Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1907-03-01
iaisrOeean. Devils Lac, Nerth Dakota. ],

Nerih Daketa MAJ. 100 ].
now grab rs per cent of our fed q
eral impro Vements !? Give to the
east the power to- ictate our de-
velopment:. compel North Dako-1
ia to ask New York fol. the rail-
roads she needs; place western
prosperity under the pow Of
eastern politics and you will
stunt western veloprn ent; and
cripple every western state. In:
this vital point gov nr1lent own
ership will fail in Americ It.
will not meet our problem Of de-
velopment. .t 4: II *s%5$s3 3 s%as
The opposition have made
much of the fact that under prii-
vate ownership our railway SER
vice and our public servants are
corrupted by graft. Can you
think of any step that will
more completely ,demolize our
national politics than placing
the great army Of railway en-
ployes under government Off
cials? A million and a half of
men would be under. the power
of corrupt politicians. Youfnay
talk of civil service, but place
railway employees under the adj
ministration and every railway
superintendent will be<a politi-
clan. Every station agent. a
party worker, just as every
postmaster is at present. Fed
eral employees would be rlumer-
GUS enough to decide every pres
idential election, and they are
bound to be used for political
purposes. They would mean so
many henchmen for a great fed
eral machine, !. so much more
power for the corrupt official, one
more step toward, perpetuating
graft and debauching our nation
al politics. I, ~. ' - :5 s*ss.r =
We have corruption today be-
cause our official holders can be
bought. Under government
ownership our Office holders can
still be bought and they will be
bought. They will be dishonest
then as they are now and their
increased opportunities for graft
would make our system infinitely
worse than it is today. If our
office holders are dishonest now,
will railroad operation stagger
them with its vast revenues, its
fat contracts its political pa
tronage waiting for the CRATER?
Under the present system they
are corrupted by contact: with
the single railroad corporation.
Under government ownership
they would be brought in con-
tact with every corporation that
now j does business with the.
railroads. With corporations
like the steel and the American
Car Building company, whose
capital is many times that Of the
railroads and who are just as an
xious to secure Sfavors. The
idea Of remedying corruption BY
removing the private railroad isl
fundamentally wrong. :7E; Where
the. railroad corporation now
causes corruption a dozen cor
porations would. bride our off
Gals under COVE ent to- own
ership. Is this going7to purify
our political system? Is,this re-
moving the cause Of corruption?
1t is; simply increasing its oppor-
tunity. M Our, opponents would
say8to the corrupt official, Thou
wicked and unfaithful servant,
thou hast been unfaithful in a.
few things, therefore behold,
/ will f make thee ruler over
many things; enter thou into the
joys of unlimited graft. ''# I: b
u Ladies and gentlemen, these
great difficulties in our political.
system would 4 make govern.
rnent ownership a. failure in
America. Not only would sec
tional jealousy prevent develop
rnent where it is most needed,
but corruption, bad as it may be
to day, would be immeasurably
increased. The gentlemen of:
the opposition has pictured evils