Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-09-26
Bryan's Views on Government
Ownership of Railroads

nlnBS bryan Will IololCuOo w "@s
position ON the government owner
ship of railroads, as first made
public in his Madison Square
Garden speech on his return from
abroad:
"I am not here to bring you to
my conclusions on the railroad
question. So far az / am concern.
cd, it does not matter to me
whether or not every man in the
United States agrees with me OF
not. / believe that every man
ought to have his own beliefs and
his own convictions, and when he
has convictions on the subject OF
public matters, / believe that he
ought to give them to the people
and take the responsibility tor
them.
"Two years ago." be said, III
had reached the conclusion that
the government ownership of rail-
roads was the only solution Of the
question. / did not say it when l
was the leader OF the party in
either campaign; in fact, l had
not reached the conclusion until q
few years ago; when l was relieve d
of leadership at st, Louis, and
could sreak as a private individ-
ual, 1 stated my conclusions. MY
conviction has grown since, and in
New York stated it as my opinion
that that was the ultimate solut-
ion. l said l did not know whether
the country was ready for it, or
whether majority Of the Demo
Gratis favored it. Now, / want to
say that my position has been mis-
stated, and in some places mis-.
construed. 1 have been accused
of favoring a thing that would
lead to Capitalization. Let me re-
mind you, that this plan not only
does not lead to Capitalization, but
it is the first suggestion made in
many years that looks towards the
strengthening of the States and
making a bulwark against centra-
lization. People have been dis
cussing public ownership with the
idea that Federal government
would own the railroads, and 1t
seemed to me that that was
fraught with danger, because l
believe in the Democratic doctrine
of local self-governmcnt, and that
our opinion is strongest when the
independence of the State and
the conduct Of it's own affairs is
recognized and respected.
81 believe in our constitutional
doctrine that local thugs are for
the States and national affairs for
the Federal governments nd there
fore, instead of advocating a Fed
eral ownership that would central
ize all this power at Washington,
/ advocate a dual plan, whereby
only the trunk lines would be
under the control of the Federal
government and all of the local
lines under the control of the
State government; and il anybody
denies that it is practicable, l can
not but tell them that in the EN-
pire of Germany almost all the
railroads are owned by the sspar-
ate States, and that today the en-
pire wants to get the railroads in
order to strengthen the Federal
governn eLt, but the States refuse
to surrender them because they
are the influential strength of the
States of the Empire of Germany
So my friends, instead of being
for Capitalization, this is the plan
that gives to the State the power
to strengthen itself and to attend
to it's own affairs.
"There has been one other OBJ
lection, and only one to which l
wish to refer, and that is, that if
we had the ownership OF railroads
by the government, whether State
or national, it would increase the
political power Of the party in con
troll of the government. Well, l
have an opinion on that, because
when was a candidate for Presi-
dent l had a chance to measure
the relative influence of the ad-
ministration over its civil servants
and the influence of the railroads
over It's employees. / will tell you
that when / was candidate
against the President, who had
these men under him, l never had
any difficulty with mail carriers
and letter carriers and civil ser
vice employees, but that the rail-
roads marshallsd their forces ano
compelled their men, against th'
risk of losing employment, tc
march in their parade. and weal
the button of their champion. L
any of you are afraid OF govern
ment ownership, 1 want you Il
Join with me and announce it a
the doctrine of the Democratic
party that man connected wit
the railroads shall not be place.
where he has to serve two masters.