The Washington herald., 1907-02-22
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.
Review of The HeraId's Canvass Of
Congregational Sentiment.

From the Boston Transcript.
The Washington Herald IS making a
canvass Of the Democrats In Congress on
the subject OF government ownership Of
railroads and government regulation of
interstate commerce. It's first install
ment contains replies from five Senators
and twenty-one Representative. Only
three Of the parties responding give even
conditional approval to thet government
ownership idea. and this is based on the
contingency Of Federal regulation prov
ing hopelessly ineffective. The others
answer emphatically In the negative.
some pausiag to explain that If the gov
eminent owned the railroads our last
condition might be worse than our first.
The burden Of opinion is that regula-
ton will accomplish all the results that
the public legtimately can desire with
out involving any departure from sound
constitutional traditions and without pro-
voking a conflict between State rights
and Federal authority. The present
regulation law comes In for some criti-
cism, but there is almost a consensus Of
opinion that its defects can be cured by
legislation not at all radical and that the
attitude Of the party should be conserva-
tive. Senator Clay, OF Georgia, while
strenuously opposed 10 government own
ership, would push Federal control 20 the
point Of Squeezing out the water" and
have rates based on the actual cost Of
the railroads after the application OF the
process. As most OF the replies empha-
size State rights and State control Of
corporate privileges where they are not
In overt contradiction 10 the commerce
clause" his idea meets with little sym
patty. The implication Of the conserFa-
tism that runs through the majority of
opinions is that as the fixing and regula-
ton of the capitals of corporations IS "a
function of the chartering States it had
better be left exempt from Federal in
trusiOn
Different men give different reasons for
opposing government control Congress
man Sullivan, Of Massachusetts, maintains
that the monumental failure OF the
United States government 10 dig canal
involving only 100000 is a sufficient
demonstration Of government incapacity
10 deal with large enterprises He
would antagonize any movement, direct
or indirect Tor government ownership OF
the railroad system. Congressman Clark,
Of Florida, believes that government own
ership would render the race issue trag-
ically acute. He sees not only the abo-
lition Of jim-crow" cars, but has "a ter
rible vision Of negro Pullman conductors.
negro train hands and engineers as q
consequence of railroad help being brought
within the classified civil service. To the
South government ownership would, by
reason Of negroes punching tickets and
running locomotives. mean "interminaDle
strife turmoil, and blOOdshed.' Dir.
Clark is a frank man, and he speaks what
other Southerners keep TO themselves. His
words prove the correctness Of the opinion
expressed at the time Mr. Bryan put
forth his idea that Southern racial preju-
dice would organize promptly and vigOr-
Ously against Federal ownership Of rail
roads as necessarily suppTeSsing all dis
elimination against the cOlOTed people
either as employees OF passengers.
The opponents Of government ownership
place their objection on grounds consutu-
tonal or political They do not touch an
1 other great objection. which is that ir
fixing the valuation for purchase the rail
roads might exert influence enough TO un-
/ load on the government "A burden of pub
/ lie debt and charges that would staggeI
the United States, rich as It is; but per
/ haps the directors think that this OBJ
stacie 20 Mr. Bryan's scheme is 81
obvious as not TO call for demonstration