The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-06
HRTAKTS ISSUE WITH BRYAN.
SENATOR DANIEL OPPOSES GOV
EMINENT OWNERSHIP.

ne Says Experiments in ina Direction ny
me states Have Proved nasastPeas
abundance Of Other Issues 70 OoOapg
n . tho Highest Faculties % the resves.
WASHINGTON, Sept. &-SenAtor John
w, Haniel Of Virginia, the man who led the
Bryan forces successfully against David
D. Nh In the Chicago convention Of ieee.
arrived In Warrington to-day. When bis
-atts1Eion was called to Mr.. Bryan's state
mone that no had not seen the names OF
any Southern Democrats who disapproved
Of his Government ownership views, Sena-
cor Daniel agreed to say something.
Il heard every word Of the powerful
npesuh,' said Senator Daniel, and agreed
20 0per cent. Of IL. Iregretted the deciara-
tion In favor Of Government ownership
Of trunk line railways and State ownership
Of State lines. Our experiences In Viz
Rinia In the matter OF State participation
were so disastrous and so burdensorne to
our taxpayers that We are just emerged
froan the financial troubles brought upon.
W, and our Constitution, by general A.
cent, has a clause which forbids county
or State subscriptions to railroad bailding.
whae may come to pass In the future Of
the world no man may now read. but ]
do not believe the people OF this country
nor the Democratic party 10 in y OF
Government ownership OF railroads.
20 . difficulty in the way Of Govern
ment ownership Is that the roads would at
once become politicated.' IL would cost
the Government more than II would cost
anybody else TO run the roads, and those
employed in their operation would con-
centrate themselves to control candidates
md elections and become in fact a nxed
part OF political and governmental ma
chibery. They wouli be regulars instead
Of militia. / fear that while we would find
Ourselves out OF the frying a. we would
also find ourselves in the fire.
Experiments Of cities and towns in mu-
nicipBl ownership Of public utilities are
unobjectionsble. Our country is the
grestsst experiment. station Of the uni
verse, and by experiments here and there
one State and one city sees the good points
Of things and gradually, as in the invdntive
arts, works out improvements, The ques-
ton u one which we must consider most
sedetely, and by no n ems allow ourselves
10 be appropriated to the policy OF Govern
ent ownership.
we have, and Mr.. Bryan has himself
shown 1t in bis able speech, an abundance
OF issues continued the Senator. 1T
seems TO mo that the campaign should be
fought out upon them. Even II thls issue
Of Government ownership Of railways be a
wise one II is premature, n we have a
plenty 10 occupy the highest faculties and
beat efforts Of our people. Mr.. Bryan him
self Indicated the consolidating tendencies
OF Government ownership. and showed
that he himself fears il, and he may not re-
gard 1t ~ essential to party action. It Is
70 DO remembered that the Democratic
party, so far from favoring such a PROPOSE.
ton, has always been in principle pom the
adverse side, and many Democrats have
long expressed themselves against IL In
addresses perhaps little noticed because
il was not q live issue. l have myself OPP
posed such q policy onoe or twice In public
addresses.
THE Democratic party must get together
II 10 expects TO lead the country, and there
Is abundance OF room In the current opinion
Of all Democrats for a broad and deep basis
upon which success could be hopefully
prediceted. On all new ideas and in all
unfricd schenes we should go slowly, and
not attempt to make them the oreeds Of .
partyse faith until they have first demon
strated themselves to be for the public
S0ur people Of the South have just gotten
through a evolutionary epoch n are
naturally hows the best cogitation. They
are not fire eaters nor agitatore. and II /
knoa their mood Alright Il is the mood Of
conservatism, which might be expected
ITUIu ultGIDIugu sd " OIhn
times turbulent and sometimes complicated
conditions. Their mood inspires caution,
prudence and elaboration, and conjuree
: against hAsty opinions or action. They
should balance their judgments we'll, and
doubtless will, before they allow them
selves to DO committed to any scheme 30
great, so far reaching and so foreign to
the ideals with which they are indOctri-
mated. Imperial governments can better
handle such schemes than O republic, and
sfNNh a aahRfn0 might aHlRrla0 In A nnTnaQf
empire whom II would fail in q republic,
and especially in SO vast and widely diver
sified q republic as our own.
Besides this, when others are expert
monfinky IL takes time to work out any
result worthy TO be made a model. What
do ne know of the state Of the experiment
made in Bulgaria, Servla or Russian The
infuencee OF consolidation IN this country
are already 30 powerful and 80 widespread
that one wh0 loves the people and Who de-
sires to preserve them as a living ana ever
potent factor IN thsiP concerns should
be al0w to create a permanent factor OF
consolidation which II would take genera
tions OF turmoil and strife TO get rid OF, II
it went III, a. il has gone In 10 many minor
experiments already made by 80 many OF
our States. The history Of national partici-
patton. in our traneoontinental railways
only. llustrates and emphasizes this view.
Mr.. Bryan Is so powerful a champion OF
popular rights and 80 interesting and at
t~raottve q person-in tact, a good man
that no disaTTns those who crlticlse him.
] admire him very much and fesl he has
great talents for good. There 10 a plenty
Tor him TO do In unfolding the broad princi-
pies Of Democracy and defining the issues
that are upon US. The people raised the
,--ues that they must solve. He has we'll
: treated them for the most part. He can
be their powerful and useful exponent. l
hope this new issue will be long and patiently
examined before no or anybody undertakes
to graft L on the Democratic creed. We
have really two years TO look carefully
into il, and men Of regard for the public
good will hardly adopt a new notion Of such