Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-04-13

of the enterprise appears, thousands
lose their all. but the few men who
engineered the deal reap their wicked
harvest.
The great public utilities like the
railroads, the steamboat lines, the
telegraph, express and telephone sery-
ices, city lighting and the coal mines
are being fast centered in the hands
of comparatively few men whose
prime object, of course. is the largest
possible selt-gain. 1t is too much to
expect that when these enterprises,
on which rest absolutely the whole
foundation of our business life, and
almost life itself, become the property
or subject to the control OF dozen or
more human beings they will not take
advantage of the power that is theirs.
The people will be within their grasp,
and the only limit to their exactions
will be the ability of the people to
meet the tribute levied upon them.
In the face of these real dangers that
threaten, it is not strange that the
alarmed public is seeking means OF
protection. The most common rene
dy proposed is that of government,
state or municipal supervision or
ownership of these great utilities.
More and more the conviction grows
that the patrons, the consumers, the
people who must be served have more
rights in the premises than merely to
pay the charges imposed by those who
have managed to secure control of
them. Accordingly we hear a chorus
of approval of President Roosevelt's
plan to place the great railroad systems
under federal supervision that shall
extend to the fixing OF fair and equable
rates Accordingly we see the city Of
Chicago, which last November gave
the Republican national ticket 100000
majority, turn about in April and elect
by $4,000 plurality Democratic
mayor whose platform is the imme-
date requirement by the city of all the
privately owned street car lines.
Even in our own state we see the city
of Burlington endorsing a programs
that embodies the establishment OF a
electric lighting system.
The time is almost at hand when poll
quick to feel the public pulse,
win commit their parties in city. state
and nation TO the idea of government
ownership. One or both OF the great
parties may take advanced ground on
this issue in the next presidential cam
paign.
Such a remedy as popular owner
ship would undoubtedly prove effect
i've, so far as freeing the public from
the extortions of private greed is con-
cerned. But relieved of this danger.
there would appear another, less OPP
pressive, perhaps, but more noisome
and demoralizing- the danger of
graft. So much of this has already |
wherever opportunity offers
that we may well hesitate to open new |
fields richer by far. Think what it
would mean to some men TO have the
OF the railroads, the tele-
graphs, the telephones, the coal mines,
he express business OF this country ! |
What an opening for dishonest officials
10 pilfer and steal, to favor their IA
vorites and fleece their enemies
Again we are face to face with the
same spirit of greed from which we
have tried vainly to escape. There is
mis- advantage, however. that the
CRATER is a lawbreaker and a criminal,
false to his trust, and, If detected,
meets short shrift, while the trust
nagnate Expresses under legal forms
and rests free from the shadow OF the
prison. But system of public owner
ship, honeycombed with graft aud cor
-uption, would hardly be preferable to
he ills we now endure. When pilfer-
ng is so common; when official NOR
Ills are so lax; when the respect for
he peoples interests is so faint that
We see investigations at every turn,
md even Congressman reach boldly
or such plumber as the mileage grab
contemplated, we may well pause and
question whether, in the event of a
general public ownership OF the great
our last state shall be better
han our first. What we need as a
PEOPLE is toning up of moral fiber.
Then neither greed nor graft will play
part that need be feared.