The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-02-05
The Voice of
The People


WHAT WILL WE. DO ABOUT 1T?
Editor Providence News:
The recent railroad horrors near Plain
field. n. j., i'm Arizona and elsewhere are
ghastly and forceful reminders OF the
truth l tried TO expound in the article
YOU kindly published in your issue OF
Jan. 6. Horrors do not and will not
cease while we allow our great steel high
ways TO be owned and operated for the
profit and pleasure of an oligarchy as
cruel and despotic as ever King George.
Nero, or crushed and vanqulshed Spain
have been. / do not think anyone VIII
deny the horror and cruelty OF such fire.
Quent wholesale slaughter. but how VIII
government ownership remedy all this?
Government ownership alone will not
do IL. The Just and considerate treat
ment as described In the article previous
ly referred 10 Is the real solution OF the
problem. government ownership and oper-
alton being the necessary means TO OBJ
tain that end. But this Is not all that Is
necessary We must have men In au-
thority. from the president heads OF de-
partments and members of congress.
down TO firemen and other subordinate
positions. who are heartily In sympathy
with the end we seek.
feature. failure Will result For men not
In sympathy with a project. II entrusted
with its management, are pretty certain
TO cause IL to result in failure and ruin.
Congressman Jenkins OF Wisconsin pre-
sented a bill 10 the house Jan. 10, pro-
viding for the immediate seizure OF the
coal mines and railroads. II produced
CONSERVATION for a few moments, be-
cause IL was thought to have come from
te Cd
the bill was soon safely buried In a COM
mittee." appeal to Reason OF Jan. 24th)
We do not know what object the hon
orable gentleman had in presenting this
bill. but there is hardly room for argu-
ment regarding the necessity Of II be-
coming law.
To insure public safety the telegraph
system should also be included, and our
citizens, especially the voters. who enjoy
that much boasted freedom of speech and
right OF petition guaranteed by Article
OF amendments to the United States Con-
stitutlop should bring all possible In
fiuence TO bear upon our senator's and
representatives In congress TO force this
bill out of committee pigeon holes and
enact II into law Mark we'll their attitude
toward IL. and summarily turn down
those who are unwilling TO work for Its
enactment, by replacing them with some
who will do so at next election in 1904.
The imperative mandate proposed by
the socialists, which provides for the i'm
mediate removal Of public officers whose
services are unsatisfactory To their con-
stituents, IL another vitality necessary
measure. The amendment 70 our caucus
law, proposed by the Sixth Ward Repuh-
lican club, and the constitutional initia-
tive proposed by our honorable governor
and his Democratic friends, are also vital
necessities, of which l will try to write
soon. But how will your measure pre-
vent rear end collisions, do you ask?
Until enough tracks can be constructed
to reduce the number OF trains on each
track. trains should not be allowed TO
exceed a rate of speed at which they
can be very quickly brought to a full
STOP except where a straight stretch OF
clear track is plainly visible. Failure TO
observe this rule TO result In immediate
removal OF the person violating II. II
this Is not enough prosecution and i'm
prisonment can be added as penalties for
its violation. But private corporations
do not do business that way, hence the
necessity of n change.
Shall / boldly and fearlessly sign my
name TO this? With all our boasted free
dom of speech ! think for the safety OF
my family I will desist this time, but
hope and trust that soon I will be able
to do so without imperiling them and still
remain, AN INTERESTED CITIZEN