The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-09-13
>KENTUCKY'S WELCOME
TO WILLIAM ]. BRYAN
Elaborates on Position on Government
Ownership and Replies to Those
Who Misconstrued Words.
Hopes That Regulation May Yet Suffice but Believes Rail-
roads Are Too Powerful to Be
Controlled.

The demonstration that greeted Mr.
Bryan on his entrance to the hall was re
neWed as the Nebraskan arose TO speak
Mr.. Bryan announced that he would
read a statement concerning a topi,
which had been generally discussed sine,
ne mad touched on 1t during his speech
at New York, He then read his state
ment, which is in part as follows.
In my speech al the New York re
cepton L made some remarks concerning
the government ownership of RAILWAYS
and L thought that L had expressed my
self so clearly that my position could no
be misconstrUed even by those who de.
sired to misconStrue IL. The New York
speech was prepared in advance. It was
not not only written but it was carefully re-
Vlsed- 1t stated exactly what / wanted tC
state, and nave nothing to withdraw OF
modlfy In the statement therein made
what l say tonight is rather in the ma
!ure or an elaboration of the ideas there
in presented.
Public Ownership or Competition.
After quoting from the Democratic
plat1orm OF 1900 that 'asprivate monopoly
Is indefenSible and intoIerable and after
laying IL down as principle that publiC
ownership should begin where competi-
tlOn ends and that the people should
nave the benefit of any monopoly that
might be found necessary / stated that
L mad reached the conclusion that rail
ROADS partake so much of the nature of a
monopoly that they must ultimately be-
come pubic property and be managed BY
PUBIC officials in the interests of the
whole community 1 added: Il do not
know that the country is ready for this
iegiSlatlon- do not know that the ma
IoIity OF my own party favors it, but
OeleVe that an increasing number of the
members of all parties see i'm public own
erShlp assure remedy for discrimination
Detween persons and places and for the
freight and passengers
then proceeded to outline a system of
PUBIC ownership whereby the adVantao es
OF pubic ownership might be secured to
the people without the dangers of cen
tralization. This system contemnIates
federal ownership of the trunk lines only
and the ownership of local lines by the
several states. | further expressed il as
my opinion that the railroads themselves
were responsible for the growth of the
sentiment In favor of public ownership.
ana said that while I believed that the
rate Dill recently enacted should be given
Ialr trial. we might expect TO see the
railroads still more alive in politics nm
less our experience with them differed
from the experience we had had with
ITancnlse- holding corporations. This
statement of my views has been assaiIed
Dy some as an attempt 10 force these
views upon the Democratic partv and Inv,
some as an announcement of my inten-
ton to insist upon the incorporation OF
these views in the next Democratic Mat
form. F-'''
Two Charges Answered.
Let me answer these two charges 7
have tried to make it clear that / ex-
pressed my own opinion. and I have
never sought to compel the acceptance of
my opinion by anyone else. Reserving the
right to do my thinking. / respect the
right or everyone else TO do his thinking.
L have too much confidence in the inde-
pendent thought i'm my own party to ex-
pect that any cOnsids9 BILE number az
Democrats would acknowledge nv right
TO do their thinking for them. even n
were undemocratic enough to assert such
right.
of government ownership will be an is
sue in the campaign of 1908. answer that
| do not know If you ask me whether
it ought to be in the platform T renIv
that I cannot tell until / know what he
Democratic voters think upon the subject
If the Democrats believe that the next
platform should contain a plank for gov
eminent ownership, then that plank ought
to be included. If the Democrats think
it ought not contain such plank. then sucn
plank ought not to be included II rests
with the party to make the platform.
and individuals can only advise. I have
spoken for myself and for myself ONLY
and | did not know how the suggestion
would be received. I am now prepared
ceived more favorably than / expected
There is this. however. that I do expect
namely. that those Democrats who on
pose government ownership will accom-
the assertion that they will favor govern
ment ownership whenever they are CON
WINGED that the country must choose be-
tween government ownership of the roads
and railroad ownership of the govern
ment.
For Strict Regulation.
81 still advocate strict regulation. and
ShalI rejoice II experience proves that that
regulation can be made effective / will
go farther than that and say ] believe
we can have more efficient regulation un-
der Democratic administration. with a
Democratic senate and house than we
are likely to have under q Republican
administration. with a Republican senate
and house, and yet I would not be honest
with you If / do not frankly admit that
observation has convinced me that no such
regulation is possible and that
government ownership can be undertaken
on the plan outlined with less danger
TO the country than is involved in private
ownership. as we have had Il or as we
are likely TO have il. Among the reasons
that have led me to believe that we must
i'm the end look to government ownership
for relief. 7 shall mention two or three.
First and foremost is the cOrrupting in
fluence of the railroad in politics When
the president. following the Democratic
was met with the opposition of the rail-
roads. and every point gained in favor of
the people was gained after a strenuous
fight.
at have no idea that the railroads are
going to permit regulation without a
and | fear that their Influence
will be strong enough to very much de-
lay If II does not entirely defeat RENE
dial legislation.
Another reason which has led me to
favor government ownership is the fact
that the people are annually plundered Of
an enormous sum by eXtortionate rates:
that places are Disseminated against and
driven cut Of business by ia
vOritism shown by the railroads. You
say that all these things can be cor
rected without Interference with private
I shall be glad IL experience
proves that they can be. but l no longer
hone for II -
The forepart Of Mr.. Bryan's general ad-
dress followed the lines of last nights
address at st. Louis.
The latter part of Mr. Bryans speech
was devoted TO an emphatic condemnation
of Imperialism and the policy Of the Re
publican. administration in holding on to
the Philippines.