The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1917-12-20

ARE RAILROAD INTERESTS MORE SACRED THAN
HUMAN LIVES? IT,.
The article we quote here was run last week in the Omemee
Herald which in turn clipped it from the Washington Times. The
Times is a strong supporter of President Wilson and has been Gag
or to put its stamp am Ph OF approval val on on everything that Congress has
following to say regarding the proposed financing of the railroads
new Haven Railroad stock jumped nicely yesterday. Rock
Shareholders in these two companies have been robbed in
the most artistic manner by railroad management"
Long ago honest, disheartened stockholders sold out.
Stock of these railroads that have been exploited, robbed and
Wall Street gamblers s''' '"' 81 '''' ~ ~ !" prize "
Because it is proposed to turn over public money to the rail
p psfSs: 1 es7s, SS thsR IN RSSflS; f Fk6F !Tf's oS F4 tse 6 AIT TIA" M IS
Is this proposition going through as a "war measured"
If it does go through, then any kind of public thieving should
thrive in the name Of war.
They have shown themselves incompetent and inefficient:
Why should the public be taxed to lend money to these private
railroad owners and their roads, made bankrupt by dishonesty or
Why should the public be taxed again to increase the high
rate already paid for freight and passengers?
on wate1ed stock and on bonds of which the underlying value has
The Government should take over the railroads, of course
communicating them, as the Government has Communicated
ships: fh ha Go1el lnss; f sho S5hff ta tein tEe n resds and pay at it's leisure
what they are WORTH-not a dollar more, regardless of the wat
cred stocks and the watered bonds issued.
1t is easy to print stocks and bonds. It ought NOT to be
easy to make the public pay for the work of the printing press
The Government calls a MAN, takes his lfe-and does not
guarantee him profit on the business that he lis compelled to leave
The Government nm by monopolizing; as it must y ?t a and should do,
facturers and perhaps entire industries. But it does not guarantee
profits or make loans at public expense to such individuals or IN
dustries. =,
stocks, and for the very rich Sai men en- that h have bought sna5 stocks after
cts. S sSns of sfe thsse II p1 ssipste esl thieGsS sf eA isn oEE %zs e Rasft
the little business man can't get a freight car for his product or
his coal.
lie favor worn because set they buy Liberty bonds with money stolen from
the estates and f az lilies s Of honest t me men, Dor or G because $ the they V g7 NJ g =
They are conspicuous in Washington; they presume to advise
the Government what to do and how to do it.
We give full credit for their cunning and their success, but
'"efe And 1SS at the % D same n eH time 70 comes N he Official cd suggestion sue,s that rail-
road incompetency, ineficiency, mismanagement, and dlshones-
{ Go1 BE ns~asa iean wt FA !RSEsSi 81 ! TS&@T 3 P eUT 81 iii he fo sSE
securities guaranteed by the public. This is, indeed delightful
impertinence.
er and the defaulter should form themselves into an army, march
on the Capitol and say, This is war and we need money; please
The nation which does not guarantee the honest farmer a profit
on his farm or to the honest business man a profit on his business
has no right to guarantee any profit to the notorious!y mismanag-
This newspaper is convinced that the power and influence Of
the President will successfully oppose the suggestion that the pub
lie pocket should become the property of the privately owned rail-
~profteers to put their dipper into the billions that are being poured
If Congress should permit it, the public now, as a little later
will find a way Of making Congress know what it thinks of the
transaction.
The people will endure much and sacrifice everything to win
the war-they gladly applaud CONSUMPTION of their lives and of
their money-for WAR.
But the people will not permit in the name of war or anything
else the financing of a dishonest railroad system at the expense
Of a heavily taxed people.
The Government does not hesitate to say to a million moth
ers, GIVE me your son, | need his life, and I will pay you N.Y.
price, 81 q day"
That being the case the same Government should not hesitate
to say to the little group that owns the railroads, "Give me those
railroads, / need them, I'll pay you a fair price. I'll keep them
I'll operate them, TIL make them eficient-what you have never
done $500. 1