The farmer and mechanic., 1906-09-11

remedy Tor aEECF3Uatuafi fipbS between
persons and places sud for the ak
loruoUaie rates for IN" carrying II
freight and pass ugoEs.
\ Furcoru 1e county Democrat. vha
has not been deuaoralized b. the on
slaught on BRYAN red by Speaker Can
non ANA J. Pierpont Horzan-s news
paper. has some views that w.u 20
ceiye consideration b. thoughtful
men. He writes:
II hopa I may ~ pardoncd for my
seeming teu~g-tE in taking up for
discussion 50 "eighty 4 subject as that
Of VI +. Bryan s. recent ufferaurea r.ga Ri
ing government ownership 81 rail
ways bat 1t does seem to me- too
much stress is being aid upon this
particular portion oi that great
speech Why i- it that everybody is
picking ouf this one clause and con
centratina taels attacks upon IL H.
my reading IF Ir. Iran speech /
must confess that ] HaH able to dis
Germ only the expression by hiu ni
"nat IA his opinion might De remotely
possible in th' very distant future
necessary in order to properly control
ne railroad. for tn. best interests Of
the people. II does not appear - rle
tfat ~ even hazaTJ.d Il prediction
that this would possibly bc AL issu-
ana yet Democrats are going through
publlcanS To can down their most
able IeadeH. Perhaps they have TAX
en i up with the nope of wearing II
out and making Ii iinal disposition of
1t at once 80 that it viii rot BE- likely
to show itself IN the halls Of the next
Democratic Presidential convention.
II do not believe that it was hoped
by anybody that Mr. BRYAN would
get through that receution without
saying something that would Civ" the
Republican press an opportunity to
Whack hIm Il f~W. but thin}, most Of
that his speech would be in fun ac-
cord with the Democratic principles
and 1t was. ! was not surprised. there
fore, when the Republicans made a
grand rush for this little expression.
But it seems to me that the Demo
Gratis ought to know Mr. Bryan we'll
enough to know that if he had re-
@ardcd The question of government
ownership Of railroads as being ready
To be injected, 50 to speak. into our
platform. hc would have been
heard t" assert it Boldly and une-
quivoCaIlN as such.
In the Century Magazine some
time ago. Air Bryan III an article set
forth his views very clearly on indi-
Nidualism as opp"sed To socialism and
this alone should diSpeI all doubt
as t" where he stands ON questions in
VolVing EOci&liStic tendencies"
one of tn" able2t men iii the public
service in America who is often Sc
lected by the government to make
special statistical Investigations
native North Carolinian, now residing
in Washington--in u private letter to
the editor Of this paper says:
The most important question since
the settlement OF the slavery queS-
ton, has been thrust tu the front b.
the brave, manly and wise utterance
Of Mir. Bryan upon government own
erShip of railroads. The whole coun-
try has been set aname. The question
has been discussed for years, but until
thsre came from this great man Il
positive statement upon the subject it
was not considered an issue in poll
tics, but only Il tex for the theoriSt
and agitator. Rut when this greatest
living statesman spoke it aWol<e the
conservatism of the entire
This proves the power of
the man. His position on this ques-
liOn may defeat MIN for the Presi-
dency, hut it has drawn the line be
tween greedy monopoly and the op-
pressed masses, and the friends and
enemies of Il government for the peO-
pie are taking their places for the
conflict. Mr.. Bryan'S courage and
honesty viii give him the highest
place among the statesmen OF this
age. whether he ever holds office OF
NOT.
II regret 10 see that this question
will find 50 great Il number of the
States public men arraYed on the
side of private monopoly. 1T is
pity that in 50 many men whom we
have honored the desire to hold of
flee is stronger than the desire to
be right | know that this is a queS-
ton upon which there can be honest
difference of opinion, but it is Il re
markabIe thing that the only argu-
mentS urged against government own
erShip are really among the strong
est arguments fOr it, one of these
is corruption and the other
is it will build up an impregnable po-
litical machine. 1t is a fact that near
ly all the corruption in our city. State
and national governments today grew
out Of railroads or other public util-
ity Influences. II the government own
ed these utilities there would be no
secret freight rebates, no free passes
and no lODDieS gllttering With gOld
to bride and prostitute the peoples
The fountains of corruption
ownership building up of pc
iitical oligarchv it would so interest
all the people in their government as
to make them give close attention to-
their public affairs and be the means
of destroying the rings and machines
Southern Railway from North Car
olina politics what is left of a ma
chine? If all the railroads are re-
moved from the domain of national
politics what will there be left to
threaten the destiny OF congressman
and Prcsidents2 Whcn the railroads
belong to the people. the people will
see that they are run in their own
interests, Who kept the United
States from undertaking to build the
Panama canal for forty years? The
railroads. Who with money under
took (and successfully to suhsidiZe
the press of the country and thus
poison the channel through which the
rublc IS kept informed" The rail
roads. Who strike at the heart Of
every independent editor and leave no
means untricd to accomplish his de
structiOn? The railroads. Who at
temDted to corrupt every legislator
and public officer in the land by civ
ing them faVors2 The railroads. Who
hN-