The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-08-31


it is legitimate for him to vote for con-
gressmen, whatever their opinions on
other subjects may be, If they will legis-
late larger dividends into his pockets
sheep growers have been encouraged to
believe that they should have no higher
aim in Voting than to raise the price of
wool; and laborng men have been urged
to make their wages their only concern.
For generation the fat has been fried
cut of the manufacturers by the republic
can congressman, and then the manu-
facturers have been reimbursed by legis-
1ation. with the public conscience edu-
Gated to believe this open purchase of leg
islation was entirely proper. No wonder
that insurance companies have used the
money of their policyholders to carry
elections no wonder that trusts have
FASTENED to purchase immunity from pun
ishment with liberal donations. How can
we draw moral distinction between the
man who sells his vote for S. on election
day and the manufacturer who sells his
political influence for fifty or one hundred
thousand dollars payable in dividends?
How can we draw a moral line between
the senator 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?
Il ne party WHICH JuSIHeS the one loTil
of bribery cannot be relied on to condemn
the other. There never was time when
tariff reform could be more easily en-
tered upon for the manufacturers by SELL
ing abroad cheaper than at home, as
many of them do, have not only shown
their ingratitude towards those who built
the tariff wall for them, but they have
demonstrated their ability to sell in com
petition with the world. The high tariff
has long been a burden to the consumers
in the United States, and 1t is growing
more and more menace to our foreign
commerce because 1t arouses resentment
and provokes a retaliation.
Railroad Question interviewer.
1.-THE railroad question is also inter-
woven with the trust question. Nearly
all the private monopolles have received
rebates or secured other advantages over
competitors. Absolute equality of treat
ment at the hands of the railroads would
go far toward Gripping the trusts, and l
rejoice that the President has had the
courage to press the question upon con-
gress While the law as 1t was finally
distorted by the Senate is not all that
could be wished II deserves a fair trial.
Rate regulation was absolutely neces-
sary and 1t furnishes some relief from
the unbearable conditions which previous
ly existed: but we must not forget that
TIC NtSliiiS VI THIS tnOTlnOuH power III In6
hands of the commission appointed by the
President introduces new danger If an
appointive board has the power to fix
rates, and can by the exercise of that
power increase or decrease by hundreds
of millions of dollars the annual revenue
OF the railroads. will the railroad feel that
they have a large pecuniary interest in
the election of President friendly to the
railroads? Experience has demonstrated
that municipal corruption is largely trace
able to the fact that franchise corpora
lions desire to control the City Coun-
ell and thus increase their dividends. If
their managers adopt the same policy,
sentiment In favor Of ownership OF the
railroads by the government is likely to
increase as rapidly throughout the coun-
try as the sentiment in favor of munich
pal ownership has Increased in the cities.
Ultimately Become public Property.
81 have already reached the conclusion
that railroads partake so much of the ma
ture of the monopoly that they must ul-
timately become public property and be
managed by public officials in the interest
of the whole community in accordance
with the well defined theory that public
ownership Is necessary where competition
Is impossible. | don't know that the coun-
try is ready for this change. | don't know
that a majority of my own party favors
II, but ] believe that an increasing num-
Der of the members OF all parties see In
public ownership the sure remedy fof
determinations between persons and poll
tics, and for the extortionate rates for
the carrying of freight and passengers
Believing, however, that the operation
of all the railroads by the federal govern
ment would result in Capitalization
which would all but oblterate state lines,
| prefer to see only the trunk lines OBJ
araf aH latff oil mt ma
the local lines by the several state gov
ernments.
Conditions In Europe.
Some have opposed this dual owner
ship as lmpraptieable. but investigation
in Europe has convinced me that It is
entirely practicable. Nearly all the rail-
roads of Germany are own Il by The sew
p'sl s,aies the npire not e-'en own hs
the trunk lines, and yet the intersta. q
traffic is in no wise CbsiruCted In tray
cling from Constantinople to Vienna one
passes through Turkey, Bulgaria. Servla
Hungary and part OF Austria without q
change of cars, and yet each country
owns and operates its own railroads and
different languages are spoken on the
different divisions of the line. Sweden
and Norway each owns it's railroads.
but they have no trouble about interstate
traffic. although their political relations
are somewhat strained The ownership
and operations of local lines by the sew
eral state governments Is not only feast
BILE, but 1t suits itself to the condition
existing in the various states. In those
safes where the people are ripe for a
change, the local lines can be purchased
or new lines built at once. while private
ownership can continue ins in these states
in which the people still prefer private
ownership. Some states have been more
careful than others to prevent the water
ing of stock and in the acquiring of
roads, each state can act according to
the situation which It has to meet.
No Doubt of the Right.
"As to the right OF the government,
federal and state to own and operate
railroads. there can be no doubt. II
we can deepen the water in the lakes
and build connecting canals in order to
cheaper railroad transportation during
part of the year, we can build a railroad
and cheaper rates all the year. If we
can spend several hundred millions on
the Panama canal to lower trans-conti-
mental rates. we can build railroad
from New York to San Francisco to
lower both trans-continental and local
rates. The United States mail Is in
creasing so rapidly that we shall soon
be obliged to pay the interest on the cost
of trunk lines out of the money which
we now pay to. railroads for carrying
through mails.
"If any of you question the propriets
of my mentioning this subject, | beg to
remind you that the President could not
have secured the passage of the rate bill
had he not appealed to the fear of the
ership, and nothing will so restrain the
railroad magnates from attemDtinR In