The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-05-19
GREAT RAILWA PROBLEM
 EXISTING IN AMERICA
By R. H. LEINAD

LEINAD
 and an action Is always a fact. and there is vast difference in the dis tinction. Although external as to form, so far as the individual Is concerned, they are everlasting as their duration is unlimited.
 Railways
 The Hon. Oscar Underwood. in, an address before the Pennsylvania soci- 1 ety said: T do believe that a little re- I fiection and the resource to some old fashioned ideas will be found of real service to us." To conform to the con stitutional way of doing what should be l done, and doing to all as they should do unto us-giving to all equal opportuni- ties before the law and special priv I ileges to none is, 1t is true, old fashioned, but 1t is right, 1t Is Justice pure and simple.
 I When state for the public good charters railroad company the right to condemn the property of individuals l is given the corporation, the vested rights of the individual Is set aside l the owner of real property can be I elected from lands to which he has unquestioned title, provided compensa- ton is rendered, highways may be crossed at grade, thus endangering life and limb; and for the reason that the
  the losses to the few.
 The time Is coming when stock own CTS of our railways will have to be cit iZens of our country. Citizenship Will be a requisite for those that are in the d. rectorate; or that have the management of interstate, postal and common car rier railways.
 The framers of our constitution never contemplated giving aliens voice in, |or the right to control our resources or means of development.
 Aliens
 It Is conceded that no known agency develops a country as rapidly and as surely as railroads. Our constitution prohibits aliens from becoming public officials from voting at our elections, no matter how great or good they may be. Why? Because an alien thinks more of his country than of ours, or he would not remain an alien. There are no direct provisions forbidding the alien from voting as a shareholder in our railway corporations and for the reason, that there was no railroads in existence until years after our consti- tuition was adopted.
 It? is conceded that our basic law should be our guide, and the control or direction of our public utilities by for eigners Is contrary to its spirit. If aliens can control our railways, then they can control our development to a great degree. The public welfare Is at stake, and the privilege of such con trol should be denied them as voting for officials is prohibited.
 Let me invite your attention to this truth, that 1t is possible today for alien ownership to thwart the primary purposes of our government-the pro- motion of the general welfare and do- mestic tranquility of our country.
 We have two citizens of our country that have grown so immensely wealthy by reason of unlawful combinations (our supreme court so said), and the fostering tariff legisiation-that they have actually given away enough in legal tender values to have-had they so desired-secured controlling in- terest in the American and Canadian railroad lines nearest our northern | boundary line, and they could have vir- | tually ruined one of these railways, | thus bringing desolation to the country along the railroad lines discriminated | against. and this could have been done | by deflecting commerce to other lines. |
 It will not do to say such course is improbable. The fervid flights of fancy rom Hesiod to Marx have never pie tured anything so improbable that two citizens of any country would give away half billion of dollars.
 Far cheaper than war would it be for the English or Japanese govern ments, through individuals In their in- terests, to control our disconnected lines of trade and commerce-our railways and then defect to the Canadian Pacific railroad lines, that are practically con- tinuous from ocean to ocean, and thus ruin our minority interests in our bor- derland railways and make of our great grain interests of the northwest practical subsidiaries of Canada and for Of Ia, T Japanese Pacific ocean trade.
 The opportunity to injure or devastate any part of our country should not be left open to men or governments; and yet, when we decry the unification of our railroad lines, we are doing all that we can for the uplift of Canada and to the injury of our own country
 The people should through the strong arm of the government prevent power- full corporations from preying on the weaker ones, for it is a primary doc Urine of all good governments to pro- tect the weak from the ravages of the strong,
 Unlawful Absorption
 That designing men have depressed values and injured railway properties, that small investors and weak railway corporations have been forced to the wall with all the reckless abandon of
 
 tims, that railways have been sold un- der the hammer by forced proceedings of giant manipulators-rece galore abundantly proves.
 And this is a very personal matter to every citizen of our country--as there are very few if any sections of our country that would not be benefited by additional transportation lines. Remem- Der, that the losses sustained by our investors in the past has retarded rail- road development--it has prevented the extension of old lines and discounted the building of new ones-thus affect ing the demand for labor, for supplies. and lessening the demand for operators in all lines. Today investors are hesi- tating as to making investments in meritorious enterprises because of the reckless policies pursued in the past. We have sown to the wind. and we are now reaping the whirlwind
 Congress was given the power denied to other departments of government denied to the legislatures of the states, hence 1t must be it's duty to enact laws that will prevent the giant captains of industry, and their corporations from doing those things that retard our developments; or is injurious to the peo- ple's interests.
 Congress enacted laws in relation to counterfeiting our coin and currency. Why? Because it Is not for the general welfare of our people for interruptions and designing men to wrong the people