Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-12-05

wealth. that makes a man ruthless
and constituencies In trade and weak
and cowardly In citizenship, Is NOT a
good thing al all, but a Very bad thing
for the nation The government
stands for manhood nrst and for bust.
ness only as an adjunct OF manhood.
The question OF transportation lies
at the GOT Of all Industrial success,
and the revolution In transportation
which has taken place during the last
half century has been the most i'm
portant factor In the growth Of the
new industrial conditions, Most EN-,
! phatically we do not wish 10 see the
man OF great talents refused the re-
ward for his talents. Still less do we
wish to see him penalized; but we
do desire TO see the system ofsrailroad
| transportation 50 handled tlht the
strong man shall be given no advan.
tage over the weak man. We wish to
insure as fair treatment for the small
town as for the big city; for the small
shipper as for the big shipper. In the.
| old days the highway Of commerce.
| whether by water or by a road on land.
was open to all; 1t belonged to the
public and the triYic along II was free.
At present the railway is this high.
way. and We must do our best to see
that II Is kept open TO all on equal
terms, Unlike the old highway It Is
n very difficult and complex thing 10
manage, and II Is far better that II
| should be managed by private indi'
| viduals than by the government. But
II can only be SO managed on condi.
ton that justice Is done the public.
1t Is because. In my judgment. public
ownership Of railroads Is highly un-
desirable and would probably in this
country entail ~far-reaching disaster,
that ] wish to see such supervision
and regulation Of them In the interest
Of the public as will make II evident
that there Is no need for public owner.
ship. The opponents OF government
regulation dwell upon the difficulties
to be encountered and the intricate
and involved nature OF the problem.
| Their contetion Is true. II Is a com.
plicated and delicate problem. and all
| kinds OF difficulties are ure to arise
In connection with any plan of solu-
ton, while no plan will bring all the
benefits hoped for 0y Its more Opt.
,mistic adherents. Moreover, under
any healthy plan, the benefits will
develop gradually and not rapidly.
Finally, we must clearly understand
that the public servants who are to
do this peculiarly responsible and
delicate work must themselves be Of
the highest type both as regards In
tegrity and efficiency. They must be
well paid. for otherwise able men can
not in the long run be secured; and
they must possess a lofty probity
which will revolt as quickly at the
thought Of pandering to any gust OF
popular prejudice against rich men
as the thought of anything even re-
mately resembling subservience to
rich men. But while I fully admit the
difficulties In the way, ! do not for a
moment admit that these difficulties
warrant us In sotpping In our effort
TO secure a wise and Just system.
They should have no other effect than
to spur us on to the exrcise OF the
resolution, the even-handed justice,
and the fertility Of resource. which
we like to think OF as typically Anne
rican, and which will In the end
achieve good results in this as In
other fields OF activity. This task Is
a great one andunderlies the task OF
dealing with the whole industrial pro-
blem. But the fact that 1t is a great
problem does not warrant us IN
shrinking from the attempt to solve
II. At present we face such utter lack
Of supervision, such freedom from the
restraints Of law, that excellent men
have often been literally forced into
doing what they deplQred because
otherwise they were left at the mercy
of INSCRIPTIONS competitors. To rail
at and assail. the men who have done
as they best could under such copdi-
tions accomplishes little. What we
need to do Is to develop an orderly
system; and such a system can only
come through the gradually increased
exercise Of the right Of efficient gov
eminent control.
Safety Appliances.
/ In my annual message to the Fifty.
eighth congress. at. It's third session.
called attention ia the necessity for
legislation requiring the use of block
signals upon railroads engaged In in
terstate commerce. The number Of
serious collisions upon unlocked
roads that have occurred within the
past year adds force to the recommen-
dalton then made. The congress
should provide. by Appropriate legislar
ton. for the Introduction OF block
signals upon all railroads en-.
gagged in interstate commerce at the
earliest practicable commerce at the
Of increased sefety to the travelling
public.
Through decisions Of the supreme
court Of the United States and the
lower federal courts In cases brought
before them for adjudication the safe.
" appliance law has been materially
strengthened. and the government has
been enabled to secure Its effective
enforcement In almost all cases. with