Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-01
MR.. BRYAN AND TIRE RAILROADS

may TelleNe MIN OF some emDhTTdsslng
questions, but IL still leaves govern
ment ownership Of railways open for
his consideration, discussion and ex-
PLANTATION. The Denver platform, 1t IS
true, does not refer specifically to gov
eminent ownership of railways, but It
demands railway regulation, and on
that point comes into direct conflict
with Mr.. Bryan's expressed convic-
tons. Mr.. Bryan does not believe
anything can be accomplished by eff
forts to regulate railroads, so long as
they are privately owned.
The platform demands efficient SUI
pervision and rate regulation of rail-
roads engaged in interstate com
merce," with an enlargement Of the
powers OF the Interstate Commerce
commission ito compel the railroads
to perform their duties as common car
riers and to prevent discrimination
and extortion." That is good republi-
can doctrine and is in practical accord
with the recommendations of Presi-
dent Roosevelt and the legislation In
that direction by a republican con-
gress. It, however, collides with Mr..
Bryan's emphatic declaration to the eff
feet that It is hopeless to expect any
good from efforts to regulate the rail-
roads and that government ownership
is the only real remedy for railroad
abuses.
When Mr.. Bryan spoke at Madison
Square garden, in New York, on Au-
gust 30, 1905, upon his return from
his European trip, he scared the dem
ocrats of the country almost to death
by declaring:
have reached the conclusion that there
will be no permanent relief on the rail-
road question from discrimination be-
tween individuals and between places and
from extortionate rates until the rail-
roads are the property of the government
and operated by the government in the
interest Of the people.
This radical expression was modified
slightly by Mr.. Bryan a little later,
as protests poured in upon him from
democrats all over the country, but as
late as a little more than a year ago
Mr.. Bryan reiterated his belief in gov
eminent ownership of railroads as the
only relief from determinations, re-
bates and extortions and corruption in
politics. In a letter to the Wall Street
Journal, printed April 10, 1907, Mr..
Bryan said:
For some fourteen years after my en-
trance into national politics 1 hoped for
effective railroad legislation, and was
brought reluctantly to the conclusion that
government ownership furnished the only
satisfactory remedy for the discrimina-
tions, rebates and extortions practiced by
the railroads and for the corruption which
they have brought into politics.
According to this, Mr.. Bryan tried
for fourteen years to resist the in
sidious workings of the government
ownership microbe, but was finally
reluctantly" compelled to succumb to
it. He exhibited the first symptoms
when, in the Commoner, in July, 1904,
he appealed to the democrats OF the
country "to consider a plan for the
government ownership and operation
of railroads" In a speech before the
Jefferson club in Chicago, in 1905, he
elaborated his plan by proposing that
the government own the trunk lines
while the states operate the roads
within their borders. This, 1t may be
mentioned, answered a part of the
southern objection, where federal
ownership would mean the elimination
of the Jim Grow" cars. He turned
completely to the doctrine in his Madi-
son Square garden speech in 1906 and
repeated his affirmation of allegiance
to it in the letter to the Wall Street
Journal in April, 1907. He further
declared, in the letter OF April 10,
1907, that he had reached the con-
clusion that, in the end, regulation viii
be found ineffective"
By his Denver platform Mr.. Bryan
places himself in the attitude Of urg'
ing a system of railway regulation
which he has repeatedly declared
would be ineffective. After fourteen
years of study, hoping to find some
remedy in regulation, Mr.. Bryan con
WINGED himself that the only remedy
lies in government ownership and tha'
all regulation would fail to furnish
the relief demanded. He has not ad
mitted having changed his opinion
formed after so many years of stud!
and thought. 1t leaves him in the at
titude of muzzling his convictions IL
the interests of party expediency, o
urging a policy which he firmly be
lieves is foredoomed to failure, 1t /
another proof that his motto is ANY
thing to win"