The daily morning Alaskan., 1901-12-04
PUBLIC OWNERSHIP

..,.. r.,snt great railroad comhlha''"''
 .....,t,,,.l, interesting aud important ,,t only tn itself. but as eNempuiN '"N ' ,.,l.,cv of the times. it is the hrst ''''' l.rnit, strp in the formation or ''." r,,.t trust that win include al the pr'h ,ip,l raiirnads of the country ana N"'' this trust is in smooth working ordrr '"' sw,ll,r rnnrcads will have nothinH To ,l, hu, to hold up their hands and sur rcndcr-elther go into the trust %" '.' terms or go bankrIpt in trying 10 "' busIncss only in this country 'h'E ", such <, time of enormous productive a'" industrial development could such '" toss.u scheme bc carried out. But that u can h, and win bc carried out thrre ' Httlc room to doubt.
 yyh,t thcne The railroads. or the c'"- trai r,liroad trust. composed ot or con trolisl bv a dozen or less men. Wiu u' t,r.,,i, masters of thc American people m, trust can aN rates. can chargc al tn., tr,rc win bear" cln keep the m'- t,rit,- of pr,,,iuccrs and consumers in pow .rtv having frcirhts This it can do a" tb, mon, r,adiiy and effectively because fp. r,uro,d trust Is affiliated with thc Steel trust. thc copper trust. and the s,,,1,ri on Company. lt ls also or VIII b.. affiliated with other strong monop"- usti- corporations. and altogether they wu hc. or may hc. N they orc not '' r.,l,. th.. rcal rulers of the American people,
 Ns f,r t1ws. such as that In N.nncs''h' ,, vbi.h Governor Van Slnt is going Go ,pp.1l they count for little or nothing \ knot of mon who control billions of money ,,r, Utti, about oppressive or rcstrctiN' laws-1t least. not yet.
 \vh,t does this portcnde What is logic ,u, rt.lv Go bc the most signal single ~.rf. Various keen observers. in dif- f.~.rt p1rts of Che country. each giv'@ the same answer; Government owner shin" Just now the people are. .regardins these great transactions calmly. and WiU await results If thc railroad trust. when 10 shah have hecn fully formed and put In operation. shall give better service and lower r1tcS. shall divide its enormous profits with thc people. they VIII not vyorrv about the trust nor exert them selves tp smash" it: but once let thc ma inritv of thc people become aroused by the conviction that the trust is not trcltinc them fairly. is pinching and piundcrinc thcm. and there win be such an ovcrturning and reorganization of thcs,, gigantic industries as was never witnessed in this country or any other country.
 For the People in this country arc not yet nobodics. nor scrfs They arc patient but not supiuc They win show. when tl, time Is ripe. thnt they arc the real rulers. after ai
 Every time Morgan and Rockefeller add a railroad or pl1rt to their trusts every dime they make million dollars by such methods. they make a thousand Socialists not full-Hcdgcd. radical Socialists. per haps. but Socialists Co some extent: and thc first definite. practical form that So- clalism win takc will be Co take over th" big railroads of tho country. Mr. Morgan and his associates arc doing morc. In a decade. Co bring about Government own crship of railroads than an the orgu- ments of au the Socialists In tho world could do in generation. And if. when Mir Morgan and his partners have thc hiE railroads au brought together under one management. and the people decide Go take the railroads themselves. the price Go h.. pald win not bc settled entirely In Mir. Morgan's office and at his figures Tho people will pay what they think thc properties arc worth; no moro. But thu would be Illegal? oh. yes; but if neccs sary the people win have the courts Co say that it is legal
 An this if-lf the people orc not well treated and benefited by these combino lions. as they may bc. The people cannot look with favor. nor without som" dcgre" of apprehension. upon these gigontio com binations. yet they will not interfcrc T th.v are made Co share in the benefits if their condition is materially hettered in consequence: but if it once becomes popular conviction that the railroad trust is not playing fair with tho people out ot whom its enormous profits come. ther- win soon bc m end of private ownership of the trunk railroads.