Gloucester County Democrat., 1903-08-20
NUMBER 8

would like to quote it all, but few
extracts must suffice Here they are:
ssThe people above all are interested
in the securing of satisfactory trans
portation facilities thoroughly in keep
in the taking of the preparatory steps
toward an early 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 a 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-
tion 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 owis-~
ership have gone farther than mere
wish for decent and comfortable facili-
ties. The great mass of our citizens
cff-a tod ~, II.
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 ac-
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 at the ex-
pense of the many by the exclusive use
of the public's property is as unfair in
practice, as false in theory and as de-
moralizing in its results as were the
who farmed out the levying and the
gathering of the taxes as individual
perquisites to profigate fayorltes.
"These were my personal views in
1898, before the question of public own
ership had been seriously discussed by
considerable number Of our citi-
zens. My experience in official life and
the investigations l 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 dream; that it is based on the
soundest of common sense, the most
stable of business reasons; that it viii
not only help to lessen the burden of
taxation weighing upon our citizens and
reduce the rates they must pay for the
necessaries of life now furnished by
private companies at as high cost as
they dare exact, but go far toward re-
moving corruption in public affairs by
removing the cause and incentive for
the debauchery of public officials"
unhappy cummins."
Whether his excelleney Governor Al.
B. Cummins of the Hawkeye State
reads the Globe-D Democrat l do not
know, but if he does l am sure his
gorge and dander both will rise when
he peruses the following i'll tempered
editorial paragraph from that stand
pat sheet. 1t disposes of both him and
the 'Iowa Idea" in the following harsh
and summary fashion:
Has anybody heard anything recently
about the Iowa idea? That fad, it was
announced by the Democrats was to
sweep over the Republican conventions of
1903 and 1904 like cyclone and disrupt
and demoralize the party. The Demo-
Gratis were to carry Iowa, Illinois, Ohio
New York and about every state in the
Union of any consequence and have some-
thing of the same sort of tidal wave
that they had in 1852, when their candi-
date, Pierce, won every state except four
No one hears anything about the Iowa
idea now The unhappy person who pat
ented 1t, Cummins, is saying nothing
about it. He has virtually disowned It
He will absolutely disown it in 1904. It
can never serve again for rainbow chas-
ing DurDOSe9 for the Democratic marty