Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-08-21

presidential nomination are openly ad-
vocating public ownership of public
utilities-William r. Hearst, Tom l..
johnson and Carter II. Harrison, the
first named being owner of three great
Democratic newspapers and the last
two being mayors of great cities.
Mayor Harrison's last message occu-
pies pamphlet of siNty-two large
pages, and have to thank him for
copy of it. 1t is an able document, and
would like to quote it all, but a few
extracts must suffice. Here they are:
The people above all are interested
in the securing of satisfactory trans
portation facilities thoroughly in keep
Ing with the progress Of the times and
In the taking of the preparatory steps
toward an carly ownership of the trac-
ton utilities. There is little need for
arguing these points. The people have
spoken on them again and again, and
to faithful public officials the peoples
voice should be q command. / fail
to agree with those who claim to find
the sole moving cause of the general
desire for public ownership in the ex-
ecrable service the people of this city
have been subjected to for the past six
years. In all likelihood general atten-
ton to the theory and desirability of
public ownership was first directed by
the outraged sentiment of the public,
aroused by the intolerable service rem
dered by the local traction companies.
1t had its origin perhaps in the failure
Of the traction companies properly to
recognize and appreciate the RESPONSE
bilities and obligations assumed by
them, together with the franchises from
which, with such slight regard for the
public rights, such tremendous financial
benefits have been obtained. Today
the desire for and belief in public own
ership have gone farther than mere
wish for decent and comfortable facili-
ties. The great mass Of our citizens
have been educated to the idea that in
public ownership lies the sole, fair, just
and reasonable method of handling all
those utilities for the operation Of
which the practically exclusive use of
public property is required. Public
/, ownership Is desired as something
more than mere means to an end, the
obtaining of satisfactory service. 1t is
based on the belief that the profits nc
cruing from the use of the property of
the public properly belong to the public
/, that the granting to individuals of the
right to enrich themselves ut the ex-
pense Of the many by the exclusive use
of the publics property is as unfair in
practice, as false in theory and as de-
moralizing in its results as were the
habits of dcspots Of the olden days
who farmed out the levying and the
gathering of the taxes as individual
perGNisites to profigate favorites.
These We're my personal views in
| 1898, before the question Of public own
| ership had been seriously discussed by
q considerable number of our citi
zens. My experience in official life and
the Investigations have since made
have only served to strengthen the i'm
pressions then formed that the idea
Of public ownership is neither a fad
nor a dream; that it is based on the
soundest of common sense, the most
stable of business reasons; that it will
not only help to lessen the burden OF
taxation weighing upon our citizens ant
reduce the rates they must pay for TIL
necessaries Of life now furnished b,
private companies at as high cost Al
they dare exact but go far toward he
moving corruption in public affairs b,
removing the cause and incentive fo
the debauchery Of public officials
unhappy cummlns."
4 Whether his excellency Governor A
B. Cummins Of the Hawkeye Stat
reads the Globe-Democrat I do no
know, but If he does I am sure hi
gorge and dander both will rise whel
he peruses the following i'll tempere,
editorial paragraph from that stan,
pat sheet. 1t disposes of both him an,
the iowa Idea" in the following hars
. md summary fashion:
J Has anybody heard anything recent
about the Iowa idea? That fad, 1t wa
, ! announced by the Democrats was t
sweep over the Republican conventions c
) 1903 and 1904 like a cyclone and disrur
7 and demoralize the party. The Demo
Gratis were to carry Iowa, Illinois, Obi,
New York and about every state in til
Union of any consequence and have some
thing Of the same sort of tidal wav
, that they had in 1882 when their cand
date Pierce, won every state except foul
no one hears anything about the low
idea now. The unhappy person who pa,
ented it. Cummins. is saying nothin
about 1t. He has virtually disowned 1
He will absolutely disown 1t in 1904. ]
can never serve again for rainbow chas
ing purposes for the Democratic party.
Nh n-