Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-04-19
WEDNESDAY. APRIL -, 1905.
MONOPOLY VERSUS ,no,v,ovALisM

MONOPOLY VERSUS ,nolv'ovALisM.
The monopolists are beginning to
perceive the handwriting on the wall
and interpreting it. The recent vic.
tory for municipal ownership In Chi.
cago has opened the eyes of many of
them. The Commercial West, a repre-.
sentative OF large financial interests
and special pleader for trusts, has
this t. say in its. latest issue:
From municipal ownership, OF
street car lines it is only one step
more to state ownership Of interurbsn
lines, ard then another step to ma
ticnal ownership of interstate lines,
also national control of telegrsphs
aud the express business. From the
movement whose enthusiastic start we
have just seen in Chicago, may de.
velop the paramount issue OF the next
presidential election campaign. The
tariff, silver, and Imperialism Issues
have all become too trtte for active
political use, and 1t is not at all i'm
probable that the great political issue
Of the next few years is to be social
ism vs.. individualism.
The last statement Is not exactly
correct. The masses care very little
for the abstract doctrines of socialism.
They want individualism as far As
possible. 1t is only when that indi-
vidualism is threatened by the private
socialism of monopoly that they are
willing to resort to government own
ership in order to retain their own
liberty. They prefer to have monopo-
lies handled by q government that
they have hand in selecting rather
than to have it handled by corpor-
alton with whose management they
have nothing to do. The present
movement is not for the Matchmaking
of the means OF production, viii h "a
yet to d great extent are in the hands
OF individuals and are subject to the
laws of supply and demand, but for
getting control OF the great public
utilities that all need and that are now
in the hands OF the few, who can use
them to levy extortionate tribute on
the producers. This is the line along
waich the next great political battle
must be fought. Whether it will come
at the next election, or after one or
more sham battles over dead Issues is
hard to tell, but come it must.
The people demand the service oil
public utilities at cost. They can see
no reason why few men should make
unwieldy fortunes out of the neces.
sites OF the masses through private
monopoly. Government ownership Ii
the only way OF getting this. We
have the postal service now at cost
It is true there is every year deficit
in this service, but the people have tc
pay it in other ways, through revenue
If the government did not have tc
pay an exorbitant price for the haul
ing of the mails on the trains the ser
vice would probably show q surplus
but this would be applied to some
other government expenses, and thu
people would Still get service at cost
In Germany the railroads are owned
by the government, and the rates arr
so adjusted as to bring great dea
of revenue to the government; bu>
nevertheless the people get the service
at cost, for the surplus reduces taxa
ton in other lines. The government
cannot raise big sums for distribution
amor g stockholders; it cannot collect
large sums to lie idle in the treasury,
for the people will then Immediately
demand q reduction in taxes some.
where. The service a. q whole mus
therefore be adjusted according t.
cost, and the people are willing t.
pay the cost but nothing more. They
would rather pay interest on the cos,
of the roads than pay interest on the
bonds for which private roads have
been built and taen pay dividends on
watered stock representing treble the
value of the roads.
Private ownership Of public utilities
ia the greatest menace to individual.
ism, for the trusts can then get spe
cial privileges that shut out their
smaller competitors. Under govern.
ment ownership all would have to be
treated alike. Did you ever hear OF the
Standard Oil Company getting lower