The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-12-23

Autoi est, ne FOUND that 1t was only
S1Vo ana that he could not only pay
the interest but could pay as we'll 5000
on the principal of the note. He
Kept this policy up and in few years
ne had paid the whole mortgage off
by savings in the interest rate alone.
This is the present day railroad
problem in a nut she'll Uncle Sam
wants us to do the same thing which
the farmer wanted his wife to do.
he wants us to let him take up all the
obligations in which the private rail-
way companies owe at the banks and
the trust companies and all the stock
which Is held for still larger dividends
and he wants to pay these all of with
a long time, low rate obligation Of the
whole people. The people are acting
Just like the farmers wife. Instead
OF letting Uncle Sam make arrange,
ments by which we will have to pay
such freight and passenger rates only
as will be necessary to, keep UP the
interest and pay the per cent bonds
which he can issue, we insist upon
paying to the private railway COM
panies other and much higher freight
and passenger rates which are now
necessary to enable the private rail-
way owners to distribute exhorbitant
dividends and pay high rates of In
terest to say nothing about the graft,
the watered stocks, the wasteful meth
DDS and useless expense of private
ownership.
Another argument which is put
forth in scare crow style is the as
sertion that the taking over of the
railways will dangerously increase
the patronage of the party in power.
That argument was worked threadbare
In Germany, especially when that
country first commenced to buy rail-
roads many years ago. 1t was mildly
urged in Australia, but the railways
were bankrupt, the receivers could not
pay running expenses and the govern
ment had to take them at any risk. 1t
was worked to It's best advantage in
an attempt to scare the voters In the
referendum governed republic of
Switzerland when that little country
was about to buy in one deal all but
ten Of the railways in the country.
The predicted calamity Of political
abuse has never developed in the
slightest degrees in any country out OF
lover forty engaged in owning and
operating the greater. part of their
railways. But what IL 1t did? Gould
any government, however corrupt, mar
Eshal the forces of railroad employees
more effectively and solidly against
good government than the private rail
way now does? Could any politica
party send out such threatening let
tiers and circulars as the railway
j managers do now when their interest.
are at stake without inviting immed
late ruin? Could any party send wore
how to vote down the line any NOR
effectively than the private manager
do now? This whole argument is 8
joke. Government ownership woul
Z purify our politics, be removing tn
,levil political influence of the railway
!, which is the worst that has eve
permeated any nation. The admins
: tration using the political patronag
would be workingf for the people. T
say the least there would be an eve
&, chance that the administration woul
s be right but to use street phrase
is a cinch' that the railways will a
Il ways be,sworking for themselves an
! against the interests of the people.
g is the same power of patronage no.
t welded by few millionaires and VIII
/, would not prefer under any condition
S to transfer this enormous power froI
i. Wall street to the white house an
r take our chances that it would be a
r IMPROVEMENT over present condition.
= Did you ever stop to think of thi
a vital consideration? On an aYerag
S more than half of the cost OF Twin
e lis found in the cost of distribution
O Coal costing less than 81 at the mine
l. costs the consumer SIX W tcA uohdA
r when delivered. Cost of prcductic
e cannot be materially lowered. Cost
e distribution can be. Ownership {
n railways will be a practical and e.
d |ormous reduction Of the cost of di
Is tribution and will be the mighty wea
Is on with which the government ca
$ control the trust situation and effec
v lively remedy the other evils affectir
d the cost Of living.
e Sentiment is rapidly changing ar
Is the situation is Frightening like ne
le day when the sun rises into a Gle;
ID sky.
10 Whereas three years ago among Il
TX men you met who knew anythir
s. about the subject, majority vigorou
ID lly opposed government ownershi
a. though most of them did not kno
TX Iwhy. The man who states his opp
ID sition positively now is hard to I'll
al anywhere but among those direct
,e interested in the private railway
,e Advocates of government ownersh