The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-02-02

Operated DJ Luc uhIiOudl 6obcIumCHbs
II want to see ships and steamers float
ed by Uncle Sam and having the stars
and stripes upon every stream that
touches American soil. Public high
ways and transportation privileges be-
long to all of the people and to unborn
generations and should never be given
or sold away to private individuals.
You say that we have the right to reg
ulate and control transportation lines
Yes, but history has proven that we
cannot do it. They have debauched
our public servants with dirty money,
and obtained privileges and franchises
| for nothing that were worth millions,
and they have maintained standing
army of secret service men to watch
| the halls of legislation and keep the
people out; and am sorry to say that
| in many cases some of their secret SER
vice men have gotten on the inside.
The people furnish them free seat, cut
their whiskers, shine their boots and
| furnish them free bath. Now I'm not
kicking on the bath-no doubt they
need it-but the people need their seat
to put man in. How many senators
| in the United States do you suppose
there are who are more watchful Of
the interests of certain corporations
than they are Of the peoples welfare?
More than one, / assure you. 1t is
hard thing to say, but wrongs are
never righted by silence.
Watch the railroad legislation now in
process at Washington, and if no sem
h ic inc hn
peoples interest, will retract. AS
long as United States senators are
chosen by state legislatures we may
expect railroads and corporations to
control legislation. The people in ev-
i cry county and in every state in the
Union ought to exact pledge from
every candidate for the Legislature,
that before he casts his vote for a
United States senator, that senator
should pledge himself to work for and
to vote for the election of United States
senators by direct vote of the people.
Uutil we obtain possession OF our law
making bodies, we cannot expect to
control and regulate the railroads, the
corporations and the trusts, which are
now preying upon the public. But
with public ownership of our law max
ing bodies we could obtain control OF
the public utilities that are now pri-
vate monopolies. With public owner
ship of the railroads there would fol-
low parcels post system which would
relieve the people from the merciless
extortion OF the greatest highway rob-
bers of modern times-the express
companies. The telegraph service
would be attached to every pOstoffice,
where it belongs, and the grip of many
other monopolies would be broken
Now some one will accuse me of talk
ling politics. am not talking politics
II am talking self preservation. If
President Roosevelt were nominated
four years hence on republican plat
form declaring for public ownership
of railroads, the Telegraph, parcels
post system, and the election of United
States senatos by direct vote of the
people, | would vote for him. And if
William j. Bryan were nominated on
such platform by the democrats
would vote for him. lost my last cleo
ton by not voting for myself, and I'll
not do it again. And If were nomin-
ated for the legislature two years hence
on such a platform I would vote for
myself.
| People think of public ownership Of
public utilities as a strange doctrine.
They forget that the government man
ages the pustoffice, the most gigantic
business, the most intricate, and with
more details, than any other business
ever inaugurated by man. They also
| forget that more miles of railroad are
owned and operated by governments
| than by corporations. | go on the prin-
ciple that if my neighbor does a thing
certain way and it is big success,
that it will paw to investigate his
business and do likewise. When other
nations can give their people cheap
passenger and freight rates, and make
| their railroads revenue producers, it
is certainly worth our while to consider
who has the better way. 1t is some
times said that public ownership Of
railroads would give too much chance
| for corruption. Wouldn't it be better
to have corrupt officials occasionally
-, ~ yhor