The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-06-09

certain, but II can aid and support
ana II anything can be done II must
not DO omitted nor overlooked. At
tho same time 1t must not bo for
gotten that thore Is "a vast difference
between the powers OF the national
government In time OF war and those
which II possesses In time OF peace.
The normal limitations Of times OF
peace restrict very much tho powers
or mo general government and in
helping to increase the productivity
OF the farms. which must be done
through government action. the re-
publican party promises to use every
power In this direction whether
wlthin the state or federal 1urisdic-
tion.
nave touched upon this mnttcr Of
prices and tho high cost OF living be-
cause II is altogether the most i'm
portant domestic question now be-
fore the country and one 10 which
me republican party should address
user without delay in every direc-
tlon where help Is possible. There
are, or course. AS / have said. many
other important economic questions
10 be dealt with, as speedily as NAV
he, but the time allotted In me-
makes It impossible to touch upon
them all.
There In. however. one mcnsure
Whlch cannot be passed over, n single
great law which has been enacted
ana which In any period would be
sufncient to distinguish n congress
ns one or high accomplishment. This
In the railroad act. For six month his
able committees In both houses. COM
ihittecs where no party line was
drawn, toilcd day after day upon this
most intricate OF problems. There
was much serious debate in both sem
ate and house and then the hill
signed by the president, became law
NO doubt time and experience will
show that improvements In the act
can be made, but In the main Il is
n remarkable piece of legislation and
IN general principles is entirely
sound. and nothing could be more
unfair than to criticise the present
owners contending with the legacy
OF misnanagement. waste and con-
fusion bequeathed by the govern
meht when 1t returned the roads
only three months ago. The rail-
ROAD law Possesses also an impor-
tance wholly distinct from its proyis.
ions, which have been framed with
extreme care. This act declares "A
national policy. and. so far as any
law can do. 1t establishes that policy
as a rule of action. The policy en-
bodied In the bill comedies at the
outset that IL In OF course impossible
to return to the old system or lack OF
system In the management OF rail-
roads They must hencetorth be un-
der thorough government supervis-
ION and also tho government must
have over them n large measure OF
control. The transportation system
OF the country can no longer be suf-
fcred to continue without such super
vision and control. But the policy
also represents the principle that the
government must not assume the
wners ip OF he railroads
Their operation nd manage
ment must he left In private owner
ship, The phrase government own
ership" means not only that the gov
ornment shall own the railroads but
also, II Is To be feared, that those who
run tho railroads shall own the gov
ernment. General government owner
ship under our political system would
inevitably bring about the mastery
OF the government by those who op-
crate the machinery OF transporta-
tion or OF any other industries which
come into government possession.
The rights OF the general public, for
whom all Industries exist, would dis
appear under this scheme and moth
Ing would be left TO the people ex-
cept tho duty OF paying the taxes to
support the roads. That is "A very
pcriious position for representative
democracy. Our government must
not be dominated by any one man or
any class or any selected body of men
who represent "A part of the people
and not the whole people. Moreover.
In the United States, government
ownership wherever applied to an in
dustry, whether II involves transpor-
tation or telegraphic and telephone
communication or shipbuilding or
manufacturing. is very inefficient
and wasteful system, badly managed
and certain TO be intolnrahly burden
some TO the taxpayers. This point 1t
is not necessary to argue because the
country through tho demands OF war
turned the railroads over to the gov
ernment and we have had the pain
ful privilege OF observing the per-
formance which followed. The gov
ernment management which ensued
was inefficient, the railroads were
wretchedly conducted and money was
spent and wasted with a prodigality
which nothing can defend, During
the time In which the government
undertook to manage the railroads
they sustained. despite generous
Increase in freight rates, loss OF
over n million dollars a day and the
total payments out OF the treasury
to support the railroads have reached
the enormous sum orSl750, 900, 600.
There was universal dissatisfaction
with the government management
and II was a just dissatisfaction. The
experiment failed and should not be
renewed.
From domestic affairs. which
have only touched upon briefly, let
us turn to foreign questions. to our
relations with the world OF other ma
tions. Look first at one OF the most
pressing importance just beyond our
own borders. Look at Mexico. For
soven years the United States has
been pursuing under the direction OF
the president n policy of "watchful
waiting" The president saw tit to
intervene in Mexico, AS a matter OF
fact he made war upon Mexico, for in
the taking of Vera Cruz we lost some
l20 men In killed and wounded and
several hundred unregarded, inciden-
tai Mexicans were also either wound
ed or killed in the conflict, We went
/. a. ~ -.