The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1904-12-15
Colossal Bribery

CollosNl Bribery
Editor Independent: | have just
read the very able letter OF Senator
Allen in The Independent, and want
to say few words in reply to one
subject he mentions, not in spirit Of
criticism, but to arrive at proper I'M
derstanding. In his letter he says:
81 think we have been too much in
clined to stick in the bark on small
questions; we have waged war against
| incidental, rather than against primary
evils. Our attention has been diverted
| from the real cause of many grievances
| to their effects. Take the pass ques-
| ton, as an instance: 1t is an incident
of the private ownership and opera
| ton of railways, and would speedily
disappear with government ownership.
Why divert attention from government
ownership to strike at mere incident
of private ownership? Why not keep
the public eye riveted on the fact that
the malign influence of private owner
ship will not disappear until private
ownership becomes thing OF the
past?"
I entirely agree with Senator Allen
that the only way to solve the rail-
road question is by government owner
ship. In my opening speech in the last
campaign l declared for government
ownership, but said that until that
time comes the people must regulate
and control the railroads. Recently in
discussion of the pass question with
q j. H. Aver, I said that government
ownership is the ultimate solution, but
that until the government does own
the railways the people must be the
real master and the railroads the SER
want.
believe in government ownership of
: railroads, but we do not have govern
| ment ownership now. The government
: will not own the railroads next year,
nor in four years from now, nor in
eight years from now. Government
ownership is yet far away. In the
meantime what shall we do? Shall we
suffer the ev4.s of private ownership
, without protest and without any at
, tempt to protect ourselves from the
, wrongs that are being inflicted rpon
us? Shall we simply keep on talking
government ownership and let the
7 railroads escape their just share OF
: taxation. Shall we keep on talking only
! government ownership and let the rail
roads charge extortionate freight rates
and passenger rates? Shall we keep
) on talking government ownership
alone and let railroads dominate and
: run the whole state government?
Ny position is that we must arouse
II. fbo 81 hi IL
ownership, but while we do this, we
, must control and regulate the rail
, roads. l maintained during the cam
paign and I say now that we can bet
ter regulate and control the railroads
when the vicious pass system is de-
d stroyed / believe that through ilt
o free pass system the railroads in this
n state procure the government away
e from the people, and that the price the
n people pay for the free Npass is higf
# freight rates and low taxation for tn,
n railroads.
: | have lived in the state for four
:. teen years. During that time the flu
n sion party has been in power nearly
4 half of the time, and yet even the flu
n sion party did not reduce freight rate
e or regulate railroads in any sense what
e ever, neither have the republicans
o the railroads can even prevent popu
t list and democratic officials from Civ
: ing the people the relief they are en-
e titled to. they must have some pow
F. erful fundamentally with which the,
d operate l believe it is the free pas
y system. II it is, then surely this sys
a tenn should be destroyed. do not sa.