The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1906-10-13
DEFENDS BRYAN
Thinks Government Ownership Of Railroads PTsc
tcable and Right.
10 The Free Lance

10 The Free Lance.
lua recent issue oi your plpr app.ar
ed an item under tlc head oi IlIman
against government ownership 0i raj
rDuds According 90 thl- item Ms. Tit
man makes the statement that thrS Sogtl
would never agree 10 the nomination oi
". j. Bryan On - platform containing
government ownership Oi rnIrDai-.
With your prrmls~i0u would like 4,
make u l,W REMARKS OH the ~uh.rt Mr
lillman says. In the South are 10 hr
found th, only true Amcficans.' rou
hat grounds or Wht hr mAac4 tA- .
-ertiOn do not know We TAIL 90 a.'
prrciatr the sentiment Nh /. also Say.
Wc ug0yrrnm-nf ul lnlNrlut-
and not iu parrnall-m. In rp,y 90 the
We would SAY, w. hl lIrtr 900 a govern
m-nt which would b.stJW th- guat.-.
good upon thD greatest number. let 10 b."
called 10y any namr YOU choose. "
might SAY thr lu.nlug 81 our govern
ment hy "A i.W Individuals aud ln o."
special and direct interest Oi a irW inIr|
yijuals has hcrn given a lengthy trial To-
thr great comfort li the i.W and the Soi-
row of the many. Mr. r. also says We
Arc not ready 10 admit the railroads
cannot bee regulated. and we az not
ready tO >cs appraisers transform them
into huge political machine. How
many hundred years WilI 1T take. at the
rate We are going. % regulate the rail
rDul- 10 conform 90 the true needs and
benefits OF the masses 1t seem- self ryi-
dent that it cannot Ice done. In order
10 make biz dividends the people must
furnish the cash through high ticket ana
freight rates 10 any one who has care
uii, studied the railroad problem, 1t ls
known that under one general and Judi
ci0u- management ticket and freight
rates could be- greatly reduced. lt is
only necessary 10 adopt the general plan
Oi c0-opnrAti0H that has been successfully
applied iu 20 many INSTANCES of late m
our country. The centralizatiOno or merg
ing of "a great many small interests into
ole great management ls 0i cOurSr
known To greatly reduce expenses aud ~
every way result IN great. profits. let
these profits 20 tu tlo people and not tO
a few ind .iiua.- lsnJt The postal srry
icp successfully Carl \ un hy the govern
mcut and 10 probably uue-tOurth the eN-
pen~c 10 the p'op.r that ,' could be done
by iudhiduAls Why not the railroads!
Tie statement that il be- made u huge
political machi.e is simply ii statement
Can 10 BE- proven 10 ne n serious Objer-
tion? Why Is th re- more danger in rail
road business than in the postal service?
Laws governing these matters and the
careful preparing OF details can be- ar
ranged for. Those who have given at
tention 10 the railroad problem are sat
ish,d that government control OF rail
roads is right in principle. It cannot be
proven implacucahlr. Why condemn
without triA2 Let any One carefully
and di-interestedly make e study Of the
subject and they will surely come to the
same conclusion Prove all things and
hold fast O. those things whchare good.
We cannot necessarily enter into a
lengthy discussion Of the subject here,
but we sincerely believe that the govern
ment ownership OF railroads is right. and
that W j. Bryan is perfectly correct in
the matter and that time will prove that
it j. not only right in principle, hut that
it is eminently practicable and would, If
properly gone into, result in the greatest
blessings to the people Of our country
G. W. Townsend.
fredericksburg. Va. OCT. 10th, 1906.