The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1908-07-16

LIZ S-astAt marine can n2roly De estimated |
Aside from Its enormous value as a COM |
mercial agency, It would AFFORD a wide |
neid for the Investment of capital and |
the employment of labor. The shipyards
would not suffer. but. on the contrary.
liberal policy. In Japan. that masterfuI
young nation OF the Orient. they have
the policy OF free ships, Supplemented
with subsidies. I visited some OF the
shnlpyards or Japan a year ago. and al
anywhere and fly the flag Of their cour-
Try ABOVE them, that policy has not In
tured the ship-building interests OF the
empire. On the contrary. In the yards I
visited. ] saw thousands of stalwart men
employed. and scores Of vessels Of Diff
ferent types and dimensions I'm the docks
IN course or 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 poll
Icy BY which cheaper ships can be had,
supplemented by other policies OF a con-
structive character. and get upon terms
OF at least approximate equality with
otner countries. I will be ready to talk
time program, and not before. We cannot
nope Tor any forward movement under
Republican auspices. That party has
demonstrated both its ability to destroy
Democratic days we had a great mer-
chant marine; In Republican DAYS we
| have seen II waste away. n the people
care to revive this great interest In a
large way and on Intelligent lines, and
make II once more a mighty force In COM
merclal development and In the augmen-
tation OF national prestige, the work must
be again committed to Democratic hands.
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP.
Senator Stone next discussed the regu-
lation of railroads. In dealing with
railroads and the question OF transpor-
tation. no said that absolute Justice TO
both the corporations and the public
should be the guiding rule. Railroads.
ne, ne declared Sns,. were not only essential to
mighty force In the up-building OF great
states, and he believed they ought not
TO be dealt with In a narrow spirit or
with prejudice. but should be dealt with
m broad and generous way. He de-
clared that men who invested large
sums In building and equipping railways,
\ and men who devoted their talents and
energies to the arduous task of operat-
ing them. were entitled to fair returns
for the money and labor expended. on
the other hand, he said, railroad cor
porations are quasi-public bodies,
clothed with special privileges, and are
organized not solely as source Of profit
to investors, but, also to perform a
pubic service, and hence are subject
to regulation by law. While a generous
profit honestly earned should be allowed
on every dollar legitimately Invested. ex-
tortion from the public should not be
permitted. Railroads should not be made
10 suner wrong, nor permitted to do
wrong. Asking justice of the public,
they must do justice to the public.
said:
Therefore, l believe in the supervision
and regulation of railroads by public au-
thority. Whenever the managers 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, impartially and
without discrimination. not only with the
; public as whole. but with men and
localities also, and whenever public au-
thority, which itself is often not without
fault, comes to the point of dealing with
railroads in spirit of fairness and with
for amicable and kindly relations be-
tween the corporations and the people
, Absolute justice should be the universal
! ruie. The public should deal fairly by
. by the people. IL a company undertakes
to increase its stocks or debts for specu.
, lative purposes, intending to exact profits
on fictitious values, or undertakes by
Determinations to build up one person,
industry or locality. to the detriment OF
to the public injury. 1t Is the duty OF
, the public authority, under the power to
, regulate. n step In and stop 1t. be-
, lieve thadhe power Of regulation, when
properlf Rplied, Is ample TO control the
railrQ3 and to adjust all differences
hety 1nsm and the people, have
!9ee M government ownersliib. I1fh rtt ns
tnat NE evils OF ownership would be-
greatert than the evils We would attempt
oy that Solicy to cure. I believe II ade
quate laws regulating railroads SHOULD
be enacted and rigidly enforced, practi
cally all the greater evils of which tn,
country complains could be eradicated
II l should he mistaken as to that, ant
tion to the limit, and 1t should fail
then 1t will be time to discuss the ques
tlon OF government ownership. There IL
no need to do that now. 1t Is not 9
hence It has not been made the subject
OF platform reference. No one pro.
poses to undertake public ownership
now. Those who believe that policy
practicable or advisable. speak Of It
only IN tentative way, as possible
and ultimate solution of the problem OF
transportation. No harm can result
from discussing and developing the idea,
Tor In time the country may conclude
to try 1t. and 1t is the part of wisdom
subject should be elaborated. But now
the discussion Is of necessity more aca-
demlc than practical, and hence l do
not care to enter upon 1t at length. In
u
corning the criticisms that have been
made Of Mr. Bryan for what he has said
upon THAI subject. He is apprehensive
that the Regulation of railroads and rail-
road traffic will fail in the future as 1t
has in the Apast, and he has expressed
the belief that public ownership will be
finally resorted to as a more effective
remedy; and he does not look with that
dread that others do upon the policy of
plan can be worked out to SO divide
ownership and responsibility between the
states and the general government as to
largely obviate the objections usually
1 esteem Mr. Bryan and his opinions, /
cannot but doubt both the wisdom and
| feasibility of the project. Still, he has
said nothing, done nothing to invite.
much less to merit, the harsh partisan
simply acted the part Of a statesman, as
he always does In fearless manner, by
discussing great question OF paramount
Importance for the enlightenment Of the
desire that the public ownership Of rail-
roads should be taken up as question
for immediate action. He Knows II 1t
ever comes, 1t will be years away. and
he says himself that for the present he
eminent in regulating the roads before
attempting the more drastic remedy Of
ownership; and he says II regulation
| can be made successful, there will be no
need of considering the question Of
ownership. What IL there about that to
cause his enomies to cock their ears and
sound q loud alarum? They talk a. II
they had never heard Of government
ownership before. 1t u not q new ques-
ton, but an old one. Jeremiah Black,
the great Pennsylvania Democrat, dis
cussed 1t favorably and with signal
ability twenty-five years ago, and
years ago, when he made his memorable
| light in Congress for Q railroad from the
Mississippi to the Pacific. to b con-
tionai government. It was talked about
and written about before Mr.. Bryan was
born. and It has been experimental with
| by many governmental In different parts
/ Of Il e II It were some new and hor.
rible thing that Bryan had conjured to
a3risht the. country end menace the
liberties Of the people. Az : matter Of
i Sank xhln a,sh3orf thorn n INIT Utt1e