Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-24
RECORD SPEAKS
At 60. ANBOY
Fires New Shots at FreIing-
huysen, Saying He's Duck
ing Issues at Stake

SOUTH AMBOY, Aug. 24.-The
statement made By Congressman
Patterson to the effect that Senator
Joseph S. Frelinghuysen will not
answer the attacks made upon him
by George l.. Record. his opponent
for the Republican nomination for
United States SCI ator, because Rec
ord is an advocate of public owner
ship, called forth another fullisade
from Record last evening The Pro-
gressive candidate, talking here last
night, declared that Frelinghuysen is
afraid to attempt a public discussion
of his own record in the United
States senate. He used the defense
offered by Congressman Patterson,
who is Frelinghuysen's campaign
manager, as an eXcuse for another
volley of questions. He asked that
Patterson be kind enough to make
answer eff Frelinghuysen is afaird
to do So"
Mr.. Record had this to say:
II have endeavored during this
campaign to induce Senator Freling-
huysen to make a public defense Of
his record in S ' l. important par
ticulars, but so far without success.
He keeps repeating that he is run
ming uoon his record. but he is un-
willing apparently to discuss it. His
manager, Congressman Patterson, il
q public statement says that the
senator is unwilling 10 answer my
attacks upon his record because 1
am an advocate of the government
ownership of railroads. which the
congressman thinks would destroy
private initiative and enterprise.
This statement gives me an oppor-
eunity to ask some more questions,
which l ask the congressman to an
swer if his principal is afraid to do
SO.
How does the government own
ership of railroads operate to de-
stroy individual initiative and ente--
prise? Originally. the railroads
were built up by different groups of
promoters and railroad builders, an +,
in that sense there was during that
period an opportunity for the exer-
else of individual and corpor. tie in
itiative and enterprise. 1t is a fact,
however,, that many roads, particu-
larly all the tranScontinental roads
were built with government money
For the last thirty years the rail-
roads Of America have been virtual
ly owned or controlled by a little
group of banking and financial syn
dicates. so that for all practical pur-
poses competition between them has
been destroyed. This consolidated
control has absolutely prevented the
building of new railroads by any
group of financiers in competition
with the syndicates which control
the existing roads. There is, there
fore no longer any opportunity Tor
the exercise of private initiative in
developing new railroads. 1t cannot
be claimed that we ought to con-
tinue private ownership of the rail-
roads in order that the banking syn
dictate should have an opportunity
for further priv. . ln.--atlVe, IN
view of the use they rave made of
their power. They obtained control
of the railroads in order to obtain
large rake-offs from the issue OF
catered securities which became a
burden upon the public through a
creased rates; to cOmrel the rail-
roads to purchase cars, rails, n car
supplies from great steel corpora
ions and other business con- no
IN which the banking syndicate IS
heavily interested; and to use the
rover over railroads 20 extend 1aV--
ofs and determinations to favored
ind lst.-ss like the beef trust a4io
coal trust, and thus enable them TO
Lulu up q IlSiiSbo'J
markets.
"Do the people of America want
anv more of that kind of
and enterprise on the part OF THESE
bankers? If we took over the rail-
roads. the bankers would be pre-
vented from exploiting the people
by this of private enterprise, ana
the prices of commodities would be
materially lowered.
Evil the congressman also ven-
ture to deny that the building up Of
these trusts by railroad favors has
operated to destroy in large measure
initiative and enterprise in those
markets dominated by the trusts, by
driving out competition. and thus
preventing firms and corporations
from competing with the trusts? Is
it not q fact that the private owner
ship of railroads, b. making posi-
BILE the trust control of staple indus
tries, has practically eliminated
competition from that field. and
with it private initiative and enter
enter the field if conditions of free
competition could De established
Mr.. RECORD will talk tonight at
Flainfield and tomorrow night at
Somerville. Monday he will be at
Montclair, Tuesday at Paterson and
Wednesday at Ridgewood.
Mr.. Record after calling the at
tention of the audience as he usually
does to the failure of Mr.. Frsling-
huysen to answer any of the ques-
lions which Mr.. Record has put up
to him or to discuss n of the is
sues of the campaign in connection
with his votes in congress-. cited as
an illustration, Mr.. Frelinghuysen's
speech in the Republican Club in
Essex county last evening (Tues-
day. saying in part:
"Mr. Frelinghuysen appeared in
Essex county last evening and fol-
lowed his usual method of cam
paigning. He did not go to a public
meeting of citizens invited to listen
to him, but appeared at a hand
picked gathering of a ward organi-
zation. There he failed to discuss
his record, but made an attack upon
Governor Edwards. This attack also
was not based upon any of the ac-
tions of Governor Edwards or upon
any question or principle between
the Democrats and the Republicans,
but consisted of the charge tia
Governor Edwards would be In the
United States senate the mere tool
OF Mayor Hague of Jersey City.
This is the familiar plan of CAM