The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1919-01-24
aRemoue the Real Cause. 2


ways and public utilities is not pure
democracy, even under free elections,
referendum and recall. You call it
Bryan's idol, and fear it's working
for the good of the people. Will
you allow a few lines from one CT
your Kentucky constant readers?
This very subject is now in Congress,
and the public is entitled to hear the
facts and probable outcome of gov
eminent ownership of public utili-
ties. AS long as our constitution
guarantees free press, free speech,
free elections, referendum, recall,
ETC., there cannot be a bureaucracy.
Thomas Jefferson said: 81 am not
among those who fear the people.
They, and not the rich, are our de-
pendence for continued freedom"
think that is our only hope. The
referendum and the recall are safe
guards against demagogy and bu-
reaucrats.
We can trust the people where
free schools and free religious wor-
ship do exist. Let us consider gov
eminent ownership moment. All
of our rivers are owned by our Gov
eminent. Also the Government
owns all of our post offices and de-
livers our mail at our doors for three
cents. It's parcel post deliveries have
saved our people millions of dollars
that express companies were charg-
ing excessive prices on. We have
taught them lesson. The railways
have cut prices along our river towns
until our commerce on them is vir-
tually played out. The railroad
Companies will take freight from
New Orleans to Hickman cheaper
than it will to Union City, and yet
1t has to be unloaded and transferred
in Union City. / was in Cincinnati
and asked for a ticket to Clinton,
KY, and also for ticket to Mem
was nearly four dollars the cheapest;
so / bought the ticket to Memphis
and came to Fulton, then to Clinton
and saved about three dollars.
Prominent men and officers are often
furnished free passes while we COM
mon people pay our way. Don't you
think it is time o change is made,
so that everybody can have equal
rights? But someone says that is
Capitalization, and the President will
have too much power in appointing
officers. Oh no. All we have to do
is to see that ne cannot serve but
one term of not more than six years.
Have all post masters elected at
home places and stand an examina-
tion like our mail carriers do, and
re-elect them every four years. This,
with local recall, is needed now and
is pure democracy. Proper regula-
tions can be made to take railroads
out of politics. If we had govern
ment ownership we could save mil
lions of dollars in mail and other
freight and carrying soldiers, etc.
Our Government hao built and now
owns several railways-one in Pana-
ma, one in Alaska, one in the North
west United States, end one in
Philippine Islands, l think. Some
time,. about 1850, Georgia built a
railroad from Atlanta to Chatta-
nooga and operated at such rate
that all State tax Yves virtually
wiped out, for il paid well and good
above all cost and operation, until
the Carpet Dagger Governor confis-
Gated it, sold it, and used the money.
The referendum and recall is pure
democracy. If our Government
owned telegraphs and telephones it
could cut out double Offices and ex-
ira officers, also the double wiring
and double labor, for one system
would do. 1t would cur out large
expense that is paid for by the users.
We believe officers and laborers
could be paid SO well that no strike
would ever be called, and yet save
millions of dollars now paid by the
many and boarded by the few.
Our public roads arc public owned.
/ think that VIC need fewer COR
porated monopolies. I doubt the
prosperity of any corporation with
money shares or capital They have
generally made wide chasm be-
tween rich and poor. They make
the rich richer, and leave the poor
poorer. u S. ought to spell us. We
ought to be the U. s., and with
proper laws will be. We need mo-
nopolies cut out. We need dis
honesty in Office cut out.
l have it from some source, that
once, hundreds of years ago. bank
in China broke and all creditors lost
their money. The door was closed.
The next day the Emperor called all
~ fhn diraoforc and nAHaorc ,In ond