The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1906-09-06

States and it is growing more and more
q menace to our foreign commerce De-
cause 1t arouses resentment and pro-
vokes retaliation.
The Railway Question.
The railway question is also interviewer
with the trust question. Nearly all the
private monopolies have received rebates
or secured other advantages over COM
petftors Absolute quality OF treatment
at the hands of the railways would go
far toward Gripping the trusts. and re-
joice that the president has had the
courage to press this question upon con-
gress. While the law, as 1t was hnally
distorted by the. senate, Is ont ali that
could be wished 1t deserves fair trial.
Rate regulation was absolutely neces-
sary, and it furnishes some relief from
the unbearable conditions which prevf.
ously existed, but we must not forget
that the vesting of this enormous power
In the hands of a commission appointed
by the president introduces a new dan
ger. If an appointive board has the
power to fix rates, and can, by the ex-
ercise of that power, increase or decrease
by hundreds of millions of dollars the
annual revenues of the railways, will not
the railways feel that they have large
pecuniary interest in the election of
president friendly to the railways? Elk
perience has demonstrated that municipal
corruption is largely traceable to the
fact that franchise corporations desire
to control the city council, and thus in
crease their dividends. If the railawy
managers adopt the same policy the SEN
timent in favor of the ownership of the
railways by the government is likely to
increase as rapidly throughout the coun.
try as the sentiment in favor of munich
pay ownership has Increased in the cities.
Favors Public Ownership.
! have already reached the conclusion
that railways partake SO much of the
nature Of a monopoly that they must
ultimately become public property and
be managed by public officials in the in.
terest of the whole community, In &C.
cordance with the well-def1ned theory
that public ownership is necessary where
competition is impossible. / do not know
that the country is ready for this change.
I do not know that majority OF my
own party favor it, but I believe that
an increasing number of the members
Of all parties see in public ownership the
sure remedy for Determinations between
persons and places, and for the extor-
tionate rates for the carrying of freight
and passengers.
Believing however, that the operation
of all the railways by the federal gov
eminent would result in a Capitalization
which would all but obliterate state lines,
I prefer to see only the trunk operated
by the federal government and the local
lines by the several state governments.
If any of you question my propriety OF
my mentioning this subject, L beg to re-
mind you that the president could not |
have secured the passage of the rate bill |
had he not appealed to the fear of tbs |
more radical remedy of government own
ership, and nothing will so restrain tbs |
railroad magnates from attempting to |
capture the interstate commerce commits |
sion as the same fear. The high-handed |
manner in which they have violated law |
and ignored authority, together with the |
corruption discovered in high places, has |
done more to create sentiment in favor |
of public ownership than all the speeches |
and arguments of the opponents of pri. |
waite ownership.
Trusts VS.. LandIordism.
Landlordism, the curse of Europe, is al |
innocent institution in comparison with |
the trust, when the trust is carried to its |
logical conclusion. The man that argues |
that there is an economic advantage III |
private monopoly is aiding socialism. The |
socialist, asserting the economic super. |
iority of the monopoly, insists that it: |
benefits shall accrue to the whole PEG. |
pie, and his conclusion cannot be denied |
If the superiority of monopoly is admit |
ted. The Democratic party, if l under |
stand it's position, denies the economic as |
we'll as the political advantage of private |
monopoly and promises to oppose it wher- |
ever it manifests itself. 1t offers an |
alternat tive, competition where competi. |
ton is possible and public monopoly |
wherever circumstances are such as tc |
prevent competition. |
Opposes Socialism.
Socialism presents a consistent theory
but a theory which, in my judgment, does |
not take human nature into account. Its |
strength is in its attack upon evils the |
existence of which is confessed. Its weak |
ness is that it would substitute new |
disease-if rot worse one-for the dis |
ease from which we suffer. The socialist |
is honest in the belief that he has found |
4 remedy for human ills, and he must be |
answered with argument, not with abuse. |
The best way to oppose socialism is to |
the abuses which have grown uE |
under individualism, but which are not q |
aeccEsary part of individualism. and the |
sooner the remedy is applied the better.
Plutocracy is abhOrrent to d republic; |
ii is more despot;c than monarchy. more
heartless than aristocracy, more selfish /
than bureaucracy. 1t preys upon the ma.
ton in time of peace and conspires /
against it in the hour of it's calamity.
compassionless and de.
EOlu Oh WlSuOn, IL eneFNdteS us VOtarlcS
while it impoverishes its victims. 1t il
already sapping the strength of the ma.
ton. vulgarizing social life and making
a mockery of morals. The time is ripe for
it's overthrow. Let US attack it boldly |
making our appeal TO the awakened con.
science of the nation in the name of the |
which it has defiled, in the
name of business honor which it has sui. |
lied. in the name of the people whom II
has oppressed. in the name of the homes
which it has despoiled and in the name
of religion upon which it has placed the |
stigma, of hypocricy.
cold taken at this time OF the year is gen
rally hard to get rid of but it will not be