The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-12-20
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 20. 1904
! Government Ownership.

= sf i-'f
N Government Ownership.
No extraordinary powers are needed to
foresee the coming issue between etticle y. =
railroad regulation and the present
@laissez-fairo policy Of the national GOV
eminent. At present no definite scheme
1 has been proposed b.. President Roos 8t
/ velt, who hos so far discussed tentta7.
lively either giving tho Interstate Com
merce Commission full powers in the
matter Of fixing rates, which shall go
into effect at once, or scsta blishing spe--ss
DIAL court, with power to. heir and de.
ter1r,ine questions #of rates, rcgula lions
f ana ali other matters concerning inter-
etnte commerce.. # 455
The result OF this agitation has 50 Tar
been to thoroughly arouse the public m
terest in railroads and the corporate IN n
y stinct or MISREPRESENTATION Already the
J, latter are clamoring agains socialism,
ana government ownership" and II Is
precisely against such results that PresIi l
+ dent Roosevelts efforts ara directed From
\ literally every quarter have come bitter
complaints of railroad interference in poll
tics, greed in commerce. and assistance
infcreatillg and maintaining monopoly.
Lincoln j. STEPHENS, in q recent number
Of McClure'ss, summed up tho fight or
la Toilette in Wisconsin as the people $
struggle to throw OFF the yoke; of railroad
domination. and II Is to the point to note
that La Toilette beat both the Demo-
Gratis and the regular Republicans On
thatfissue. SO much for the railroad CUES
ton Ia one State
All summer! lcng Thomas z. Watson
PopuIist candidate for President, went up
4 and down preaching that government
ownership was the only remedy for pres
h ent abuses in railroads, nor Is Mr. Wat.
son the voice OF ono crying in the will
s3 derness no be sure, the Popuists cast
u a negligible vote, but the growth OF the.
& Socialist party and its firm adherence
81 to government ownership shows the popu-
larty of that issue. President Roosevelt
II has seen the handwriting on the wall,
III and it is craftsmanship, not radicallsm,
that makes him urge his party TO take
Il some active measures for obtaining legally
q lest stronger than he comes into power
and does the same thing wrongfully and
forcibly. Commenting on Mr. Watson's
Z predictions Mr.. W. j. Bryan says, in
the last number Of Coinmoner:
81 There is undoubtedly a growing senti-
mont in favor OF the government owner
,iS ship Of railroads, not only among Demo-
f. Gratis. but among Republicans, and this
growth Is due to the manner IN which
If ahe railroads have disregardcd their duty
and combined for the exploitation of2thc
D public. 1t requires no prophet to foresec
the day when the people will prefer TO
risk whatever dangers may be involved IN
government ownership TO n continuation
q of private ownership under prevailing
conditions. Whether tho experiment Will
4 be tried through the Federal government
i or through the State governments Is The
question open to discussion. Tho gov
eminent ownership of railroads, while
endorsed by the Socialists, does not in
fNniva1 the Fundamental principle Which
il,derlies the Socialist propa ganda. Demo
Gratis who advocate the government own
crshp OF railroads do 1t on the ground
5t& that competition is impossible, or, AZ
least so costly and so difficult to secure
3$Sns 10 mako 1T ineXpedlent for the public
10 rely upon it. The government owner
Fs5 shin OF rallfOHtS can be uuIcllusU lHuCi
upon the same ground as tho municipal
ownership of lighting plants and water
plants js to be defended. i does not in
: yolye the question OF "the government
ownership and operation Of all means Of
production and distribution" wiichEs the
ultimate aim OF tho radical Socialist. The
railroads in Germany are owned by The
AK State governments end yet the German
4 government Is very much opposed to so
d claiis,n. Socialism does moi contro
4s france, and yet the railroads OF France
are according to The terms OF the char
& ters To become The property OF the gop'
eminent In about twenty-five Years Eng
i land IS not socialstic and; yet England
& does many things that the Republican!
denornce as socialistic when suggested
by Democrats.
When ouch statements as the foFegpinf
are considered, II " apparent that th
railroad question needed no reference o
snggestion by President Roosevelt t.
make it IA vital isspe. j Is loo early t
forecast the method by which the diEer
ttenccs between the shippers and the rail
roads. will he harinonized. This muc
. seems clear. The American people do mo
want government ownership, and aom
Scourt or commission VIII he created wit
r Tthe ratc-inaking power subject 10 rigt
q of both parties to be heard in due IN
legal forTn.r
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