Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-01-25
Mr.. eRYAN'S ADDRESS.


public sentiment in this direction ; that
a city can do its own work cheaper
than it can let it out. In the begin
ming Of course, a corporation comes
in and is willing to invest its money,
for the people say they are not quite
ready, and as soon as this company
goes in then it begins to water its
stock and the people become aroused
and try to regulate rates, the corpora.
ton commences to corrupt councilmen,
and we have q spectacle OF eminently
respectable men who stand we'll in
church and society secretly furnishing
corruption funds to purchase votes and
corrupt legislators and the public has
been compelled ss a matter of SELF
preservation to step in and do the
work itself, and the tendency is not
only in this country, put in every
country, to assume control OF munich
pal franchises, and it has been found
satisfactory.
Take Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska:
Omaha has private system; Lincoln
has . system Of its own. The people
of Lincoln dig wells and get their
water for one.half tho cost that has to
be paid in Omaha, where the water is
taken from the river that flows by the
town.
GET A MAXIMUM DIVIDEND.
As . rule, there has been a very
material reduction in the cost of SER
vice, and usually an increase in the
wages of employees. and lessening oil
hours of labor, under municipal con-
troll. found in England that when
ever they chartered corporation in q
city for municipal plant they pro.
vided for . maximum dividend; that
is, the corporation is not allowed to
pay more than a certain dividend
upon stock, and l believe it is q good
plan.
As long as we permit franchises to
be used, and l think that no franc hise
should he permitted without the vote
Of the people of the city. let the people
themselves decide whether they want
q franchise, and then fix maximum
figure. 90 that when that dividend is
reached in their earnings whatever is
over and above that shall be used for
the reduction Of the price Of the SER
vice. Why should it not be donef
Why give away great functions to the
corporationsf They come and they
tell you that they have figured that
they can only make about q certain
sum.
Now, just let them put il in q con.
tract that they do not make more than
that. What have you nowf Within
year the franchise is listed on the
market for . million or two million
dollars. II il gift to the corpora zion,
and where that gift is tolerated it
always results in the corruption OF the
people who give away what does, not
belong to them; what belongs TO the
public. 1 believe there should be .
very short limit on the franchises;
the tendency is all towards limita ton
and . shorter Limitation, and there
should be in every franchise . limita.
ton that the public can at any time
take the property upon equitable
terms.
Now, my friend, speak OF this be.
cause these problems must b met ;
every Legislature has 70 deal with them,
and the only question is whether they
shall bs dealt with an eye single 10 the
interest Of the public, or whether they
sre 10 be dealt with for tho benefit OF
the people who want something 1t tho
expense OF the people, and this brings
mo to the last point that / want to
present-tbe basis of reward.
CONFLICT WITH SOCIALISM.
We have 10 this country . threat
ened conflict between two great
Observation-Disclosures and socialism.
Now. the difference between these two
ideas is . very marked one; the in.
dividusls believe that society % Q
whole will be bettered il the indiyid-
ual 10 stimulated to the largest, best
efforts. The Socialists believe that
society will be bettered IL the govern.
ment takes possession OF all the means
OF production and transportation and
thus becomes employer Of the large
majority if not practically all OF the
people. ,
In al countries you will End this
subject more or less discussed. Now
this question 10 going to be determined,
take it, upon the consideration OF the
question OF rewards-what ought the
reward OF man to bei
want to present this theory consis.
tent in individuslism. for am an in.
dividualist. % contradistinguished from
the confirmed Socialist. believe tina,
wherever competition 10 possible We
ought to have it. l do not regard
competition - . destructive force.
The Socialist aims TO eliminate com.
petition because it 10 an evil. The in.
dividuslist aims to protect competition
because IL is good. According TO this
distinction l am an individualist, but
l want to suggest to you that the only
way in which individualism can pro.
tect itself is by throwing off the load
that has been put upon it by individ-
ualists themselves. = Z
The thing that gives the Socialists
strength Is the fact that they can
point to conditions whereby Q few
people have been garnering in the
wealth that the many have produced.
APPROVES RoosEvELr's WORK.
| want to take this occasion 10
express my appreciation of what Tho
President has recently done on this
subject. He has spoken of stolen
fortunes. He has suggested an in.
come tax.
The President and I do not BELONG
to the same party. He was . candi.
date on the ticket in 1900 for Vice
President when / was on the other
side. When l was . candidate in
1896, he was on the stump against our
party, and 90 think it is sufficiently
clear that we are not politically idsnti.
fed. (Laughter.)
Yet / want to say to you that !
think he has done this nation a great
service iu calling attention to the
inequality in the distribution OF wealth.
(Applause.)
It is not safe to predict in regard 70
q man while the man lives, and We
| cannot ALWAYS agree upon a r.n,e