The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-09-07
BRYAN ON PARAMOUNT ISSUES.

BRYAN ON PARAMOUNT ISSUES.
While a few jealous party leaders
may jump before the public gaze and
declare that the principals Of REFORM
advocated by William Jennings Bryan
in his Madison Square garden speech,
are radical and unsOund, yet the great
mass OF common people who have
felt the oppression Of the trusts, the
burden and injustice Of railroad dis
elimination, and the oppression Of
plutOCracy. will nevertheless look to
the great Nebraskan, who is today
speaking for the future Of our cOun-
try.
In his political philosophy, he goes
back to first principals, declares for
the income tax, which has the in
r. dOrsement Of the most conservative
countries in the Old World; he de-
clares that the disputes between Ia
Dor and capital, in such large COntrO-
versies, Affecting hundreds Of en-
plOyes and thousands and thousands
OF people who depend upon the pro-
ducts Of labor for their sustenance,
should come within the range Of some
judicial tribunal, which has the DOW
er TO force its decisions upon the par
ties to the controversy; he declares for
an eight-hOur day, which he says has
become an international struggle, sure
to be settled in favor OF the working
man. He would raise the condition
Of such, 50 that, besides being a labor
err the working. man would have time
to study the political questions, that
he might be an intelligent sovereign.
To drive him from his bed to his task,
and from his task back to his bed,
makes OF him a beast of burden, and
not an intelligent citizen.
Mr.. Bryan declares that the para
mount issue OF today, as it has been
in the past, IS the control, and even de-
stTuctiOn, OF the trust system in this
country. He raised considerable an
tagOnism among some OF the party
leaders by his declaration for the
government ownership Of railroads
which, however, in the course OF time
Will mark not only the theory OF our
future political life, but its practice
also:
4 have already reached the con-
ClusiOn that railroads partal<e so much
OF the nature OF a monopoly that they
must ultimately become public pro
perry and be managed by public off,
Gals in the interest OF the whole COM
muntty, In accordance with the we'll
defined theory that public ownership
Is necessary where competition is i'm
possible do not know that the cOun-
try is ready for this change. I do
not know that a majority Of my own
party favOrs IL, but I believe that an
increasing number Of the members Of
all parties see In public ownership the
sure remedy for discrimination be-
TWEEN persons and politics, and for the
freight and passengers
Believing however, that the Oper-
alton OF all the railroads by the fed
eTal government would result in a
Capitalization Of power which would
all but Obliterate state lines, prefer
to see only the trunk lines operated
by the federal government and the To-
cal lines by the several state govern
menCs- Some have opposed this dual
ownership as fmpracticable but in
vestigatiOn in Europe has convinced
me that IL IS entirely practicable. The
ownership and operation OF the local
lines by the several state governments
IS not only feasible but It suits itself
to the conditions existing in the vari-
Gus states. In those states where the
people are ripe for a change the local
lines can be purchased or new lines
be built at once, while private owner
ship can continue In those states in
ownership. Some states have been
more careful than others to prevent
the watering OF stock. and in the ac-
Quiring OF roads each state can act
according to the situation which II has
TO meet" -
withaI, the safer advice in the
democratic party today shows that
Mr.. Bryan's speech was safe and con-
sentative. His visit and investigation
in other countries during the last year
has so braOadened his views OF states
manshfp as to enable him to map out
for the struggling forces OF This won
derful country, a political philosophy
that has for its end and purpose, equal
rights for all and special privileges for
none.