The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-02-26


getting federal improvements, politic-
al pull Is far more effective than the
just needs Of any section or any state.
We all know the trading and log roll
Ing of congress. Federal buildings
result from the politician needs Of con-
gressmen instead of from the actual
needs OF business. River and harbor
improvements sometimes go where
buiness needs them but more often
where the next election needs them
Ninety millions are spent annually in
federal improvements. It is estimated
that one half this entire amount serv-
es no other purpose than to fix the
fences of our shaky legislators. The
best men we have in congress who are
honest in voting for general legisla-
ton, when 1t comes to getting money
for their constituents, are compelled
to grab 1t from the public purse. When
congress deals out money each section
bids for the largest amount. The larg-
est amount goes to the section having
the greatest political power. The
country east of the Mississippi holds
seventy per cent of our population.
seventy-five per cent of all appropria-
tons go to that section. Under gov
eminent ownership the country east
Of the Mississippi would demand the
greatest part of railroad Improvement.
The country west of the Mississippi,
with its sparse population would Sc
cure but fraction of the new mileage
which 1t must have. In our own his
tory there is forceful illustration of
the working OF this system of appro-
priations. When the government buil+
federal wagon roads the older settled
sections got the appropriations and the
new west went without. Let the
gentlemen theorize to suit themselves.
but under government ownership con-
gress would apportion railroads inn
provements as other improvements are
apportioned among the states. Con-
gress must vote every dollar expend-
ed for every mile of new road and
every bed of new equipment and Sec
ttonal jealousy will shape legislation
IN this as In all other such matters.
Shall We place the future development
OF the country under such system?
Take an example here lat home. If
Burleigh county in the west needed
millions to develop her railroads and
Cass county In the east held the bal
ance of power, would Burleigh will
ingly place herself under the power
OF Cass and make her prosperity de-
pend upon the liberality of a rival?
In the next ten years We in North Da-
kota need five thousand miles of new
road. More than will be built in New
York. Pennsylvania, Ohio and Illinois
combined. Under government owner
ship we would have to go to the politi-
clan of those states for every extern
sion of new lines and every increase
Of equipment. Would you trust our
future development to those states
who now grab seventy-five per cent
OF federal improvements? Give to the
east the power to dictate our develop
ment; compel North Dakota to ask
New York for the railroads she needs;
place western prosperity under the
power of eastern politics and you will
stunt western development and Grip
pie every western state. In this vital
point government ownership will fail
In America. 1t will not meet our prob
lem of development.
Corrupted Graft,
The opposition have made much of
the fact that under private ownership
our railroad service and our public
servants are corrupted by graft. Can
you think of any step that will more
completely demoralize our nations
politics than placing the great army
of railway employees under govern
ment officials? A million and half
OF men would be under the power of
corrupt politicians. You may talk of
civil service, but place railway en-
ployees under the administration and
every railway superintendent will be
politician. Every station agent a
party worker, just as every post mast
er Is at present. Federal employees
would be numerous enough to decide
every presidential election and they
are bound to be used for political pur-
poses. They would mean SO many
henchmen for great federal machine.
so much more power for the corrupt
official, one more step toward perpet-
uating graft and debauching our ma
tional politics.
Will Be Bought.
We have corruption today because
our office holders can be bought. I'm
der government ownership our Office
holders can still be bought and they
will be bought. They will be dishon-
est then as they are now and their
increased opportunities for graft
would make our system infinitely
worse than 1t is today. If our Office
holders ars dishonest now, will rail-
road operation stagger them with it's
vast revenues, its fat contracts, its
political patronage waiting for the
CRATER? Under the present system
they are corrupted by contract with
the single railroad corporation. I'm
der government ownership they would
be bought in contact with every cor
poration that now does business with
the railroads. With corporations like
the steel trust and the American car
building company whose capital is
many times that of the railroads and
who are just as anxious to secure
favors. The idea of remedying cor
ruption by removing the private rail-
road is fundamentally wrong. Where
the railroad corporation now causes
no mr. ie,a, az