The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-03-06
THE THINKERS.
suALL THE RAILWAYS RUN THE
GOVaRNMRNT1

rho government own aud run them,
make them what they should be, pub
lie high ways, for the people, over
which every man can go to market
inst as cheap as any iher man. D.
this and these great trust monopolies
that now Cypress US will lose their
ID yer for evil, as they meet the honest
c,mossisi1u whi3h will arise upon
avery haul. Make ths5e highways.
highways iIi9si. Declare to everv
man thaf no Standard Oil Company,
that no Sugar Trust, no Meat Combine,
no C0al CIm0lne SHALL have any al
vantage that i5 not opsn to the poorest
man 10 the land. R9-establish the
equality of our people over the high
ways Of tue Republic. When you have
done this, the people will do the rest.
With absolute equality over the rail
ways Of the country so that every
butcher could ship a car of cattle JUST
as cheap as the Big Four Beef Com
bine it could not holda monopoly Of the
meat business of America for twenty
four hours. Today, under government
management, the letter Of an oil pro
duc9r, a miner or a butcher, goes to its
destination with the same speed at the
sam9 cost and with the same precision
IS the letter Of an Armour or q r )cke-
Teller. Send their oil, their coal, their
meat, to market upon these same terms
Of co Islity, and these great trust COM
binations vii soon be getting rid of
their $25. 900 a year lawyers, and their
b25. 900 a year managers upon the
proposition that their business will not
stand such high priced men. And
these managers will soon be engaged
in building up a business, a property,
a proprietotship OF their own, and
these lawyers will soon be engaged in
q better business than that Of advising
their principals just how far they \
60 without getting behind the prison
bars.
How a these railways be taken
away from these corporations9 1t il
easy, Toe public welfare demands it,
under the eminent domain Of the State
The power exists to condemn these
railway properties for the public vel
fare Just as under the eminent domain
Of the state private lands we're o n
demned on which to build these rail
ways for the public welfare. Pay these
corporations for them just what they
- 18Th I'D - hTgk
let us De careful that no injustice is
done either to the people or the sso3k-
holders Of these railways. Bat some
n says how could the government
pay the interest upon the enormous
public debt which this purchase would
create. NJ. Chairman, the people who
are the government, are paying it to-
day. These corporations are taxing
the people 0y eXorOit9at treighJ rates
to pay the iaisra55 on all Of td9 b1ndad
jeos Of these r0a1s, dividends on much
Wat9rsd sock, ald ID ai1iGion, hua
dCeis o. millions annI Ally for the benz
fE OF taess trusts, m0nopolles and
favored shippers.
NJ. Chairman, under g~3v3rnnal>
ownership, the people are only chang
ing the managers Of their highways,
FOR these railways are the people,
highways, aud one of the greatest
juris5s that this land ever produced
las said THAT a public highway can
not BE- private property" And the
people have the right to, control their
highways aud maintain than on tn
principles o. equality.
I. Ol9 Of the great advantages OF
national ownership is that the bonded
debt necessary TO acquire these roads
could be placed by the government a
from one and a half to three per cent
less interest annually than the bonded
debt of these roads are no y placed IN
der corporate management, and this
great reduction of interest would be al
important factor in cheapaning the cost
OF transportation upon the products o
the people.
2. But a greater advantage, a more
overshadowing advantage Of govern
ment ownership Is that then we woui,
De able to shake off the grip Of thes
nonopolists from the threats OF IN
people.
BIs some good men fear the powe
Of patronage which the national owner
ship OF railways would give the part
n power. l do not fear il. That ca
be controlled by civil service Laws
Bat ever il the national ownership o
railways would be q source Of sTrengt
20 the party in power, they would g
obliged to be responsible to the peopl