The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-04-13
WASHINGTON.
From our Regular Correspondent.

Washington, d. c., April 6, 1905.
The election of Judge Il. Dunno
as Mayor of Chicago by plurality
OF nearly $4,000 votes is hailed by
Democrats in Washington as the
turning of the tide which they
declare will now sweep the country
and result in elec,ing Democratic
majority to the next House of Rep
resentatives and eventually, a
Democratict successor to President
Roosevelt. The significance ofJudge
Dunne's victory is emphasized
by the fact that his opponent, John
Maynard Harlan, was all excep-
tionally clean man and the further
fact that Chicago gave Republican
majority to President Roosevelt
in the election of last fall. Judge
Dunne's election constitutes, more
over, an economic as well as a po-
litical victory for he Democrats as
it insures the municipal ownership
ofthe Chicago street railway
system, a Tolicy that has long been
contested by the Republicans and
which the Democrats hope to push
into far wider fields
%A#
Public ownership of public util.
tiles" as the slogan of the Demo-
cratic campaign in Chicago, has
long been advocated by William J.
Bryan and other prominent Demo
Gratis and is now and always will be
sire tnnt usly opposed by the Repub-
licans who believe in the policy of
farming out all public utilities to
private individuals and corporations
which charge the public extortion-
ate prices, make inordinate profits
and create vast fortunes which the
Republicans point to with pride s
evidence of unparalleled prosper
lty.' So vast a city as Chicago
will, in the estimation of the Dem
ocratic politicians and economists,
furnish magnificent object lesson
to the entire country and will quick
ly demonstrate the advantages
which will accrue to the public and
to the municipality from admins
tering those things which by their
nature, are essentially natural mon
opolies. If municipalities can
prohtably and equitably conduct
their iroreI highways, argue the
Democratic economists, then States
can with equal profit and equity
administer their ironed highways,
commonly called the railroads, and
one OF the most gigantic monopo-
lies III the country must inevitably
be destroyed as the result of an ed
ucated public opinion.
~.
1t is generally held in Washing
ton that President Roosevelt, with
an unusually keen insight. has per-
ceived the evils of privately owned
railways but that he seeks to remedy
the evils which result therefrom bv
homeopathic methods, so to speak,
by legislation which Will render the
railway owners powerless to practice
eXtortion but which will MOI inter
fere with private ownership. The
Democrats in Congress, appreciat-
ing that half loaf is infinitely bet
ter than no bread are prepared to
support the Presidents recommen.
dations with regard to railway leg
islation in every detail but they have
little faith that the President can
prevail on the Senators and Rep
resentatives of his own party to
heed his recommended tions at the
expense of their frierds who now
enjoy the privileges of railway
monopoly.
**a'
With the pretended purpose of
devising equitable railway legisla-
ton along the lines urged by the
President, the Senate committee on
Interstate Commerce will begin
holding sessions on the 18TH of this
month and hearings will be granted
TO every one who claims to be inter.
ested in the subject until mass of
testimony far too great for any one
10 digest, or even read, will be ac-
cumulated. That anv satisfactory
results will be attained is gravely
doubted by Democratic members of
the Senate. 1t is pointed out that