Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-07-05
WEDNESDAY. JULY 5, 1905.
Why the GOVERNMENT SHOULD OWN
TINE RAILROADS. -

I'VE NNukUO0VS. : y |
The government should own and
operate the railroads because they are
in their nature public monopolies
which should not be used Tor private
purposes. "
Human nature is just so constituted
that it will abuse power when that
power is freed from healty control.
At present the railroads can destroy
any industry by putting excessive
freight rates upon it, For instance.
last year they practically con6scated
the peach crop. At any time they can
take I'll tho profit out OF the melon
crop, the strawberry crop, the orange
growing industry; and they have done
this with . brutal disregard for the
rights OF the people.
They have built up the STANDARD
Oil Company and the Beet Trust and
similar plundering corporations by
secret rebates and special favors.
They have corrupted our politics and
our judiciary with their Free Passes,
their private cars, and with direct
brtbes.
They are the greatest of lawbreakers,
They refuse to equip freight trains
with air-brakes, although law re-
quiring them to do this has been on
the statute books for twelve years.
They refuse to obey the Interstate
Commerce Act which prohibits the Is
suing OF free passes. They violate
the law by granting rebates and other
determinations in favor OF one ship
per against another.
II the government owned the rail
roads, safety appliances OF all sorts
would bs adopted, double tracks made
where needed, and thus the frightfu
loss OF life which occurs every veal
under the present management woul6
no longer take place.
Ii the government owned the rail
roads such q thing as the beef trus
could not exist, for the beef trust!
frmest support is the secret favor'
which it secures from the present man
agement of the railroads.
If the government owned the rail
roads five billions of dollars could no
be stolen from the people as has beel
done in the past by the watering o
stock and by the compelling OF tn
people to pay dividends on this tcti
tious capital.
II the government owned the rail
ways there would be: IN immense saw
ing to the people by the reduction O
freight rates, passenger rates, and b.
the abolition of free passes, privat
cars, money given to Doodle funds
money spent to subsidize newspapers
money spent to maintain Hobbies t.
influence legislation in the cities, il
the states and at the national capital
There would be an immense savin
in doing away with so many high
salaried railroad presidents and Law
yers.
The public should own the railroad
because the railroads are the publ
highways, and it is not right that. til
people should be made to pay excef
sive toll when they travel on the put
lie highways.
The govern ent should own the raj
roads because they are now more pow
erful than the government itself. an
there should not be within the republi
power which is greater than the RI
public.
The government should own tn
railways because At present these pr
vate corporations tax the people o
their goods, and the people have n
representation in the councils Of thos
who levy the taxes. ~s
If the government owned the raj
roads the people would be presente
in the councils of those who levy th
taxes.-Tom Watson's Magazine,
The superintendeut OF the WASHING