West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1906-09-13
KNGwooD PRESTON VIRGINIA. THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 1906

litical corruption as well as the snr.
port OF many OF our most iniouitous
trusts.
One OF the worst features OF n tarin.
levied not for revenue. but for TIA
avowed purpose OF protection, ts thai
IL fosters the idea that men should
use their votes 10 advance their own
financial interests. How can we draw
moral distinction between the man
VINO sells his vote for FIVE dollars on
election day and the manufacturer
who sells his political influence for
nfty or hundred thousand dollars,
payable In dividends? How can we
draw moral line between tho sena-
TOR or congressman elected by the
trusts To prevent hostile legislation
and the senator or congressman kept
In congress by the manufacturers to
secure friendly legislation. The party
which justified the one form OF brib-
cry cannot be relied upon To condemn
the other.
The Railroad Question.
Never was time when tariff re-
form could be more easily entered
upon, for the manufacturers by sell.
Ing abroad cheaper than at home, as
many OF them do. have not only shown
their ingratitude toward those who
built the tariff wall for them. but they
have demonstrated their ability to
sell In competition with the world
The high tarin has long been bur.
den to the consumers I'm the United
States. and II is growing more and
more a menace TO our foreign com.
merce. because II arouses resentment
and provokes retaliation.
No.
woven with the trust question. Nearly
all the private monopolies have re-
ceived rebates or secured other advan-
tages over competitors. Absolute
equality OF treatment at the hands OF
the railroads would go far toward
crippling the trusts. and rejoice that
the president has had tho COURAGE to
press this question upon congress.
While the law. as IL was finally dis.
torted by the senate. is not all that
could be- wished. II deserves fair
trial
Rate regulation was absolutely nee.
essary and II furnishes some relief
from the unbearable conditions which
previously existed but we must not
forget that the vosting OF this enor.
nous power I'm the hands OF a com.
mission appointed by the president
introduces n new danger. III an an.
pointiyo board has the power to fx
rates and can. by the exercise of that
power, Increase or decrease by hun.
dreds OF millions OF dollars tho reve.
nues OF the railroads will not the
railroads feel that they have large
pecuniary Interest in the election OF
president friendly To the railroads?
For Government own srshlp.
| have already reached the conclu-
sion that railroads pastpko so much
OF tho nature OF monopoly that they
must ultimately become public prop
crty and be m1ns god by public Off
cials In the interest of tho whole COM
munity. In accordance with the well
defined THEORY that public ownership
Is necessary where competition Ia i'm.
possible. | do not know that the coun.
try Is ready for this change. do not
know that a majority OF my own
party favor II. but | 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
tho oxtortionnto ratios for the carrying
OF freight and passengers
believing, however. that the opera.
tion OF all the railroads by the federal
government would result IN central.
ization which would all but obllterate
state lines prefer TO see only the
trunk lines operated by the federal
government and tho local lines by the
several state governments Some
have opposed this dual ownership as
impracucable, b1t investigation In
Europe has convinced me that II is
railroads OF Germany are owned by
the several states. the empire not
even owning the trunk lines. and yet
the Interstate traffic is I'm no wise
obstructed In travelling from Con.
stantinople TO Vienna one passes
through Turkey. Bulgaria. Servia.
Hungary and part OF Austria with.
out change OF cars. and yet each
country owns and operates It's own
roads and different languages are
spoken on the different divisions OF
the line.
states to Own Local Lines.
In those states where the people
arc ripe for a change the local lines
can be purchased or new lines be built
at once. while private ownership can
continue In those states I'm which the
people still prefer private ownership.
As TO the right Of the governments.
federal and state. 10 own and operate
railroads there can be no doubt. III
we can deepen the water I'm the lakes
and build connecting canals I'm order
20 cheaper railroad transportation
during haii OF the year. we can build
railroad and cheaper rates the
whole year; n we can spend several
hundred millions on the PanAma ca
nal TO lower transcOntinental rates
we can build railroad from New
York 20 San Francisco 30 lower both
tranBcontinental and local rates The
United States mall rs increasing so
rapidly that We shall soon be able 20
pay the interest on the cost Of trunk
lines out of the money which we now
pay 10 railroads for carrying through
malls.