Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-10-24

Ownership, but In the Making and
Enforcement Of Controlling Laws
Business and Politics When Partners
Never Make For Progress ard In
tesrity.
BY Hon. WALTER A. WEBSTER.
The problem OF municipal ownership
and of government ownership is COM
ing to the forefront as an issue of the
greatest Importance TO the American
people. A feeling of unrest pervades
the community. 1t Is the fashion OF
the day to criticise capital and capital
lists. We are called a land Of Unequal
ity. Our wealthy are designated
princes of privilege. 1T Is said that the
masses are being despoiled to enrich
an a~ristocracy and that the press Is
stiied and the government corrupt
Quasi-public corporations like gas
companies, electric light companies,
street railway and railroad corpora
tons are particularly under the ban
Of radical public opinion. Their
charges are declared to be excessive
and their service poor, while many r
supposed to be overcapitalized and by
means OF false bookkeeping to be max
ing excessive and enormous profits.
Where there is SO much smoke there
must be some fire. Unquestienably
evils do exist and in many instances
of an outrageous n~ature-evils that
should be stopped and done away with
forever. No sensible mar will dispute
this. So far so good.
But when 1t is declared that munich
pal ownership and government owner
ship are the only remedies for these af-
f1ictions Of the body polite |, for one,
demand proof.
The burden of the proof Is on those
who desire a change from present con-
ditions to public ownership to prove
that we should get better conditions
and be served in a safer and more sat
isfactory manner or else show that the
conduct of the business that the city
or government wishes to acquire has
been SO ~antagonistic and fatal to the
public interest that the only feasible
remedy Is public ownership. Ii this
last position is taken, 1t should include
proof that the regulation will not suf-
fee.
The public in most communities In
the United States doesn't have to go
into municipal ownership to remedy
these evils. To confess inability to
regulate them is to confess inability to
choose proper men to represent you.
The American people are not going to
be enslaved by any combination OF cap
ital for any length Of time They have
their remedy in the ballot. They may
stand it for a time, legislatures and
city councils may be bought, but %
err or later little by little laws are going
to be placed upon the statute books
that will prevent ovcrcapitallzation,
that will prevent exorbitant prices be-
ing charged, that win curtaii enormous
profits and make them reasonable and
that will compel our great public sery-
Ice corporations to follow a uniform
system of accounting and bookkeeping
that win throw the searchlight of pub
licity on the financial operations of
these corporations.
We have accomplished much ia this
accomplish more. To say that we will
not is to say hat we are incapable of
self government
The industrial and commercial great
ness of the United States far exceeds
that ever known at any time by any
other people in the entire history of the
world. Liberty OF action and the un-
trammeled libertyo of the indis idnal have
made the modern world. individuality
is the one essential to which our civ
ilization and Jul social progress are ow-
ing. When the individual was crushed
lay PROSTATE or developed but
When individuality was rec
civilization grew to manhood
With individuality came originality
and invention. Freedom of speech, OF
thought and action was the handspring
of originality. Thus far we have es,
capped the tyranny OF too much govern
ment, and If ii can be demonstrated. as
1t can be unquestionably, that all these
great public enterprises were original
sh, dGScioptu anu ptlltttcu uuuci u /
and social condition where the
was recognized 1t must be
proved that under a state Of partial
socialism equally good results can take
place.
The great public service corporations
are the product of Industrial evolution
and are one Of the highest exempliica-
ions of what individual effort can do.
They We're started many years ago at
4 time when their success or failure
was a matter of doubt. In every case
they were started not by cities, states
Or governments, but by private indi-
giduals in their private capacity as
Individuals, as partners or corpora
They have been gradually de-
from small beginnings until
hey have reached their present size.
At first their products were Injuries
Now they are necessities. There Is net
be found among the great inyen
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