Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1905-02-10
Has More to Say.

Mr.. EDITOR:
I beg to express my surprise
that you devote so much space
defining the attitude of the GA
zETrE concerning government !
ownership and the connection I
have had with the columns of
your paper and none whatever to
the subject requiring discussion
Intelligent, dispassionate, cour-
agous discussion of measures for
controlling the great interstate
railroads.
You are certainly quite forget
full or else d1singenious when
you state nv connection as
writer for the GAZETTE.
You should know that for
continuous period 1 wrote, with
but very few exceptions, the ed
itorials in the GAZETTE, and that
during that time not only ''so1ne"
but with one exception all of my
articles "appeared in the paper
as editorial matter" The ex-
ception was an article on pen
| .sions. The article to which you
t refer as advocating government
f ownership, was, as I remember
E it, on ''The trend to Socialism. ="
In none of these articles did l en-
dorse government ownership. In
nv contribution of the 31st ult. 1
distinctly say: ''Republicans do
2 not favor government owners Tip,
but many Of them believe linn
tied ownership may become nee
n essary in order to control the in
s terstate Carriers, and to prevent
9 a mad, popular rush to- social
= ism" This necessity for control
is admitted, practically, by every
= one. Oar ab,est editors, writer's.
l AID statesmen cay of these corpor-
S ations "they must BE- controlled
: or there will be a mad rush To so
: cialism." Such papers as the
It |Globe-Democrat, the Chicago In
: ter-Ocean and the Oregonian
r pointed to The almost certainty Of
"a mad rush to socialism" " un-
less these corporations were
brought under control. They
must be controlled. When we
$ admit the necessity for control
+ we do not think of any specific
q measure for control, but control
e by whatever means necessary.
y But this may involve govern
o ment ownership. This, you say,
# is socialism. I submit that it is
s not. I aver it is sound republican
y teaching, held by the president,
- by the leaders of the party, and
e endorsed bv the rank and file.
. The destruction of slavery was
It not in the contemplation of the
t, republican party; but it became
le necessary to preserve the Unior
n by whatever means. This in.
,r volved the destruction of slavery
'. and it was destroyed. The par
:, ty will just as surely control the
- railways by whatever means. 1
: it do not a party will arise which
will.
You say the bluff and bluste
of lawyers raises what seems t.
be formidable questions tc
non-professional. 1t may be
so. but please permit me to sa,
that years of close and systematic
IN study took me authoritiveiy ou
e. of the non-professional class
i, taught me that no really goot
E lawyer resorts to bluff and bluster
= and that no courageous man is il
- the least intimidated by bluff ant
v bluster. My reference to U. S
m bonds was a hypothetical case t.
le show that the fixed and uniform
IS value of government bonds ren
y dered stock gambling in them i'm
le possible. 1 had no purpos'
$, whatever Of quoting the marke
II for U. S. securities.
- You say I rely on ssthe wisdom
= of congress not to build tn
= road," meaning this one suggest
~ ed trans-continenta1 road.
lg clearly spoke of general govern
as ment ownership of railroads eth
er through buying or buildin.
10 them and averred that 'ssuch