Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1906-09-14
RAYN Err ON BRYAN.

wrong ii ne Is nOneSt IMAM 10 nave SWIM
mer with the tide who is afraid to buffet the
waves, and Is simply making for the shore.
81 had, during the late Presidential cam
paign, striking illustration upon this point
at one of the largest Democratic gatherings
ever attended. l was summing up before
the audience, in pursuance of the Democrat
ic plan of battle that had been outlined to
US, everything that we were opposed to. A
man in the audience, evidently of intel H.
gence, who was somewhat under the innu'
ence of spirits, arose in the rear OF the hall
and politely said TO me; May l interrupt
you for momentP Certainly replied
WELL he said, you have told Us now every
thing that you are opposed to; will you De
kind enough to tell US anything you are 10
favor Off
at will not do" continued Senator Ray
nor, ITO wage a negative campaign. Ii we
have no issues, we might as we'll say so ana
make the contest upon the character OF our
candidate. My own judgment is-and 1t is
deliberate one-not formed under sudden inn
pulse or momentary enthusiasm, that Bryan
will perhaps poll as many Democratic votes
as any man that l know in the party. l
know Mr.. Bryan well personally, and l
care not what others say who have never
come in contact with him. l know that
he is not obstinate about his opinion. He Is
views unless 1t is matter of absolute con-
viction with him, and then he will fight 1t
out, win or lose.
QUESTION FOR FUTURE.
IL do not think, in reading over his speech,
that he has come to an unalterable conclu
sion upon the subject OF governmental own :
ership of railroads. He regards 1t as a
question for the future; so do great many
Oth h1kh a boo linn
mand that 1t must be placed in the platform
or accepted as a policy Of the party. This
is matter that requires thought and inves-
tlgation, and some Of the greatest political
economists of the present day have devoted
profound attention to 1t.
"The problem is not new one. AS
matter of recreation, when l could obtain
little leisure have been studying 1t for
years with all the statistics that l could
gather in connection with governmental
ownership of railroads in Germany, Austria
Hungary, Russia and Australia, where the
system prevails. 1t has been practical
failure in all these places. The Prussian
Diet In 1879 authorized the Government to
begin the purchase of the entire railway
system of Prussia; In Hungary the state
owns 80 percent. OF the railways; in Russia
upward Of 60 per cent. What Is the result
"Germany to-day, with Its agriculture, its
manufactures, and Its trade, rests upon the
waterways and not upon the railways. The
Government has reduced the railways as
feeders to the rivers and canals. Ia Russia
there is the same condition, with the result
ing recourse to transportation by river. In
Australia under the system Its export and
Import trade is virtually confined to single
seaport city. Won Miguel, as great a man
almost as Bismarck, Prussias Minister OF
- nlJ mr.
ed that governmental ownership was dis.
aster and calamity.
"The great city of Bremen, statistics
show, lost large part Of its trade and com
merce under the system, and In l9OO the
Chamber of Commerce of Posen, port on
the Oder, near the Galician frontier, stated
in memorial to the Prussian Minister OF
Railways that under governmental owner
ship the Galician oilfields were farther IRON
Germany than were those OF the United
States. In five years, ending with l90l,
more than 80 per cent. OF the shipments
that Austria Hungary sent into the Elbe ter
ritory of Germany, which by rail comprises
Berlin and Hamberg consisted Of what Ia
known as the neighborhood traffic. II will
not do to rush over this field 1t must be
studied and Investigated In order TO talk
about 1t intelligently. could write vol.
ume on it II had the time. One oil the
best informed political economists oil the
day has stated that in all these countries the
result of governmental ownership has been
| to transfer from the field of business to the
| field of politics the perplexing question oil
trade rivalry and jealousy precpitated by
the humiliation oil distance by means oil the
railway. In other words, foreign systems
have been an utter failure, and to day they
| do not compare either in point OF facilities
l,,x in
American system of private ownership.
CONSTITUTIONAL OBJECTIONS
"We must realize that we have more than
100000 miles of railroads In the United
States, representing capital stock and
bonded debt OF more than $13,O00OOO,OOO
of dollars. How would the government
proceed to obtain possession OF the railways !
1t cannot possibly condemn them, and to
build lines to compete with them Is Vision
and dream.
at seems to me that there Ia another In
superable objection TO the scheme, and that
Is that the Government of the United States
has no right to undertake the railroad bust.
ness and extinguish the charters OF all the
existing railways and prevent them from
exercisinR their franchises. Ol course, II
can incorporate railroad as 1t has done In
the Territories or In the District Of Columbia,
and possbly-although | would not pass
upou it-construct railroad In connection
with the mails and with reference TO mill
tary defenses, but do not find that either
under the clause regulating commerce or
under any other provision oil the Constitu-
ton that it is empowered to go into the rail.
road business and conhscate the railroad
systems of the United States. Senator New.
lands, when driven to the point as TO how
the Government would provide for Da-
| tional INCORPORATION of railroads, which was
| his pet measure said we would have TO do
| 80 under the general welfare clause OF the
Constitution. We know that there Is moth
| ing In this, and that this proposition is en-
tIrely undemocratic, because the general
welfare clause confers no authority and Is
perfectly meaningless phrase taken from the
Articles of Confederation.
~ say If the new Interstate Commerce
law, which we passed at the last session,
| goes into practical operation, believe that
everyone will be satisfied with It's working
Let as give IL fair trial and not follow a
political phantom and appartion that am
confident will disappear with the dawn oil
morning.
governmental ownership will require a
constitutional amendment, and Mr.. Bryan
| will not insist upon II that we must incor-
porate plank In the platform providing for
a constitutional amendment upon the sub
ject of governmental ownership. am sure
that Whatever may be his own opinion or
the opinion of Mr.. Dunno, of Chicago, OF
Mr.. johnson, Of Ohio, or Mr.. George Fred
erick Williams, of Massachusetts, oil
them men OF original ideas and striking in
dividuality-they will not, when the time
comes plant as upon this issue and put us
to the country on it. There would be nc
possible chance of success If this were to
take place.
OPPOSED TO PATERNALIsM.,
"The Democratic party is party Of in
dividualism and not Of paternalism-so
thought Jefferson and 80 think we all-and
| predict that the Democratic platform will
not contain any plank providing for govern