Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-03
WILL SETTLE ITSELF
Mr.. Watterson's View of the
Railway Rate Question.
LOOKS FOR COMPROMISE
THINKS CONDITIONS WILL BE
LEFT ABOUT THE SAME.
Draws Distinction Between Municipal
and Public ownership-Gov-
eminent Control.
LOOKS FOR COMPROMISE

Henry Wattersen. surrounded by half a
dozen OF his political and personal friends.
sat down in coy corner of the Willard
Hotel last evening and discussed things gen
orally. After respectful reference TO the
"Star-eyed Goddess (whoever she may be-
the colonel drifted to such more material
questions as municipal ownership and rail-
road rate regulation.
"In the first place" began Mr.. Watterson
(of Louisville and Paris, sit may interest
you to know that 1 have never written a
line in my own paper concerning railroad
rate legislation, and I've been mighty shy
on municipal ownership conversation. But
1 did my first piece of reporting for The
Star, away back in 1853, and don't mind
giving you a scoop on my opinion, II you
think 1t will add to the gayety OF nations.
When got back In dear old Louisville last
August, after g. year abroad, L found the
town In the throes of political contest.
My affectionate enemies We're dreadfuHy
busy. and things looked blue for such
friends as I had left
well sir. / got to work, and for seven
weeks 1 did not know there was any place
on the map outside of Louisville. I had
troubles Of my own. without thinking OF
railroad rate legislation or municipal owner
ship. The result was that my friends won
out by a majority of 1000. when all along
they had expected to get licked by from
20 600 to so 600 ma jority. So much for that,
but it took so much of my time that l do
not believe l can talk intelligentiy concern
ing these great public questions. lAs II =
year abroad and seven weeks Indulgence IN
q local campaign could dim the lSoulsViie
editors perception of national afra1rsD
Municipal and Public Ownership.
Generally speaking, We should not con-
fuse municipal ownership with public own
ership. There are many properties winch
city might with profit control-such as gas
works, the water works and the hke-put
when it comes to the operation OF railroad
lines by the municipalities that is different;
very different. That would be sure to lead
to boundless corruption. and would be but
a prelude of national ownership of the great
transcontinental railroad systems. rms
would soon include the ownership OF the
telegraph lines and the telephone service,
all of which would mean the dissolution OF
the government by public opinion. With
the government in such absolute control OF
the railroads and the telegraph what snow
would the poor outsiders have? we might
as well abolish the elective form OF govern
ment and give the President life tenure
OF office or else establish the hereditary
form of government.
..As to the railroad question" Mr.. Wat
terson remarked. Il think It is mostly
will settle itself by a compromise act OF
Congress which will leave the railroads and
the shippers in exactly the same posltlon
toward each other that they now occupy.
l believe that in the end there Will come a
general publicity act that will provide TOR
the remedy OF the more serious evils COM
planned of. The Insurance scandals have
at least done this much good At present
the people do not know exactly what they
want and Congress does not know exactly
what to give them.
A Story In Point.
1.-THE story is told of Spanish premier
who was appealed to by mob of workmen.
These workmen imagined they We're being
ill-treated and they surrounded tho house
of the premier demanding that he speak
to them Finally the premier raised a win
dow and, thrusting out his head, asked:
What do you folks want? And the
answer came, in chorus:
1--WE demand our rights
ct grant them to YOU responded the
premier, whereupon the men dispersed. and
that was the end of their discomfort. It is
much the same way with the people on this
railroad question. On the whole, think the