The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-06-28
UNAMERICAN POLICY
EVIL IN PROPOSED oovERNNs EMIT
OWNERSHIP OF RAILROADS.
Is Soclalistlc and Contrary TO Pro.
visions Of the Constitution-Demo-
cratic Plan Provides Only
Feasible Solution.

According to Webster's dictionary
socialism Is a social state in which
there is community OF property
among all the citizens; and the word
10 said To be Il new term for agrarian.
ism A socialist Is therefore a person
who advocates community Of prop
crty among all the citizens of the
state.
state socialism, or agrarianism, Is
iabooed 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
~, 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
Mis- does not imply that cities, coun
tics or states may not, or should not,
build. own, and operate railroads,
turnpikes, bridges, gas works, water
works, telephone systems. streetcar
lines, subways, or anything which
may properly be called a public util.
ity, any more than II implies that the
government of the union may not
own its shipyards, gun factories, war.
ships, military railway, telegraph and
cable lines; its forts. magazines,
arsenals, dockyards and other necdful
buildings its military and naval
stores, its coalinE stations, its minis.
its printing establishments. etc.
The government might own and
operate a railroad for military or
naval purposes, and II does, in fact,
now own and operate a railroad in
Panama, and it is constructing canal
there for national purposes consistent
with the constitution. But 1t has no
authority to own or operate trunk
lines engaged in ordinary interstate
commerce. Its power over such lines
IS only the power to regulate" sort
OF police power entirely distinct from
ownership, yet amply sufficient TO
control all interstate commerce and
its instrumentalities No man who
rcveres the constitution or prizes in
diYidual rights will ever consent to
federal ownership OF trunk lines"
Because, such ownership being un
necessary and tending to socialism
and despotism, Is un.American. and
contrary to the entire ethical and 20
liucal Ideals of the English-speaking
races. 4 leader who would advocate
such a policy would find himself at
home In feudal monarchy, but not IN
republic.
The Democratic party, through its
leaders in 1855. devised the only con.
stitutional or feasible plan for con
trolling interstate and foreign com
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 H. of tue same year
Mr. Reagan introduced similar bill h,
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 one state
or territory into another shall be
deemed unlawful within the meaning
OF this act" (2l Record 400. This
amendment was aimed at the railroad
pools and the Standard oil trust
II passed the lower house unanimous
~, 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
tics for It's violation by making such
violation n felony and furnishing by
Imprisonment the criminals found
guilty. II Is as foolish to talk of max
Ing the government own the railroads
In order to govern them as It would
be be to talk Of making IL own all
men In order 10 govern them. Gov
eminent ownership would result in
placing all railroad employees at the
mercy of designing politicians, and
create the worst political machine
ever devised by man.