The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1906-09-20
SHAW VS. BRYAN.

Secretary Shaw is the man who
has been chosen as the one man in all
| the United States to answer the in
fammatory hurrah of William Jen-
nings Bryan. The Secretary's keen
logic goes through Bryan's rain bow
slush like butchers cleaver through
mess of flesh sausage. Mr.. Shaw
has no patience with the Bryan none
tary views. No more than he had in
1895 and 1896, and points out the fact
that Bryan recants nothing, but con-
tinues to hold the spectre of free sill
yer over the people to haunt them.
Mr.. Shaw has in the past complete
ly riddled Bryan's pet theories of free
silver and in his speeches this year
he undertakes to puncture Bryan's
latest fad of National ownership of
railroads complicated by state owner
ship of branch lines.
AS with all of Mr.. Bryan's theories
this new one sounds we'll. 1t appeals
to the theorisr. But Mr.. Shaw is
not theorist. He is a Yankee, of
the plain, practical, business type and
theories, as theories, do not appeal to
him. Nothing is good theory that is
not good business, is the doctrine
according to Shaw.
Without entangling himself in the
meshes Of Bryan's phantasies Mr..
Shaw goes right to the heart of
things. Is government ownership
practical, is it good business. Does
the past history of our government
show that it is the best equipp ed
means for carrying on such vast I'M
dertakings.
1t must be confessed that the Sec
retarv paints no very bright pictures
of the success of government along
business lines, and still we know that
/ this ineffectiveness exists in all
governments. The Secretary tells us
that if the Treasury department was
a bank he could run it with one thiro
the number of employees. He tell:
!. US that the Chicago postoffice was 81
long in building that the demands o:
the Office grew more rapidly than il
did, but that even then it was erected
: with greater speed than the majorit,
! of public buildings. He uses as
: homely illustration real estate dea
e of his own in East Boyer township
He received an offer by wire and b.
e wire instructed his agent to use hi
e own judgment and by wire learne
r that the deal was made. If this ha
z been government sale such trans
S action would have been scandalous
Future congresses would have raved
. committees would have investigated
n and charges of graft would have bee
e rife.
d The government plan would hav
! been to have sent appraisers to valu
d the land, bids would have been ad
d vertised for and the sale would hav
n been made after weeks of delay an
Y large expense. The Secretary point
i out that officials dare not sell wor
j out piece of furniture or a broke
down old horse without going thrcug
!. a similar process. Further, inves
k tigating the feasibility of Bryan
e plan, Mr.. Shaw very pertinently ask
C if any one thinks there could b
II hourly service between Philadelphi
a and New York under government
a ownership unless like service wer
IS given between the homes of Senate
" Oil and Senator Sorghum. He point
to the many extravagances of tn
e river and harbor bills and says tina
e such cannot be passed unless almos
It useless appropriations are made t
e satisfy different members and so ge
n their votes.
S Mr.. Shaw's argument agains
II government ownership, is, it must b.
d confessed, the strongest possible in
S dictment against popular government
Seldom have the shortcomings of on
: form of government been more merci
; lessly laid bare. Mr. Shaw simpl
e tells what he knows of governmental
Y inefficiency as compared with corpor
e ate business methods. He does no
n argue that what ever is, is right; bu
S he assures us that what is, is. an
t that it cannot be changed until hu
S man nature changes. He furthe
points out the danger of government
e ownership in fastening upon thi
S country bureaucracy such as Russi;