Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-09-26
FUTURE OF P0PULISTS
Chairman Butler Expects an
Increased Vote.
A SEPARATE TICKET
PARTED COMPANY WITH DEMO
Gratis FOREVER.
Expects Cleveland Influences to Domi
ernment Ownership of Railways.

After the next populist convention has
been organized will retire from the posi-
ton of chairman of the national popuist
committee said former Senator Marion
Butler of North Carolina to a Star reporter
today.
Mr.. Butter announced. that he would take
this action because his business engage
ments require so much of his time that he
will not be able to attend to the work de;
volving upon the chairman of the commit
tee
The populists will have their own ticket
question, and they will poll more votes
than were cast for Weaver as an independ-
ent candidate. In the congressional cam
lion of votes were polled. We will do better
TIN that.
Government Ownership Of Railways.
What will be platform? What Is
the pecessity for changing it when the peo-
pie of the country coming to our way
of viewing political matters? The great
feature of the populists platform will favor
the national ownership of the means of
carrying on commerce for which the Con-
sttution provides government control. We
money for bank notes and will urge govern
ment ownership CT railroads and the facil-
tiles for the transmission Of intelligence
These are the great means for the creation
and upbuil&ng of monopolies. and when
they are owned and entirely controlled by
the government the backbone of monopoly
in this country will be broken
Events are working toward government
ownership of the means for carrying on
commerce. l believe that if the people
of the country could vote on this question
Independent Of any political issue, there
would be a ma jOrity in favor of such own
ers1ip. The stockholders OF the railroads.
L am sure, would welcome such govern
Hent ownership. They would gladly ex-
change their stock with doubtful dividends
for government securities which would give
them certain income.
1T has always been conceded that If the
railroads of the country were owned or
controlled by one man the only question
to be debated would be whether that man
or the government should be the owner
The railroads today are controlled by two
sets of men. AT any time these men may
combine and then the roads would be un-
der single control The people of the
country understand this, and they will
favor government ownership whenever they
have a fair opportunity to show their pref
erence.
Paying for the Railways
II do not believe that the government
eHoulu hesitate " pay d ldlT price 1Or tle
railroads The people could afford to buy
the water in them. They could give good
price for all these properties, and there
would be no question that the government
could operate them, pay interest on the
bonds issued against them and provide q
sinking fund from the earnings that would
pay off the debt in twenty years. 1t might
be done in ten years, but there is no use
hagglng over the question whether it would
take ten or twenty years, and every one
who has looked into the question admits it
could be done in twenty years.
AT the end of twenty years freight and
passenger rates could be lowered and the
people would get the full benefit of the pur
chase by the government. In the meantime,
the greatest blow would be to rnononoIv
that could possibly be dealt it.
There is only one set of men who are
banded against government ownership of
the railroads They are the highly paid
ohClals who are running them. They would
resist this movement, but they would not
be supported by the stockholders whenever
the movement could be fairly inauguarted.
Stockholders in the railroads have told mo
that they would be very glad to exchange
their holdings for government bonds
Government ownership of the means of
Transportation should not be confounded
with socialism. 1t has no relation to so
cialism.'
Mr.. Butler was asked whether the deter
mlhatlon OF the populfsts to run an inde-
pendent ticket and to decline to fuse with
any party, as determined upon at the latest
meeting OF the national populist committee.
was not an acknowledgment that the east
ern democratic leaders would have control
OF the national democratic convention to
the exclusion of the Bryan wing of the
party.
Gold Men Will Control Democrats.
There is no doubt that the gold men
Will control the democratic party" he re-
piled. ut will be the Cleveland influences
or course, it is not possible to tell whom
these forces will nominate, but that will
make no difference. Their candidate and
platform will be such that populists who
voted for Mr. Bryan can never go with
them. ~
mo. l can't tell whether Mr.. Rrvan w,,,
stay with the democratic party orenot
am sure of one thing. Whatever NAV be
his influence in the national democratic
convention. when that convention has act
ed he Will not be able to keen his foI1ouino