and private enterprises located in the
country are being ruined their owners
and driven into bankruptcy.
Under government ownership these
abuses would be wiped out. They do not
Exist i'll the mail department which is
lnder government ownership. The poor
EST person in the country has as cheap
md expeditions service as the richest
and this would be the case if
he government owned and operated the
-ailroads Business would seek the
country and locate to escape the enor.
nous rents of the city. As good service
would be received by establishments in
-emote parts Of he country as deuizcns of
he city receive, thousands would leave
he city for the country where employ
nent could be had which cannot under