The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-04-04

dIOI lIOHl NEW IldIIpSIIiIc dIu OIIicIS
as well-to surmount, and that with
all these difficulties they have not
been able to do the job, and the Gov
eminent of the United States is doing
the job today; and praise God, Scna-
tors, it is the United States Govern
ment that is going to do the job for
all time now.
Mr.. Gallinger. But, Mr.. Presi-
dent, the Senator will admit that the
Government; is doing the job because
the Government has removed the OBJ
staeles to which called the Senator's
attention.
Mr.. Johnson of California. Mr..
President, l am perfectly willing to
admit anything hat will add to the
occasion or that will in any way sof-
ten anything that may be said 0 n
corning the railroad situation, and
that the Government a do things,
like the removal of obstacles and the
like, suggested by the Senator, which
the railroads could not do. Very free
ly and very gladly do l concede it.
The objection most frequently voic-
ed on both sides of the Chamber to
Government ownership is that poll
tics would play an important and in
judious part in the management of
the roads. When I advocate Govern
ment ownership and management I'M
der the present administration, even
though l oppose this bill, my friends
across the aisle, ! presume, will acquit
Inc of craftsmanship. Indeed, my in
sistence in the present administration
which, am shocked to say, l do not
find readily and enthusiastically sec
onded by my Democratic brethren. |
have little or no fear of the politics
which might be done in a Government
owned road. In the State which l
have the honor to represent we have
had u experience in the kind of po-
litics done under private management
and by the efficiency of private man.
agement of railroads. We have seen
there only the replica of what has oc-
CURED in many states, a great trans
portation company, as a short cut to
Government favors, taking possession
of the Government itself. We saw
there for a period of nearly 40 years
every political office in the gift of that
railroad company. We saw legisla-
lures and courts corrupted, and a
power within the State which used
the State as a mere appurtenance to
a railroad system. We saw the kind
of politics which led men to the polls
like sheep to the shambles, which made
the very bread and butter of women
and children depend upon the ticket
a railroad employee should vote. We
saw the most beautiful State in all
this Union ~honeycombed with cor
ruption and a people second to none
on earth covering under a political
and commercial terrorism.
Mr.. President, I will risk any kind
of politics under Government owner
ship rather than the politics l have
seen under private ownership and
with private deficiency in railroads.
l was astonished the other day,
when listening to the debate upon tbs
floor, to hear it stated that employ
ment in the railroad service under the
Government of the United States
would destroy the initiative of men,
would chill the ambition of individuals
and would prevent the real service
that is designed to be given by men
who enter into that particular avo
cation. I deny that this is so. Why,
Senators, why are you here and why
am I? Why do we sit here in the
rigors of winter and in all the horrors
of the hottest part of a Washington
summer? Are we sitting here with
ambition chilled because we are Gov
eminent employees, or are we sitting
here for the reasons that will actuate
men when they enter the employment
of the Government in the railroad lei
vice-sitting here because, after all,
back in the mind of every American
citizen is the hope that he may say
when the time comes after his linn
tied period in this sphere: II have
done something Of good; 1 have not
lived in vain?" And these men who
go into the Government service, work
ing for the railroads of the Nation,
will have the same ambition, the same
desires, and same initiative, that you
see. evinced every day in the service
Of the Government.
Chill the ambition of men because
they work for the State? What a
singular and remarkable doctrine to
be announced upon the floor of the
United States Senate! Why do my
friend here and my friend there leave
incomes of hundreds of thousands OF
dollars a year, sacrifice practically