The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-09-28

facilities on low rate or in any other
way with the American system of pri
vate ownership.
| I'VE must realize that we have
more than 100000 miles of railroads in
the United States, representing a CAPT
tai stock and bonded debt of more
than s13,00O,OOO,OOO. How would the
Government proceed to obtain posses
sion of these railways? 1t cannot pos
sibly condemn them, and to build lines
to complete with them is a vision and
dream.
1T seems to me that there is another
insuperable objection to the scheme,
and that is that the Government Of
the United States has no right to
undertake the railroad business and
extinguish the charters of all the exist
ing railways and prevent them from
exercising their franchises. OF course,
it can incorporate railroad, as it has
done in the Territories or in the Dis
trict of Columbia and possibly-al-
though 1 would not pass upon it-con-
struct railroad in connection with
the mails and with reference to mill
tary defense, but l do not find that
either under the clause regulating COM
merce or under any other provision
of the Constitution that it is empow-
cred to go into the railroad business
and confiscate the railroad systems of
the United States. Senator Newlands,
when driven to the point as to how
the Government would provide for
National incorporation of railroads,
which was his pet measure, said we
would have to do so under the general
welfare clause of the Constitution.
We know that there is nothing in this,
and that this proposition is entirely
undemocratic, because the general well
fare clause confers no authority and
is a perfectly meaningless phrase
taken from the articles of confedera-
ton.
Il say if the new interstate COM
merce law, which we passed at the
last session, goes into practical opera
ton, I believe that everyone will be
satisfied with its working. Let us
give it a fair trial and not follow a
political phantom and apparition that
l am confident will disappear with the
dawn of the morning.
Government ownership will require
a constitutional amendment and Mr.
Bryan will not insist upon it that we
must incorporate a plank in the plat
form providing for a constitutional
amendment upon the subject of gov
ernmental ownership. l am sure that
whatever may be his own opinion or
the opinion of Dr. Dunno, of Chicago,
of Mr. Johnson, of Ohio, or George
Frederick Williams, of Massachusetts
all of them men of original ideas
and striking Observation-Disclosures will
not, when the time comes, plant us
upon this issue and put us to the coun- |
try on it. There would be no posi- !
BILE chance of success if this were to |
take place.
THE Democratic party is party of
and not of paternalism-
so thought Jefferson and so think we
all-and | predict that the Democratic
platform will not contain any plank
for governmental ownership
and that Mr.. Bryan will not force this
issue upon us.
You know that Bryan and Roose-
velt are very much alike. They are
both men of genius, of great courage,
IF unbending will, of high purpose and
wonderful resources. Bryan differs
rom Roosevelt in one respect; he is
lot infallible. Roosevelt is. His en-
ire retinue of sycophants and cour-
iers have persuaded him that he is
10Th an oracle and prophet. l know
We are having an era Of apparent pros
,erity, but / would rather have less
and more equality, less cen
ralization and more distributions
nan of the masses in preference to
nan of the classes-and a return to
he simplicity of our earlier days rath- ,
r than all the display and pageantry I
f concentrated power in the hands ]
f the executive"
/