The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-10-08

AsRyanp the Advocate Of Monopoly
~ spite of hls theatrical posture as
. foe 70 tnon0poIics william Jennings
Bryan iS committed 70 policies that
would call into being III the United
States q monopoly more powerful and
more pcrilous than the widest alarm.
lot has ever pictured. His sinister
scheme Of public ownership. whereby
the great trunk lines Of railroads
should become the property Of the fed.
eral government ana the state rail.
roads the property Of the states, Is a
plot against industrial independence
and commercial enterprise in America.
II would monopollze and subject to
partisan control the transportation
service Of the whole country and com.
pei the government 10 20 into business
AZ q common carrier There would DO
no competition by which rates could
be determined, and therefore the cost
Of tho carrying service 10 the people
would be fixed arbitrarily by those at
the time being 10 control Of the gov.
ernment.
The chief grievance Of the antimo-
nopoly agitators Is that monopolies de-
Drfve tho people OF the benefits Of CON.
petitiye enterprise. Yet here Il the
noiHiest Of all agitators boldly advo-
eating a project which would absolute
ly paralyze the competitive principle
Ia the vital service Of transportation
for tho products Of American iabcri
Has the baleful purpose or BryaniAn
ever been more clearly disclosed than
In this monstrous proposition?
Under the present system the pay of
railroad labor Is regulated partly by
Legitimate competition and partly by
highly useful organizations Of the me1
thus employed. Public ownership az
urged by Mr. Bryan would take from
the vast army OF railway employees
the right to voice In fixing their
wages and transfer It to the govern.
ment IN word, the 100000 men
engaged IN railroad work, who are at
present able TO insist upon fair treat
ment In the matter OF hours and pay,
woAld absolutely lose their independ.
cnce aud be compelled to accept such
terms as a federal or a state admins
tration saw OF to offer. Every change
Of party control In the legislative or
executive branch OF government, na-
tlonal or state. would involve the peril
Of an arbitrary readjustment of wages
AS well as Of transportation rates. Un.
der such conditions business stability
would be impossible, The interests Of
employer and employee alike would
be menaced with constant uncertainty.
Questions Of carrying rates and OF
wages for railway labor would become
issues in party politics, and the gov.
ernment. possessed OF a despotic mo.
nopoly control over the largest single
national interest next 70 agriculture
would be forced Into a permanent at
titude OF apology and defense.
The American wage Garner naturally
and justly resents any attempt to re
strict his Independence or regulate bis
conduct through the arbitrary exercise
OF official authority, Yet here in the
Bryan scheme Of public ownership Is
the deliberate proposal that 100000
OF the most intelligent, progressive and
trustworthy Of American employees
shall be deprived Of the right to be
heard on questions relating to their
wages and shall be obliged to accept
such pay as may be prescribed by Off
clRls elected through partisan infiu-
ences. That proposal brands William
Jennings Bryan as an advocate Of the
most atroclous monopoly ever dreamed
Of by a demagogue or suggested By a
tyrant. 1t is a menace to American
industrial independence and stamps Its
author as a hypocrite and traitor to
the very cause which he pretends to
support
Another OF Mr.. Bryan's complaints
against the Republican party Is that It
increased the number Of oficeholders
But his public ownership scheme
would transfer upward Of 100000
railway employees to the payrolls Of
the government for whose wages the
whole body of American taxpayers
would be assessed in case the railroad
business should prove improbable.
The logical effect Of the Bryan pro-
posal would be to strip railway labor
Of its independence, vastly increase
the number OF officehOlders and add
enormously to the tax burdens Of the
people. The evil genius Of an irre-
sponsible political marplot never con-
celved single project 80 fraught with
peril to the general welfare.
The cost to the people Of Mr.. Bry-
ans revolutionary programme is, Of
course, a matter of no consequence
whatever to him. He never cares for
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