The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1912-01-11
SOCIALISM
This column Is devoted to propound-
ing the philosophy Of Socialism
by 8. II. ~GOODFELLOw
.e@11e~@a~as@
Let the nation own the trusts"

1@%&~@1&1@1~.3@ 1.9~3.".*~.
Let the nation own the trusts"
When there is a big task to per-
form that would be Of advantage to
the country Uncle Sam is always the
one who, either must perform the
whole task or assist in it's perform
ance, e. &, see the Panama canal
and the irrigation Of arid lands and
the building of our ans-continental
railways.
Uncle Sam is building the whole Of
the canal and, in the irrigation pro
position, is doing the biggest work.
In the building Of our tr-ans-continent-
al railways he has been the chief
cornerstone and backbone Of the en-
tire proposition by his Immigrants
and subsidies, which have been sufii-
cient to build the roads.
Now that they have been built by
Uncle Sans 0he p~eople's) backing
the promoters claim to be the owners
and are taking all the profit and di-
yidends.
In building the tr~ans-continental
lines Of railway the promoters have,
practically, acted as the engineers or
foremen for the people while they
(the people, have furnished the
wh|ere-wlth-al with which to build
them.
Have not the engineers on the ca
nal as much right, practically, to
claim to own the canal when finished
as the promoters of the railways have
to " the railways?
Why should any man say that for
Uncle Sam TO own and operate the
railroads is too much for government
TO do?"
We have already shown that the
biggest OF all big business" is left
or %pu'-on-to the government to do.
Collective ownership n operation
might be extended to the railway
system with great advantage and
benefit TO the people and country at
large. BY such operation the number
of wrecks and accidents could easily
be materially lessened by running
the roads for the benefit and convent
ence OF the people instead of running
them wholly for profit.
The number of wrecks and accidents
on railroads in this country in com
parison with the same in the old
world are as five to one. This un-
reasonable difference is almost Who'll
ly due to the companies disregard for |
the rights and safety OF the public
and their insatiate greed for profits.
The coal mines are a gift of God
to the people, when He gave them
earth and the f~ullness thereof"
and mo man or company has any
more right to hold them for his own
gain than he will to monopo-
lie the Golden Streets of the New
Jerusalem
vi ihS wal !
mines and operation in connection
with the railways would be of un-
told advantage to the whole people.
In 1902 during the great strike in
anthracite coal mines, there went
up a great cry from the people in all
Of the country, regardless of po-
litical affiliations, for the president
Of the United States to open up the
mines and deliver the coal TO them.
They knew then, as the people
know now, that Uncle Sam can do
anything he undertakes.
Had We had, at that time, a presi-
dent with backbone and who was not
subservient to the coal trust the peo-
Pile would very o have been getting
heir own coal and would not have
been forced to burn wood and hay
and buffalo chips and COW chips to
prevent freezing and TO cook their
'ood. II the railroads and mines were
put into collective (~government)
would never again surrender them to
corporation control no more than
they will now turn their public high
over to a corporation and per-
that corporation to grade their
roads and build their bridges and
then charge a toll for the privilege
n driving or walking over them