The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-04-16
fundamental principles of popular gov

| for misuse of public utilities, as when
the motive goes the evil will go. As long
as selhshness and greed get the chance
to crafty themselves at the public ex-
pense just SO long will they do it. And
nowhere on earth has there ever been
strike when the principle of government
ownership was in opration. Public
ownership will DO for the railroads
what it does for the postofflce, the po-
| lice department and the fire department.
! The Republican and corporate antago-
niStS of this movement are already
sounding the false alarm that it will
cost Chicago SIoo,ooo.ooo to buy the
Chicago street railways and $5oooo.o 900
to re-equip them. Judge Dunno put that
statement to rest the morning after his
election by showing that under the
shrlnkage in the quoted stocks and TN
der the necessity of buying only the
tangible properties, the cost would not
be more than $3ooooooo for everything.
! Moreover. it may be set down that
Judge Dunno, the new Democratic
municipal ownership mayor of Chicago,
is man of iron will, great civic cour-
age. balanced judgment and long and
ample experience in great affairs. He
will summon to counsel and construction
the great experts of Glasgow. Scotland
| .,-l. .c1, II, ,D1a
and where for twenty years it has been
in nobly successful operation. and he
will consecrate to the experiment all the
brains, industry, purpose and determlna-
ton of man who feels that he is living
and acting for the leading and enlighten-
nlent and benefit of millions of his fell
low countrymen. living or yet unborn.
He lives in an age of great achievement
among people of world famous and re-
sistless energy. and his friends and the
thousands of his followers do not per-
NIT themselves to doubt for a moment
that municipal ownership of public
utilities will be as conspicuous and ben
ehcent 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 experiment 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 irresistible impetus from the
Democracy of Chicago.
| One other thing in this momentous
campaign is significant and worthy OF
note as an index to the spirit and tenn
per Of the people towa-i the economic
problems of the time.
| Scared into comprehension by the
clear presentation of Democratic pub
licists and by the resolute attitude OF
the people toward the issue, and stung
by the insolent indifference of the street
car magnates, the Republicans of Chi
cago, eager for success and pandering
to the popular wave, were forced to
, adopt some sort of platform favorable tc
, the municipal reform.
But they did so half-heartedly, so TN
, certainly. so unsatisfactory, and with
, such evident insincerity, that the voters
of Chicago laughed them to scorn They
were not going 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 execu'
| ton of a vital reform to milk-and- water
enthusiasts or to tinid conservative:
who were likely to kill it with tenlporiz
ing and delay. They took the party tha1
: was definite and positive. They fol
, lowed the organization that knew wha
it wanted and promised to go right aftel
: it.
Il John Maynard Harlan and his Re
: publican organization were for munici
pal ownership day after tomorrow O.
next week.
! Edward F. Dunno and the Chicago
e Democracy were for municipal owner
e ship tomorrow
f And the people followed the definite
r rather than the indefinite, the certain
rather than the hesitating.
e And so will the people always follow
! definite men and certain policies in pref
, erence to shifting leaders and ambigu
Gus platforms.
| If the Democracy means to win ant
v wants to win in 1908 it must be a clea
= as the day this time in the ringing enun
S citation OF it's creeds, and as definite a
= honesty in the presentation of its can
didates
a Clear principles, short sentences and
e leader whose views are known of al
D meh is the demand of the people.
a | have been preaching necessarily ii
e these letters the necessity for individual
= thought and action by individual Demo
/ Gratis, as the supreme necessity for ever!