The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-01-16

buyer: Standard Oil could not destroy
the value of new oil fields and stamp
out competition. Without favoritlsm
OF the railroad, the steel trust couiu
not exist, and the packing companies
could not dictate prices Of provisions.
'The railroads are the warp III tue
trust fabric. They are the sinews o1
the lobby, the most potent agency III
manipulation of elections and leglsla-
t,,res. the greatest beneticiaries OF
class legislation.
Government ownership Of railroads
is not radical oruntried. What France
can do, what Switzerland did in 1875,
what Australia is doing. what monop-
oly-ridden, a]ristocratic Chill is dong
what most of the counties OF Europe
are doing, we can do.
constitutional lawyers admit we
have the right to build and operate
railroads. We are soon to build an
isthmian canal to encourage competl-
| ,iou with the railroads by water.
| Why should we not carry the same
policy farther, and advance Interests
! of inland as we'll as coast states? An
expenditure of only a fraction as much
money, would build and equip a rail-
! road from the Atlantic to Pac!ilc,
with charges so low as to compel re-
lductiun OF rates one-half. Before the
government had taken II step to-
ward actual building, and as soon as
its purpose was we'll settled, it could
purchase such d line at its OWL price.
There are those who hesitate be-
cause of the roads enormous debt.
which would be placed upon the peo-
pie. But it is there now. The people
are now paying five per cent on this
inflated value: whereas they could
! purchase the railroads with bonds is
sued at two per cent. and save over
80 per cent in fixed charges. We are
! not without the light of experience.
Little Switzerland in 1898 purchased
its railroads at watered stock prices,
and have made them wonderfully
profitable.
Look at our postal system. We
are on the verge of a 80 per cent re-
duction in letter postage, and face to
face with an increase Of 25 per cent in
freight rates. How better illustrate
the gulf between public and private
ownership?
II have little faith in restrictive
legislation or amendment of the inter-
state law. No adequate remedy for
trusts has been proposed. By taking
| the power which created these trusts,
the government would arm itself with
the weapon for destro; ing the trusts.
"Where government ownership ex-
lists it is rockrooted. Itdoes present
difficulties which shouldgive us pause.
1t would come smoothly and would
not cause a ripple Of excitement.
Freed from the burden of exorhitant
rates and trust prices the country
would grow as never before.
Government ownership. even if
a new and untried field, would present
infinitely less to fear than the future
under existing conditions. We must
soon choose between governmentown-
| ership Of railroads and railroad own
ership OF government.
"The people expect and demand ag-
gressiye, Affirmative action. If the
democratic party wins in 1904 it will
not be in a campaign in which there
is not sufficient difference between
the parties to bring men to the polls.
1t must be a campaign which will
Danish apathy. There must be an
issue s absolutely right that 1t will
grow stronger with every days dis
%cussion; SO simple that it will involve
no constitutional amendment or other
impossibility; an issue which will give
unimpeachable evidence OF ability TO
effect reforms, and ~fcarlessncss in de-
Tending the rights Of the people. 1t
must be embodied in a platform Of no
uncertain sound. 1t must commend
itself as promising relief from the e1-
tortions from which people are now
suffering. Such an Issue, gentlemen,
is the government ownership OF rail-
roads"