Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-06-27
UNAMERICAN POLICY
EVIL IN PROPOSED GOVERNMENT
OWNERSHIP OF RAILROADS.
Is s~oclaIistic and Contrary to Pro-
visions of the constitution-Demo-
cratic PIap Provides o.Iy
Feasible Solution.

According to Webster's dictionary,
socialism is a social state in which
here is a community of property
among all the citizens; and the word
S said to be a new term for agrarian-
ism. A socialist is therefore a person
who advocates a community of prop
erty among all the citizens of the
state.
State socialism, or a~grarianism, is
tabooed in the federal constitution,
by which personal liberty and private
property are protected in the same
sentence and under the same words
with human life. No person shall
"be deprived of life, liberty, or proper
ty, without due process of law; nor
shall private property be taken for
public use without just compensa-
ton" These words are found in the
famous fifth amendment. The con-
stitution also guarantees the right
of the people to be secure in their per-
sons, papers, houses, and effects"
Socialism is, therefore, absolutely
inconsistent with Americanism. Yet
this does not imply that cities, coun-
ties or states may not, or should not,
build, own, and operate railroads,
turnpikes, bridges, gas works, water
works, telephone systems, street-car
lines, subways, or anything which
may properly be called a public util-
ity, any more than it implies that the
government of the union may not
own its %shipyards, gun factories, war
ships, military railway, telegraph and
cable lines; it's forts, magazines,
arsenals, dockyards and other needful
buildings" it's military and naval
stores, it's coaling stations, its nints,
it's printing establishments, etc.
The government might own and
operate a railroad for military or
naval purposes, and it does, in fact,
now W and operate a railroad in
Panama, and it is constructing a canal
there for national purposes consistent
with the constitution. But it has no
authority to own cr operate trunk
lines" engaged in ordinary interstate
commerce. Its power over such lines
is only the power to regulate" a sort
of police power entireiy distinct from
ownership, yet amply sufficient to
control all interstate commerce and
its instrumentalities. No man who
reveres the constitution or prizes in
dividual rights will ever consent to
federal ownership of trunk lines"
Because, such ownership being I'M
necessary and tending to socialism
and despotism, is un-American, and
contrary to the entire ethical and po-
litical ideals of the English-speaking
races. A leader who would advocate
such a policy would find himself at
home in a feudal monarchy, but not in
a republic.
The Democratic party, through its
leaders in 1888, devised the only con
stitutional or feasible plan for con
merce. On January 80, of that year,
Mr.. Rayner introduced in the house
of representatives a bill based on the
commerce clause of the constitution;
and on August IA, of the same year,
Mr.. Reagan introduced a similar bill
in the senate, providing for the con-
troll Of trusts, and defining a trust;
and subsequently Mr.. Bland of Mis-
souri, offered an amendment, provid-
ing that every contract or agree
ment = for transportation of
persons or property from n state
or territory into another shall be
deemed unlawful within the meaning
of this act" (21 Record, 400. This
amendment was aimed at the railroad
pools" and the Standard Oil trust
1t passed the lower house unanimous
ly, but was partly stricken out by the
senate. 1t would have rendered the
so-called Sherman antitrust act
which was really the Rayner-Reagan
bill, entirely effective. All that is now
needed is to incorporate the principle
of the old Bland amendment into the
antitrust law and increase the penal
ties for its violation by making such
violation a felony and furnishing by
Imprisonment the criminals found
guilty. 1t is as foolish, to talk of max
ing the government wi the railroads
in order to govern them as 1t would
be be to talk of making 1t own al
men in order to govern them. Gov
eminent ownership would result il
placing all railroad employees at thu
mercy Of designing politicians, anC
create the worst political machine
ever devised by man.