Smyrna times., 1906-09-05


competing with those controlled by
trust. The principle embodied in the
protective tariff has been the fruitful
source of a great deal of political corrup'
ton as well as the support of many of oui
most iniquitious trusts. 1t is difficult tc
condemn the manufacturers for uniting
to take advantage of a high tariff sched-
ule when the schedule is framed on the
theory that the industries need all the
protection given and it is not likely that
the beneficiaries of these schedules will
consent to their reduction so long as the
public waits for the tariff to be reformed
by its friends.
There never was a time when tariff
reform could be more easily entered upon,
tor the manufacturers by selling abroad
fheaper than at home. as many of them
90, have not only shown their ingratitude
toward those who built the tariff wall for
them but they have demonstrated theiI
ability to sell in competition with the
world. The high tariff has long been
burden to the consumer in the United
States and it is growing more and more
a menace to our foreign commerce be.
cause it 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.
petitors. Absolute quality of treatment
at the hands of the railways would &C
far toward crippling the trusts. and l re.
joice that the president has had the
courage to press this question upon con-
gresS. While the law. as it was finally
distorted by the senate is ont all that
could be wished 1t deserves a fair trial
Rate regulation was absolutely neces.
....I--
the unbearable conditions which previ.
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 a 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 tc
increase as rapidly throughout the coun.
try as the sentiment in favor of munici.
pay ownership has increased in the cities
Favors Public Ownership.
1 have already reached the conclusion
that railways partake so much of the
nature of a monopoly that they must
ultimately become public property anG
be managed by public officials in the in.
terest of the whole community, in ac.
cordance with the well-defined theory
that public ownership is necessary where
competition is impossible. I do not know
that the country is ready for this change
l do not know that a majority of my
own party favor it, but 1 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
ernment would result in a Capitalization
which would all but obliterate state lines
l 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 oi
my mentioning this subject, l beg to re-
mind you that the president could moi
have secured the passage of the rate bill
Hau ne not appeared 10 tne rear or the
more radical remedy of government own.
ership, and nothing will so restrain the
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.
Vate ownership.