The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-19
Bryan's Futile Efforcs 60 Retrieve
Himself.

Bryan's Futile EffOrts 90 Netrfevo
Himself.
Not one Democrat OF national i'm
portance has approved Mr.. BRYAN's
Federal ownership project. Many Dem
ocrats who speak with authority, like
Senator DANIEL Of Virginia and Rep
r~esentative JOHN SHARP WILLIAMS OF
Mississippi, have deemed It their duty
to nip at once in the bud what they
believe would prove a fatal error. SEN
ator BACON Of Georgia can think, he
says, Of scarcely one good reason for
adopting Mr.. BRYAN's proposal, GER
tainly not one that 10 not oountcrbal-
anced ten times over by the evils that
it would entail. He points out that 1t
would be fmpractiOable for the Federal
Government to maintain and operate
economically and honestly the existing
10000 miles Of railroad, while at the
same time paying interest on the stu
pendous debt-some 81, 400, 900, oOo-in-
Cured for their purchase, and building
the new lines which now are or o win
be required.
The Senator puts his finger on the
fallacies which underlie the attempt to
justify the innovation by the experience
Of other countries with State railways
and by our own experience in the man
agement Of the Post Office Department.
Not only are the European State rail-
way systems organized on q small scale,
but the management Of them is bitterly
complained Of in many cases, especially
in Prussia and italy, where gross dis
ordinations are practised in favor OF
particular localities. The political party
controlling a nations railway nexus
will be certain to discriminate in favor
of the localities on which it can rely
most firmly or which It 10 anxious TO
win over. As FOR the deduction drawn
from the management OF our postal
service, which on the whole "a efficient,
it is obviously vitiated, as Senator BACON
sees, by the failure TO recognize the fact
that the business Of our Interstate rail-
ways is, in respect Of magnitude, intri-
cacy and difficulty, a hundred times
greater than that Of the Post once De-
partment. 1t is rs patent that the po-
litical influence which the ownership OF
interstate railways would give the party
in power would be incomparably more
~redoubtable than that now exercised by
the control OF the postal service, which
nevertheless is considerable in small
towns and the rural districts. From
this point Of view Mr.. BACON predicts
that Government ownership would con-
stitute a political machine the reach and
resistless power OF which cannot at pres
ent be conceived.
Senator BACON evidently glances at
the Jim Grow legislation 50 widespread
in the Southern States when he ssys that
the control Of passenger transportation
in the several States would render social
conditions in some parts Of tho country
utterly ~intolerable. He p~erccfves, also,
what has been visible from the outset
to every man practically acquainted
with the railroad business, that Mr..
BRYAN's suggestion. that while the
Federal Government should own the
trunk lines the States might assume
ownership of the local lines within their
respective boundaries is entirely imprac-
ticable. The absorption Of the latter
by the former would prove as irresistible
as the law Of nature by which rivers ara
attracted to the sea-. As for the recep-
ton OF Mr.. BRYAN's doctrine at the bal
lot box, Mr.. BACON avows his conviction
that any party which should espouse II
would be repudiated by the people.
Finally, he deplores the mooting OF Fed
eral ownership, not only for the reasons
cited, but because he considers 1t super
huous, being confident that the new
railway rate law and the Elins law
az amended will between then prove
an adequate corrective Of the evils com
planned Of in railway management.
Mr.. BAcoN's statement was doubtless
made 40 a reply TO the plaintive assertion
uttered on the preceding day by Mr.
BRYAN at East RAdford, Va, that he
could not see why the people OF the South
should view Government ownership with
apprehension. He went on to damage
his reputation with the Southern people
for perspicuity by saying that, far from
curtailing the rights Of States, Fedora
ownership would have Just the opposite
effect; would give the States, In fact
more power than they now have. Tn,
assumption here implied 10 that loca
lines could control the interstate line.
TO which they are tributary, . proposter
Gus assumption. Mr.. BRIAN, Indeed, 3D.
mits that an things are now the Jim Grow