Bisbee daily review., 1905-05-28
THE BEST GOVERNMENT
That Nearest the People and
 Controlled by Them.
BRYAN oN PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
Believes the Nations Future De- mands Government Operation of Natural MonOpOlies-Theory Is In
 Accord WSsh Democratic Principles

l mands Government Operation of
 Natural Mo1OpOlies-Tbeory Is In
 Accord Ws<h Democratic Principles
 While in Buffalo recently Mir Will liam Jepnings Bryan was interviewed by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. in the course o. which he gave his views on the railroad and municipal ownership questions.
 Mir. Bryan denied that the growth of municipal ownership is tending toward line between Democracy and Socialism is clearly drawn when the government undertakes tu own only those busl- nesses between which competition is impracticable or impossible, leaving all competitive enterprise to individual effort and ownership.
 What is your attitude on the rail road question:" he was asked.
 "I am believer in the doctrine that ! all corporations created by govern ment should be controlled by govern ment when it becomes necessary to protect the people against injustice. | Fundamentally the principle is that the people cannot through law create anything stronger than the creator"
 Do you hold that there is an essen i tial difference between corporations between those which should be owned ! by government and those which should ' be merely controlled?'
 Yes; there is q line which should be ! drawn between public and private cor ! porations. The railroad comes under | the head of public corporations Some say it is a quasi public charter, and it relies on its private nature when the [ people want anything from it. 1 But first let me distinguish between i what are called municipal corporations and those operated in a larger sphere. | It is impossible to have real competi- 1 ton between corporations. operated un- der municipal franchise-that is, be tween street railways, water or light companies or telephone lines. These things are private monopolies. Beiiev- ing that private monopoly is inde- fensible and intoierable, as declared in the Kansas City platform. I hold that all these public utilities should be owned and operated by the city gov crnmcnt"
 DO you regard that as Sccialisn?" Everything that the government un- dertakes can be considered socialistic in one sense. The pOstOfIice depart ment is socialistic in that the state is doing something which individuals used to de. The police department is so- cialistic because the republic Is furnish ing protection which the individual for merly furnished for himself.
 ''I take it that the best place to draw the line between that which is socialis- tic and that described as individualis- tic is at the point where competition ceases. The Socialist believes that competition is destructive force and should be eliminated by the public own ership and operation of all the means of production and distribution.
 The Democratic position, as I un- derstapd it, Is that competition Is es- sential rather than injurious and should be preserved.
 Wherever competition Is impossible and monopolistie the fruits of the mo- nopoly, according to Democratic prin- cipies. should be enjoyed by the whole people and not by the privileged few.
 'lt is entirely Democratic, therefore, to advocate public ownership and op- eration of municipal franchises. The recent victory in Chicago for municipal ownership under Democratic leader ship has done much to stimulate this sentiment
 "As to railroads the question Is not SC clear, because public opinion has not advanced so far. I believe that public opinion will ultimately support the doc Urine of public ownership of railroads. As it takes time for public sentiment to crystalline on any proposition, it is not safe to predict how soon the peo- pie will be ready for public ownership of railroads. but there is no doubt that the consolidation of railroad systems and the obstruction of legislation look ing to the regulation of rates are con stantly increasing the sentiment in ia vor of public ownership.
 ''The term public ownership may be used to describe municipal ownership
 
 ownership of public utilities within a state as well as the national ownership of utilities national in their character.
 Relieving. as do. that the safety O. the republic depends on the recognition of the doctrine Of lccal self government and believing that the government ought to be best when nearest the pco- pie and. most easily controlled by them. l prefer 10 see the local rail roads owned by the state and only trunk lines owned by the federal gov crnment.
 'I believe that ere local line owned by the state would do mere to regulate rates within the state than any amount of legislation and that one trunk line from New York to San Francisco. with branches to the various distributing centers, would do more to regulate in- terstate rates than any amount of rate legislation.