The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-07-23
BRYAN'S POSITION.
Government Ownership of Railroads
Not an Immediate Issue, Declar-
es the Great Nehraskan.

William J. Bryan issues the follow
ing statement:
"Government ownership is not an
immediate issue. \ large majority Of
the people still: hoTe for effective reg
ulation; While they so hope, they
will not consider. government owner
ship. While many Democrats believe
and Mr. Bryan is one Of them, that
public ownership in railroads is the
untime;e so;Etion tcc the problem,
still, those who believe that the pub
lie will finally in self defence be driv-
en- to ownership, recognize that regu-
lation must be tried under the most
favorable circumstances before the
masses will be ready to try a more
radical remedy.
"Regulation can not be sufficiently
tried within the next year. There is
no desire ?nywhere to make govern
ment ownership an issue in 1908.
Mr.. Bryan fllly agrees with those
: who believe that it would be unwise
t. turn attent;.'n from regulation, on
which the people are ready to act, to
government 0 vnership, on which the
people are not ready 70 act. To in
ject the government ownership ques-
ton into the next campaign, would
simply give representatives Of the
railroads a chance to dodge the issue
Of regulation and deceive the public.
$50 far, the railroads have been
successful in preventing effective fed
eral regulation, and State regulation
has as a rule been restrained by the
Uuited States courts. It is about 20
years since the interstate commerce
commission was created. It required
about 10 years for the court to find
out that the powers conferred were
insufficient and then it took about
10 years to procure an amendment
The railroads fought the amendment
at every step, and the president was
finally forced 10 compromise with the
railroad Republicans Of the senate in
order to procure their support.
"Even that amendment, obtained
with tremendous effort, falls short Of
what it should be. It aims to stop
passes and rebates. The railroads
profit by both the stoppage of re-
bates and the prohibition Of passes,
but extortionate rates still exist.
State legislation for the reduction Of
rates has resulted in an agitation on
the part Of the railroads for legisla-
ton which will deprive the State Of
authority and eentralize all rate legis-
lation in congress.
"The Democratic party must meet
the issue presented; it must resist the
encroachments on the authority Of
the States. It must insist upon the
exercise Of federal power for the reg
ulation Of interstate commerce and it
must insist upon the exercise Of State
authority for the exercise of all of the
power vested in the State. This
question has grown in Importance dur
ing the past year and its prominence
will be increased if any attempt is
made to impair State authority. The
Republican party is as impotent to
regulate the railroads as it is to ex-
terminate the trusts and to reform
the tariff.
"The Republican party has in three
national campaigns demanded efec-
tive railroad regulation, while the
Republican national platforms have
been silent on the subject. The pres
ident has partly adopted the Demo-
cratic view on this subject, but so far
the Republican leaders have resolute-
ly opposed it. The president is help
ing to educate the people up to the
need Of railroad regulation, but his
party, under its present leadership. is
powerless to accomplish this or any
other important reform. IF the Dem
ocratic party vii clearly and unequiv-
ocally demand first, the ascertaining
of the value Of all the railroads; sec
ond, the preventing of over-capitali-
zation; and, third, the reduction Of
rates to a point where they will yield
only reasonable return on the real
value Of the roads. it will commend
itself not only to Democrats but to
those Republicans who have been led
to study the railroad question. The
railroad situation presents a vital
issue and the issue should be so stat