Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-09-06
OWNERSHIP OF RAILROADS.

10 the rear with free silver, free
trade and anti-imperialism Buy the
railroads and bust the trusts. That
is the Issue as outlined by William ].
Bryan in his New York speech. He
talked enough on the money question
to let the people know that he still
hangs to the free silver fallacy. He
talked on the tariff enough to let the
people know that he differs in opinion
with President Roosevelt on how to
govern the trust. He talked enough
about the insular possessions to let
the people know that he does not pro-
pose to back down on his proposition
of immediate independence for the
Filipino, but the railroads are the
things that are now going to ruin the
republic.
However that may be as far as Bry-
an Is concerned his party leaders
have not responded as he would have
them in this call to arms to take pos
session Of the great trunk systems.
The conservative democracy and the
eastern journals that speak for the de-
mocratic party have not only failed to
take up the idea in the form expressed
by Mr.. Bryan, but they are of the
opinion that he made the mistake of
his life in throwing out such bait to
catch an election to the presidency in
1908. Colonel Henry Watterson of the
Louisville Confessional and Gov
ernor Folk have both expressed them
selves as against such program.
Colonel Watterson says:
The suggestion of government
ownership Of railroads as plank in
a democratic platform at this time is
not only impracticable in the highest
degree, but if it were adopted as a
fighting line would cost us the election
1t could not be carried out as policy
even If by some cataclysm we should
come into power in spite of it, and 1t
ought not to be adopted as policy by
any party having the real good of the
people at heart. 1t is un-American
and un-democratic, Illogical to all our
professions on the side of simple, ef-
ficacious and upright government
like the winged horse in the Irish
legend, Impossible to catch and not
worth having when caught"
Similar dfscourses on the subject
have appeared in other democratic
papers, with the comment that there
was no call for such move at this
time by Bryan. Under 1t all, however,
there seems to be some joy mingled
with their sadness. They were greatly
disappointed with Bryan for they had
been told that he was more conserva-
tive than Roosevelt, but at the same
time there seemed to be an expressed
satisfaction that they had found out
at this early date, two years before
the presidential election, that he is
the same old Bryan; that instead of
growing more conservative and leav-
ing the rainbow chasing to the past,
he has reappeared with new ideas Just
as impracticable and just as far from
the solution Of the problems before the
people as were those exploited by him
in 1896 and 1900 and the years inter-
vening.
There are those who claim to still
believe that Bryan will be the nominee
of the party Notwithstanding that they
fail to agree with him on this point,
because they think the endorsement
has gone SO far that it cannot be re-
called, but with such a nomination
they give up all hope of election II he
persists in forcing the railroad owner
ship question as an issue.
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