Omaha daily bee., 1907-03-11


ANAL "e' because General Kearny's name
was not spelled "ney," but ''ny"-speaks OF
my recent discussion of government owner
ship with the Bryan-Whitney debate for
text. My Kearny reader refers to red
rivulets," which / mentioned as certain TO
occur n condscation OF billions OF property
should ever be attempted by the federal
power. and adds;
This is needless alarm"
beg Mr. Easterlings pardon. 1 was
not In the least alarmed. / am not now
I merely meant 10, show what would happen
II It were ever possible for madmen to
dare to undertake conhscatioh Of private
property in time OF peace. - also meant
20 sharply criticise two eminent men for
coolly discussing government ownership by
using the word conhscation, although, as
I said in the closing Of the article, that
only partial conhsca ton was in the minds
Of both, through purchase of all trunk lines
of railroad by federal coercion I'm fixing
their valuation.
But Mr.. Easterling has this TO say:
Even II DR.. Miller is right In his prog
nostication, l prefer to take chances ON
securing my choice OF a president under
government ownership than to live and ale
without hope under the Harriman-Gould
regime.
l beg my good stranger friend to listen
TO me a few moments. / have nothing
further to say about the political conse-
quences of government ownership, except
a single remark; that because. and mainly
because, Just such intelligent men as Mr..
Easterling see no danger to republican gov
eminent and institutions from federal own
ership and control Of trunk lines Of rail-
road, a real danger exists that this national
calamity may come upon us.
Mr.. Easterling says he prefers to take
chances on securing his ''choice Of presi-
delt under government ownership than to
live and die without hope under the Harri-
man-Gould regime" II l did not know
from personal knowledge and experience
that my Kearny friend. and thousands Of
other good people, have been living for
years in that prosperous community In the
midst Of exceptional circumstances of pros
perity and happiness, should bow down
In profound sympathy for at least one of
its respectable citizens lived near Kear-
ny more than forty years ago when no
man ever dreamed that white men could
live on its soil. II anyone had seriously
said in those days that such-a city as
Kearny, opulent in intelligence. In happy
homes. in educational institutions, in sucn
comfort and luxury, and with 80 much of
solid wealth as now almost smother II with
lhave been promptly ahju1ged a lunatic or
"a fool II any man had then even imagined
that Buffalo county would ever raise more
bushels OF corn to the acre than any other
county in the state. which Il did actually
raise for at least eleven years, even the
Indians would have sneered him out Of
the country. My friend says in substance
that ne will live and die without hope
under the HERMAN Gould regime" With
out hope Of what, pray2
With the understanding that the Harri-
mans and Goulds include the Ames.
Dodges and Durants Of the early sixties
I'm Mr. Easterlings terrible regime, let me
tell him a little story. l must condense IT
for want OF space. At that time lived
In military garrison OF the regular army,
in plain sight OF the present beautiful city
OF Kearny. II was the pasture land OF
the buffalo. the hunting ground OF the In
dian. Peter A. Dey. first chief engineer
OF the Union Pacific railroad. said 10 me
"The locomotive viii he here IN three
years" / secuted the Idea as the alb
surd vision OF an enthusiast. Mr.. Dey
represented the Ames Durant Dodge
regime Of that day. Government subsidies
OF land and money were in front of these
great men, but investors would not advance
the money TO make good the conditions
upon MnlGn TINS uf6dQIQl regime could re-
ceive them. Durant became personally
bankrupt in lighting his way for the first
forty miles" into the Platte valley oliver
and Cakes Ames. the Boston shovemakers,
personally furnished and raked together
the money, and the transcontinental rail-
way on the line OF forty-one and half be-
came a possibility to that generation OF
men by a financial device called credit
nobiier, and also made good Mr.. Dey's
prediction that ''the locomotive would be
in the Platte valley In three years" BY
lite mighty agency a half a continent. a
great empire OF national state and In
dlvidual wealth and happiness. was con
Quered from naked barbarism to elvilza.
tion. and California and the Pacific coast
were rescued from the imminent danger
Of falling into rebellion ana secession
from the union. Credit mobiiier was ex
sorated by the people as a crime. Oake,
Amss was expelled from congress for. hi
part in II, and died prematurely Of a broker
heart. And yst--and yeti speak with
knowledge when I say that th'
Pacific railroad would never have beer
built east OF the Tooth meridian through
the Platte valley TO Omaha and Chicag'
but for the French financial scheme tina
bore the name Of credit mobllier. Goorg
Francis Train brought the law frou
France, had Il enacted In Pennsylvania
and he was the man who taught Ames
Durant and Dillon how 70 use A. This 4
uarriman-oould regime No. !.
Next came Jay Gould In person. who be
came controlling owner OF the property
Millions had been previously expended b!
regime No. In advertising tfss now Ian,
and IN planting populations upon aitsrnat
sections embraced In the land grants. BIO
millions OF acres there was not market a
Any price west OF Columbus. There wa
10 freight or passenger trafio at that time
Mr.. Gould's ownership was eoincident will
what h remembered as tragedy o
drought and grasshoppers that PRACTICAL,
destroyed the corn crop ana ali other crops
Thousands were driven from their homes
Live stock was given away and shipped int
Iowa az enormous loss. Mr.. Gould hinlsel
was on the scene OF suffering and sorroW
He conferred with the relief. COMMITTEES
EUd mVoh with the then editor Of IN
Omaha Daily Herald His new propert
seemed 10 DO damaged beyond repair, Wha
did Mr. Gould do3 He opened his road 10
free transportation over his whole line 10
supplies 70 the needy. He ordered. in ma
pressace. Is his personal subscription 10