Barbour County index., 1904-08-10
BRYAN ON GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.

uOOlnLluS ulIuSOlI III IaVOE OF govern.
ment ownership of railroads, enumer.
ates the following reasons for his advo.
cacy of this progressive idea:
First-Extortionate rates would be
prevented. So far it has been impossi-
bic to secure any real regulation of rail
road rates. The railroads regulate the
government instead of the government
the railroads. When the government
owns the railroads and operates them.
there can be no question about the fix
ing of reasonable tolls.
Second-Discrimin would be
prevented. At present the railroad
authorities can kill one town and build
up another, destroy one locality and en-
rich another. And these discrimina-
tions are not always made out of con.
slderation for the interests of the rail.
road, but are sometimes made because
OF the investments of officials in the
town or locality TO be favored. Great
injustice has been done by these dis
examinations, and no way has been
found to prevent them.
But there is another kind of discrim.
lnation which is operating against the
nations welfare and progress, namely,
the discrimination in favor of the large
city as against the small one. To the
railroads more than any influence is
due the fact that the population is be-
ing driven from the country to the city.
With fair and impartial rates the small
town might again hope to be the home
OF the small factory, and those people
who are being crowded into the cities
where they live without the economic,
sanitary, intellectual and moral advan-
tages which they deserve, would be
scattered more evenly throughout the
country to their own great benefit and
to the nations good
Third-The politics of the nation IS
being debauched by money. This money
IS drawn from the great corporations
that desire special privileges or immun-
ity from punishment, and is used to
corrupt not only the voters, but legis-
latures. How can this corruption be
stopped so long as enormous wealth
can be made by watered stock and by
the exploitation of the public? The
railroad is TO certain extent monop.
oily. AS soon as line is built between
TWO points the field is occupied and it
is impossible to have competition. If
second road is built for the purpose
OF securing competition, the traffic be-
tween the two terminals must support
two roads instead OF one, and it is i'm
possible for the two roads to carry the
passengers and the freight at as low a
cost as the one road could. This being
true, the result usually is that the com
peting lines are soon consolidated and
the attempt at competition given up.
Legislation has been attempted against
consolidation, but so far such legisla-
tlon has been very Intellectual. The
benefits to be derived by the railroads
from the destruction of competition are
so enormous that they have thus far
been able TO protect themselves by the
giving up of a small part of the benefit
TO those who are in position to inter-
fere with them, but whose views can
be modified by an argument addressed
to the pocketbook.
Fourth--Another objection to the pri-
vate ownership of railroads has been
forced upon me with increasing empha-
SIS during the last few years, namely,
the corrupting influence of these great
railway corporations over the young
professional men of the country. The
railroads nave lawyers in every county
and general attorneys at every state
capital. These men stand high in their
profession and are usually men of char
acter. Their connection with the rail
road has in many instances made them
not merely the attorneys for the road
In legal matters, but lobbyists for the
road in political matters. These men
have controlled conventions, dictated
nominations, written platforms and so
: shaped appointments that the masses
have been ignored and their interests
disregarded. The United States senate
today contains so many men who are
obliged TO the railroads that it has been
impossible to secure an amendment of
the interstate commerce law, although
for years the interstate commerce COM
mission, composed of both republicans
and democrats, has been pleading for
an amendment.
1t is not necessary to Believe that
United States senators actually draw
salaries from these railroads at the
same time that they draw salaries from
the government. although it is known
that salaries have been offered to sena.
tors by railroads having business be-
fore that body, and it Is known today
that there are men there who did re
ceive salaries from railroads just before
their election and it is not known thai
those salaries have been relinqnished