The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-09-13
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these views upon the democratic party.
and by some as an announcement of an
| intention to insist upon the incorporation
of themselves in the next democratic ma
tional platform.
Let me answer these two charges. |
! have tried to make it clear that / eX-
! pressed my own opinion and l have never
! sought to compel the acceptance of my
opinion by any one else. Reserving the
| right to do my own thinking l respect
the right of every one else to do his
thinking | have too much respect for
| the rights of Others to ask them to
! cept any views that | may entertain,
unless those views commend themselves
to others, and | have too much conf
denee In the Independent thought in my
own party to expect that any consider
able number of democrats would aeknowl-
edge my right to do their thinking for
them, even IL l were undemocratic enough
| TO assert such a right.
las to platforms / have contended al
| ways that they should be made by the
| voters. l have in my speeches and
through my paper insisted that the plat
form should be the expression of the
| wishes OF the voters of the party and
not be the arbitrary production of one
man or few leaders, If you ask me
whether the question of government
ownership will be an Issue in the cam
paign of 1908, l answer l do not know. If
you ask me whether ii ought to be In the
platform, | reply that canont tell until
llrknow what the democratic voters think
| upon the subject. If the democrats be-
| lieve that the next platform should con-
| tain plank in favor of government
ownership, then that plank ought to be
included. If the democrats think it
ought not to contain such a plank then
| a IN hR
rests with the party TO make the platf6Nm
| and individuals can only advise | have
spoken for myself and for myself only
and | did not know how the suggestion
| would be received.
Received Favorably.
Il am now prepared to confess to you
| that 1t has been received more favorably
than expected. 1t has not been treated
! as harshly as l thought possibly it would
be treated. That 1t would be denounced
bitterly by some | fully expected that
it would be gravely discussed by others,
| hoped. There is this. however, that l
do expect, namely. that those democrats
1 who oppose government ownership will
accompany their declaration against 1t
| with the assertion that they favor gov
| eminent ownership whenever they are
| convinced that the country must choose
between government ownership of the
| railroad, and railroad ownership of the
| government. l cannot conceive how a
| democrat can announce himself as op-
| posing government ownership, no matter
! to what extent the railroads carry their
interference with politics and their
ruption of officials
II think | may also reasonably expect
that democrats who oppose government
/ ownership will say that If government
ownership must come. they prefer sys-
tenn whereby the state may be preserved
and the centralizing influence be reduced
to a minimum. Such plan ! have pro-
posed and have proposed because | want
the people to consider 1t and not be driven
! to the federal ownership of all railroads
the only alternative to private owner
ship. The dual plan of federal ownership
of trunk lines and state ownership Of
local lines, not only preserves the state,
and ever strengthens its position but 1t
permits the gradual adoption of govern
ment ownership the people of different
sections are ready to adopt 1t.
Can Be Patient.
II have been slow in reaching this po-
sition and | can therefore be patient
| with those who now stand where | stood
| for years, urging strict regulation and
! hoping that that would be found FEAST
BILE. | still advocate strict regulation and
shall rejoice If experience proves that
! that regulation can be made effective. I
will go farther than that and say that /
believe that we can have more efficient
| regulation under a democratic admins
| tration with a democratic Senate and
| House than we are likely to have under
| a republican administration with a repub-
lican Senate and House. and yet would
! not be honest with you If did not frank
| ly admit that observation has convinced
me that no such efficient 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 1t or as we are likely to have 1t.
II have been brought to regard pub
lie ownership as the ultimate remedy of
railroads by history which is as familiar
to you as to me- Among the reasons that
have led me to believe that we must in
the end look to government ownership
| for relief I shall mention two or three
| First and foremost is the corrupting nfiu-
ence of the railroad In politics. There is
not state In the union that has not felt
| this influence to a greater or less extent.
| The railroads have insisted upon eontroll-
| ing legislatures: they have insisted upon
! naming executives: they have insisted up
on controlling the nomination and APP
| pointment of Judges They have endeav-
| ored to put their representatives on tax
boards that they might escape just tax
alton; they have watered their stock
raised their rates and enjoined the states
| whenever they have attempted to regu-
| late rates, tney nave 1eKlSlH-
ton when hostile to them. and advanced
by secret means legislation favorable to
them.
An Illustration.
| Let me give you an illustration:
THE interstate commerce law was en-
acted nineteen years ago. After about
nine years this was practically nullifed
| by the supreme court, and for ten years
the railroad influence has been sufficient
In the Senate and House to prevent an
amendment asked for time and again by
| the interstate commerce commission. That
| railroad influence has been strong enough
| to keep the republican party from adopt
ing any platform declaration in favor of
| rate regulation. When the President, fol-
lowing the democratic platform, insisted
| upon regulation, he was met with the
4 opposition of the railroads and every
point gained in favor OF the people was
| gained after strenuous fight. The bill
| was improved by an amendment. pro-
1 c., <sf mi