The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1907-10-22
UNFAIR TO MR.. BRYAN.

It is remarkable how many well in
formed editors get wrong on some
matters. During the last week the
Boston Herald said Mr.. Bryan was
making himself ridiculous In crt-
ITCHING Mr.. Ro~osevelt's policy Of ex-
elusive federal control of railroads as
tending TO Capitalization while himself
declaring that if regulation fails We
must ultimately have government own
ership of railroads.. The Norfolk Viz
gilman quotes Mr.. Bryan as saying.
The great mass of the people are
Democrats when you begin to talk
about States rights" and the Virginian
makes this comment:
Even so. And that was the reason
why his (tentative) proposition fo:
government ownership of the rall-
roads received no more cordial rece1~
ton rom the Democrats thar did Mr..
Roosevelt's suggestion of a Federal
license for such corporations
Evidently the Herald and the vtr-
gilman have forgotten what Mr.. Bryan
said about government ownership of
railroa DIS, for they seem to think he
wished the Fedora government to W
the railroads if regulation fails. Moth
ing was farther from Mr.. Bryan's po-
sition. for he distinctly declared that
if ownership should come the Federal
Government should own only the great
trunk lines while the other lines
should be owned by the State govern
ments. He pointed out the danger to
Capitalization in Fedora ownership
and has always held to the view that
C.,nI Ayr1a o~Chiy x,N,Jl ho n-,,
showing thai he is as devoted to the
doctrine of States Rights AS the Viz
ginian and entertains the same "ap-
prehension of further ACKNOWLEDGMENT
of the Federal powers, which arc al
ready intrusive upon the affairs of the
citizens to an extent never dreamed
of by the makers of the Constitution"
Mr.. Roosevelt threatened the rail-
roads that if they did not accep Ted
eral control they would have to accept
Federal ownership; Mr.. Bryan express
&c the view that if regulation fails.
ownership of trunk ines by the Fed
eral government and of local lines by
State governments would come and
that the Federal government should
fully regulate Interstate traffic and
each State government fully regulate
intra-State traffic. This shows tina
the Boston Herald is wide of the mark
when in criticizing Mr.. Bryan TO- op-
posing Mr.. Roosevelt's contradiction,
it says: For a man in the wate- up
to his armpits to rail at one who is
wetting his ankles is amusing Mr.
Bryan's idea that if we are driven to
ownership ultimately" the State must
own the local lines and the Federal
government the grand trunk lines may
not be practical, but it certainly shows
that he is very far from believing in
Capitalization in the railroad mat
ter, as a reader of the Virginia. ana
Herald would inter. 1t should be OBJ
served, also, that there is no more
warrant to criticize Mr.. Bryan for
saying ultimate" State and Federal
ownership of railroads will come than
for criticizing Mr.. Roosevelt for pre-
dieting Federal government ownership
unless the railroads accept regulation.
Both are prophecies, hinged upon
certain contingencies, and there is no
suggestio. that Mr.. Bryan favors gov
ownership, with State rights
preserved, until every effort is exhaust
ed for full regulation, which will ut
the best REQUIRE a long time.