Valentine Democrat. (Valentine, Neb.) 1900-1930, 1905-05-18

pIluCIplC VI SONCA uiuOuU O"AO ohiP
was in operation. Public owner
ship will do for the railroads what
it does for the post Office, the po-
lice department and the fire de-
partment.
The republican and corporate
antagonists of this movement are
already sounding the false alarm
that it Will cost Chicago 500, O00,-
900 to buy the Chicago street rail-
ways and $50, 100000 to re-equip
them. Judge Dunno put that
statement to rest the morning af-
ter his election by showing that
under the shrinkage in the quoted
stocks, and under the necessity of
buying only the tangible proper
ties, the cost would not be more
than $50, 100000 for everything.
Moreover, it may be set down
that Judge Dunno, the new demo-
cratic municipal ownership mayor
of Chicago, is a man of iron will,
great civic courage, balanced judg-
ment and a long and ample ex-
perience in great affairs. He will
summon to counsel and construc-
ton the great experts of Glasgow,
Scotland, in which this great prin-
ciple was born, and where for 20
wears it has been in nobly success
full operation, and he will conse-
crate to the experiment all the
brains, industry, purpose and de-
Termination of a man who feels
that he is living and acting for the
leading and enlightenment and
benefit of millions of his fellow
countrymen, living or yet unborn.
He lives in an age of great achieve
ment among people of world
famous and resistless energy, and
his friends and the thousands of
his followers do not permit them
selves to doubt for a moment that
municipal ownership of public
utilities will be as conspicuous and
beneficent a success in Chicago as
it has long been in the worlds
model city of Glasgow.
The people-the great body of
the people are to be congratulated
upon the Inauguration of an ex-
pertinent in which their interests
are so vital, and they are invited
now to see it succeed and to help
it to national application along
wise, firm and yet definite lines.
The peoples case has received a
mighty and an Irresistible impetus
from the democracy of Chicago.
One other thing in this moment
Gus campaign is significant and
worthy of note as an index to the
spirit and temper of the people
toward the economic problems of
the time.
Scared into comprehension by
the clear presentation of demo-
cratic publicists and by the reso-
lutte attitude of the people toward
the issue, and stung by the inso-
lent Indifference of the street car
magnates, the republicans of Chi
cago, eager for success and pand-
ering to the popular wave, were
forced to adopt some sort of plat.
form favorable to municipal re-
form.
But they did so half-heartedly,
uncertainty, so unsatisfactory,
and with such evident insincerity,
that the voters of Chicago laughed
them to scorn. They were not go
ing to take any chances with any
half-hearted advocacy of the prin-
ciple in which they had come to
believe. They were not going to
trust the execution of a vital re-
form to milk-and-water enthusiasts
or to timid conservatives who were
likely to kill it with temporizing
and delay. They took the party
that was definite and positive.
They followed the organization
that knew what it wanted and
promised to 60 right after it.
John Maynard Harlan and his
republican organization were for
municipal ownership day after to-
morrow or next week.
Edward F. Dunno and the Chi
cago democracy were for munich
pal ownership tomorrow.
And the people followed the
definite rather than the indefinite,
the certain rather than the hest
tating.
And so will the people always
follow definite men and certain
policies in preference to shifting
leaders and ambiguous platforms.
If the democracy means to win
and wants to win in 1908 it must
be as clear as day this time in the
ringing enunciation of its creeds.