Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-11-27
OFFICIAL NEWSPAPER OF COUNTY.
ADVOCATING the PoPuL,sT REMEDY

trallZe their system OF industrial dOm-
nation of the people. Now is the time
to find out whether the states or the
railroads are supreme. If the latter
are it is none too early to begin a re-
lentless national struggle to curb the
power of the railroads and teach them
that in this democracy the people will
not permit their freedom to be menaced
by Industrial any more than by po-
litical oligarchy.
"Government ownership is looming
up.
"The great powers that are threaten
ing and scofing at government must
be bound and gagged, and. if neces-
sary, disposed of by government own
ership. And if the careless railroad
barons arrogantly rioting in the
castles of their power, blindly drive
US to that issue from our troubles it
will be ownership on the terms die
tated by the people; not by the rail-
road owners"
The above is not the "anarchistic'
rawlings of ''crazy populist," but is
taken from an editorial in the Min
neapolis Journal, a rockribbed re-
publican paper. The danger that the
populists have warned against for
years has now become so apparent
that everybody can see it. Govern
ment ownership is looming up" and
at the present rate of progress in rail-
road ownership Of the people it is not
improbable that this may become the
central question in the next presi-
Dental campaign.
Even in Washington some promi-
nent people seem to have seen the
light, Judging by the following:
"Whatever may be the outcome of
local actions at law, the fact has been
brought home to wise men in both
parties that the time is rapidly sap-
preaching when federal control of the
railroads must be discussed by con-
gress. Politicians believe it will be
good politics; some financiers think it
will be good economics. journal
Washington Correspondent.
And again:
"'YOu are on most dangerous
grounds, and if you go forward in this
gigantic scheme you will precipitate
the greatest political question of the
age and bring the federal government
face to face with the necessity for gov
eminent control
This statement made to Mr.. Morgan
represents the sentiment of some of
the ablest men in the presidents cab
met. They see no other alternative
than government control should Mr..
Morgan and Mr.. Hill succeed in their
plans for consolidation of present
competing railroads by forming new
corporation for the ownership of all
or q majority of the stocks of these
roads. "-Pioneer Press Wash: Cor.
The Pioneer Press is not willing to
60 quite so far as government owner
ship, but it recognizes the necessity
of doing something. It says:
''We very much doubt whether it is
possible to find through the courts or
the legislatures any means OF undo
ing what has already been done in
consolidating the ownership of certain
groups of transcontinental aud other
railroads.. But the way to an effec-
tual remedy for the suppression of
railroad competition by this means
lies in an appeal to congress for the
prompt exercise of it's constitutional
power of control over Interstate rail-
roads,"
The Morris Tribune speaks out I'M
equivocally as follows:
Government ownership of railroads
Is not so very distant if this consoli.
dation keeps on to the extent that such
giant corporations are built up tina,
it would be against public policy to
allow them to exist. If fact, we have
already reached that stage.
The St. Paul Dispatch notes the
writing on the wall in the following
words: J
The aim and purpose of the North
ern Securities company is to elimi-
nate competition over an area cover
ing nearly a fourth of the nation.
What must be the conclusion of men,
even of conservative tendencies, but
that the, administration of such a mo-
nopoly belongs to the entire people?