The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-01-01
Government Ownership of
Railways Favored.
THE SPECTRE OF Soc
IALISM.
The Best Result Will Be Realized By
Drawing a Distinct Line Between
Public and Private
Activity.


In ringing address YOU said re-
Gently that you are willin~ to assist
in recognizing the Democratic party
and, among other reforms you Suggest
for the consideration of progressive
Democrats you mention State owner
snip OF railways and Government
ownership OF ielepraphs
/ trust you will not think me pre-
sumptous, IL 1 urge you to reconsider
your proposal of State ownership OF
ianway. AS a raulcai Democrat anu
one of your sincere admirers, l hope
you will come out fiat-tooted for the
ownership ana operation OF raii-
ways by the Feaeral Government.
Government ownership, 1T must be
admitted. presents many practical
dlniculues; put the task of securing
from nearly fifty States. the unity
OF plan and management necessary
for a natural system, seems poSslb Die.
This is by the way. / want to write
you about something else. Do you
know they are Gaming you social
Ist2 / mean your opponents, both
within ana without the Democratic
party. There is nothing strange IN
this. You have been called Il socistl-
ist before, and your plan of Govern
ment ownership has stirred them up
again. 4 am convinced that many
do so because of ignorance mixed with
nance. These do not Know what
socialism means but they are quite
sure 1t is something nasty and hence
a good thing to throw at an enemy.
You would have been ashamed, as
was, had you read little article /
saw recently from a gold Democrat,
IN which. within the snort space of A
sentence, he called you both social
ist ana an anarchist. OF course the
m
say that while you might be either,
you could not be both, any more than
a man can be at once deist and athe-
ist. Socialism and anarchy are oppo-
site systems of thoughts far from
each other as pole from pole. But
there are some VINO honestly Think you
are a socialist because you are for
government ownership.
Whether the charge is made non
eStIy or maliciously, 1T is a serious
one, and the important question must
be answered.: Are you q socialist? The
answer means much to you, much to
the millions of Democrats who ac-
claim you leader, much to the Demo-
cratic party. and. If that party shall
be victorious under your leadership
we pray it shall-much to the country.
For these millions you are the great
,st Democrat; you have their conn
dence: they admire YOU for your brll
4
you for your manhood; they trust
your integrity; they respect you be-
cause you have kept the faith. and
they will follow you into the new
movement---unleSS you are a Socialist.
You know and 1 know that YOU are
no Socialist. l think / can show not
only that the policy of government
ownership is not sOcialistic. but that 1t
is in entire harmony with those ideals
of personal liberty which are the com
mon inheritance of our people from
their English forefatherS. Nay. more
IL think / can show that this policy.
SO far from being socialistic. is III
reality n safeguard AGAINST the de.
struction of industrial freedom and
free cOmpetition--in fine, an effectuai
check to socialism.
What is socialism? The word is
used by socialists to express two dis
tinct --et related ideaS-an ideal and
3: scheme, the means to an end. On one
side 1t is a doctrine. a belief. an ideal.
n philosophy of progress, and, WheA
we consider the high ethical principles
that the socialists teach, and their zeal
for the cause. we might almost add
q religion. On the othersside it is an
economic scheme for realizing TINS
ideal. When they speak of the eco
monte side of socialism socialists
generally employ the word col
lactivism by which they mean
government control of the wealth.
Just as our public school system
is the means whereby we strive TO
Iealizc our ideal of free education,
SO collectivism is the means whereby
socialists hope to realize their ideal
They propose gradually to enlarge the
function of government until all pri-
vate Industries shall be socialized. AS
to progressively believe that the
trend of civilization is inevitably to-
wards the socialistic state. Three
ideas are prominent in the writings OF
socialists. l. An indictment of the
present order of things --vivid pictures
of Industrial ills. 2. The claim that
these ills are due to competition, which
is wholly evil. 3. Destruction Of
competition through government con-
troll of all industries.
At the other extreme are the anar-
chists-I mean the peaceable. the
scientific anarchists. Like the social
lists, they are keenly conscious of in
dustrial ills, but thes attribute these
ills. not to competition. but TO govern
me- ut. to restrain While the socialists
think government good and would
have to do everything, anarchlsls
think it evil and would have To dc
nc thing--would abolish it. With all
restraint removed, men say the an
archis.s. would organize the ideal com
monWe3ltn Cn mis- CT NoluIlhiy "H7'
citation.
Where do we stand? Government
does many things for us. We have
state schools and state asylums: we
have county roads: we have municipal
waterWorks. and we have govern
ment post office. Are these institu-
lions socialistic? The socialist would |
answer yes, because, he will say. these |
institutions are but steps towards the |
perfect socialistic state. The old line
Democrat will say yes but not for the. |
same reason: he is not a socialist Vet
his Inherited suspicion of government
is so strong that he regards every OK
Tension of its functions as socialistic-
something evil.
But venture to assert that both the
socialist and the old line Democrat
are wrong. The socialist. because the
men who esta blished these institutions
are not socialists. but men who had /
no idea that i'll doing SO, they were