The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1908-07-18

dred fold. But beyond that. as a ma
tonal proposition, the value of a great
Aside from its enormous value as a COM
mercial agency, it would afford a wide
field for the investment Of capital and
the employment of labor. The shipyards
would not suffer, but, on the contrary,
would be the chief benefefaries of a more
liberal policy In Japan. that masterful
young natien of the Orient, they have
the policy of free ships, supplemented
with subsidies. I visited some of the
~shipyards Of Japan a year ago, and al
though the japanese may purchase ship
anywhere and ny me nag OF their coun-
jured the s~hip-building interests of the
empire. On the contrary, in the yards 1
visited / saw thousands OF staiwart men
employed, and scores of vessels of DIFF
ferent types and dimensions in the docks
in course of construction, and ] was told
that the repair work in volume and value
was not greatly inferior to the work of
construction. Whenever. we adopt a pol
supplemented by other policies IF a con-
structiVe character, and get upon terms
of at least approximate equality with
other countries, 1 will be ready to talk
about subsidies as a part of our mari
time program. and not before. We cannot
hope for any forward movement q
Republican auspices. That party has
demonstrated both its ability to destroy
and its ~incapacity to reconstruct In
Democratic days we had a great mer-
chant marine; in Republican days we
have seen It waste away II the people
/ care TO revive LIA5 5IGtL nAlCLESL III a
large way and on intelligent lines. and
make it once more a mighty force in conf
mercial development and IN the angmei.
be again committed to Democratic hands
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.
Senator stone next discussed the regu
lation Of railroads. In dealing witt
railroads and the question Of transport
tation, he said that absolute justice tip
both the corporations and the public
should be the guiding rule. Railroads.,
he declared, were not only essential TIP
the business world, but had been l
mighty force in the up-blilding Of great
states, and he believed they ought NOT
to be dealt with in a narrow spirit OF
with prejudice, but should be dealt with
In a broad and generous way. He De
sums In building and equippmg railways
and men who devoted their talents and
energies to the arduous task of operat
ing them. were entitled to fair returnfI
the other hand, he said, railroad cor
porations are quasl-loublic bodiestI
clothed with special privileges, and are
organized not solely as a source OF prom
to Investors, but also to perform Z
public service, and hence are subject
to regulation by law. While a generous
profit honestly earned should be allowed
on every dollar l~egiimately invested, ex-
permitted. Railroads should not be made
to suffer a wrong, nor permitted 70 &c
a wrong. Asking justice OF the pubic,
they must do justice to the public.
Proceeding on this line, the Senator
Therefore. I believe in the supervision
and regulation of railroads by public au-
thOrity. Whenever the OF rail-
road corporations shall learn to cheer
fully obey just laws and conform to just
regulations, and whenever they deal, as
it is their duty to deal, tnpartially and
without discrimination, not only with the
public as a whole, but with men and
localities also, and whenever pubic du-
thority, which itself is often not without
r.,rVk 1,-,ao ~ kho nofrF ~ danTfnU with
railroads in a spirit Of fairness and with
out prejudice, the time viii be at hand
tween the corporations and the people
Absolute justice should be the universal
the roads, and the roads must deal fairly
by the people. If a undertakes
to increase its stocks OF debts for specu-
lative purposes intending TO exact pronts
on fictitious values. or undertakes by
DETERMINATIONS to build up one person,
or locality to the detriment Of
to the public injury, it is the duty of
the public authority. under the power to
Iieve that the power of regulation. when
properly applied, is ample to control the
railroads and to adjust all differences
between them and the people. / have
never been favorably impressed with the
idea of government ownership. l fear
the evils of ownership would be
greater than the evils we would attempt
by that policy to cure. l believe If ade-
quate laws regulating railroads should
J6 = oAH9 A-6A0AJ RAoCA
cally all the greater evils of which the
country complains could be eradicated.
If L should be mistaken as to that, and
4 after the country has tested regula-
lion to the limit, and It should fail,
hen it will be time to discuss the ques-
ION OF government ownership. Ihere is
no need to do that now. 1t is not a (
question of immediate concern, and
hence it has not been made the subject ]
a platform reference. No one pro S
1oSeS to undertake public ownership J
Those who believe that policy |
practicable or advisable, speak of II
My in a tentative way, as a possible
nd ultimate solution of the problem of !
rom discussing and developing the idea. z
or in time the country may conclude .
o try it, and it is the part of wisdom /
every phase of this complicated
should be elaborated. But now r
he discussion is of necessity more aca- {
Iemic than practical, and hence l do q
lot care to enter upon it at length. In :
,assing, however, / will say a word con- 1
.erning the criticisms that have been '
of Mr.. Bryan for what he has said :
lpon that subject Ee Is apprehensiye g
hat the regulation of railroads and rail- n
DAD traffic will fail in the future as II q
las in the past, and he mas expressed c
belief that public ownership VIII be 7
inally resOrted to as a more effective Z
'emedy; and he does not look with that Z
read thai others do upon the policy OF {
government ownership. He believes a q
,lan can be worked out to so divide {
,wnership and responsibility between the /
tates and the general government as 10 a
obViate the objections usually Z
made to the proposition. But, highly as
esteem Mr.. Bryan and his opinions, ! /
,annot but doubt both the wisdom ana s
e asibiIity of the project Suil, he mas r
nothing, done nothing, to invite, r
much less to merit, the harsh partisan L
showered upon him. He has /
acted the part of a statesman, as d
lie always does in fearless manner py e
discussing a great question of s
for the enlightenment OF the e
,eople. He does not expect nor even t
Iesire that the public ownership or rail- o
Dads should be taken Up as a question Il
or Immediate action. He knows II It u
yer comes, it will be years away, and Il
le saws himself that for the present he a
aVors exhausting the power OF the gov v
rnment in regulating the roads before d
tempting the more drastic remedy or Il
rwnership; and he says IL regulation 4
iced of considering the question OF r
rwnership. What is there about that to o
ause his enemies to cock their ears and I
ound a loud alarum? They talk as II a
hey had never heard of government 4
WnershiD before. 1t is not a new queS- .
ion, but an old one. jeremiah Black, :
he great Pennsylvania Democrat, dis +
used it favorably and with signal 2
.bility twenty-five years ago, and t
'homas H. Benton discussed 1t fifty :
ears ago, when he made his memorable 2
ight in Congress for a railroad from the 4
fississippi TO the Pacific, to be con- t
tructed. owned and operated by The ma +
ional government. It was talked about y
nd written about before Mr.. Bryan was O
lorn, and it has been experimental with T
" many governments in different parts I
+ the world. Still, Republicans speak
f it as if it We're some new ana nor