The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-07-02
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP AND PO-
LITICAL CORRUPTION IN
POLITICS.

The advocates of private monopoly
in public utilities tell us that city
ownership would be all right but for
the corruption in municipal politics.
They declare that this corruption
would involve the city in many
scandals and heavy debts and result in
poorer service.
The truth is that most of the cor
ruption in city politics is due to the
private monopoly of public utilities.
Remove private ownership of public
utilities and you remove the main in
centive for graft and corruption. In
nearly every city the owners of wa
ter, light, street car, telephone and
other franchises are in politics up to
their elbows. They find it a valuable
asset to control the Board of Alder
men and they put up money TO see
that their friends are elected. 1t
is not from the slums that the worst
form of bad municipal government re-
ceives it's inspiration, but from the
rich owners of valuable public4 fran
chises. We have witnessed in the city
of Raleigh within the present decade
a board of aldermen controlled by a
combination of the liquor interests and
the owners of public utility franchises.
While there has been little graft here
this combination made common cause
TO keep their friends on3 the board
The recent revolution in Philadelphia
was precipitated by a gas company
which wished a continuation of its
monopoly which robbed the, citizens.
1t had "seen" and fixed the boss. 1t
controlled two-thirds of the city coun-
ell. The mayor was deemed a fgure-
head who would not oppose the VIII
of the boss who had given him his Of
fee. The time seemed opportune FOR
a grab that would give them a lease of
seventy-five years more on their ilght-
ing monopoly. There were millions
in it," and private ownership was the
corruuting influence that held Phila-
delphia in the grasp of venal public
officials But private monopoly, con-
fident when it owned the boss ana
the city council by a majority that
made a veto impossible, went just one
stem too far. The seVenty-five year
steal aroused a long dormant city. The
Philadelphia people were willing Tor
the boss and the monOpolists to rob
them at will, but when they demand
ed the right to rob their unborn
grandchildren. they rebelled. Led by
the honest press of the city the people
made themselves felt, and by the SHOW
of force and through righteous pub
lie opinion they prevented the consum-
nation of the most gigantic steal or
the century. The formerly plant
mayor. personally honest but going
along with the dominant powers, saw
that he must take a stand. He stood
with the press and people, and when
backed by strong men fought With
wisdom and courage. There are
many men in public life who do moth
ing virtuous because they do not be-
lieve the people will support them in
a courageous fight for right! No
truly great man will wait for the
aroused public sentiment, but most
public officials are not ready to risk
their political future for an unpopular
and righteous cause.
Private ownership of public utilities
debauches municipal politics in league
with the grafters, the liquor interests,
those who sell protection to vice. 1t
furnishes the responsibility and the
sinews of war for the grafters and the
gang that is ready to murder or to
steal. They are not seen in it. They
would not soil their hands with cor
ruption, oh, no! but they hand out the
cash that pays for the election OF
vate monopoly! There are other evils
in municipal politics, but put this
down there will never be real and
permanent improvement in city gov
ernments as long as private corpora
tons have the monopoly of furnishing
water lights, telephones and transport
'tation. They are the springs from
which flow the inspiration, and theirs
are the Golfers into which flow the
money that all the people pay for
costly necessities.
There is nothing to which some of
the millionaire owners of these inn
mensely profitable franchises in great
cities will not resort. Take, for eX-
ample, the literary bureau run day and
night to give the public half truths
and to prejudice them against public
ownership. 1t recently gave wide eur,
rency to the false report that Mr..
James Dalrymple, the expert from
Glasgow, had declared that public
ownership would be a failure in
America because of it's political rule,
and that private ownership under
proper conditions is far better for the
citizens of American cities" Here is
what Mr.. Dalrymple was credited with
saying:
ITO put street railroads, gas works,
telephone companies, ETC., under mu-
nicipal ownership would be to create
a DOlitical machine i'm every, large CITY