The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume], October 26, 1892, Page 8, Image 8

About The advocate and Topeka tribune. [volume] (Topeka, Kan.) 1892-1894

Image provided by: Kansas State Historical Society; Topeka, KS

                
8
TX-XXB VOO.l-.T2Xt.
GQVEBUlIEffT OWNERSHIP OP EAIL-
EOAD3.
la view of Geo. T. Anthony's re
cent allusions to this subject, the fol
lowing matter may be of some interest
to the readers of the Advocatk :
From Chas. F. Adams' "EallroaH, Their Origin
and Problenis."
Turning now from Great Britain to Bel
gium, an opportunity is offered to observe
the practioal working of a wholly different
policy. The famous Belgian railroad sys
tem originated with King Leopold, and
bears to this day marks of the creating
mind. When the Manchester fc Liverpool
railway was completed, the Belgian revolu
tion had not yet taken place, and Leopold
was still a resident of England. His atten
tion was naturally drawn to the oonse
qaencesof th'snew application of steam, and
when a few years later he was called to the ,
throne of Belgium, one of his earliest pro
jects related to the construction of railroads
in his new dominions. He was strongly per
auadeoV however, that the English system of
private construction was not tne correct
one. He, as well as the Duke of Welling
ton, strongly adhered to the analogy of the
highway; but more logical than the duke,
his was the king's highway, and not a turn
pike. Accordingly he planned a system of
railway communication in which the roads
the steam highways were to be con
structed, owned, and operated by the state.
With some difficulty legislative assent to his
soheme was obtained, and the earliest lines
were undertaken in 1833. The government
then went on year by year developing the
system, but failed to keep paoe with the
public demand. Accordingly, in a few
years, though not until after the principal
and more remunerative routeB were occu
pied, concessions, as they were called, be
ing the equivalent of English charters, were
made to private companies, which carried
on the work of extension.
One peouliar feature in all these conces
sions had, however, a direct and sagacious,
though somewhat distant, bearing on the
fundamental idea of the Belgian railroad
system that of ultimate government own
ership. They were all made for a term of
ninety years, at the expiration of which the
railways were to become the property of the
state, whioh was to pay only for their roll
ing stock. The right was also reserved to
the government of buying baok the con
cession at any time, upon assuming pay
ment to the owners for any unexpired
balanoe of the ninety years of a yearly sum
equal to the average net receipts during the
aeven years next preceding the taking. The
tendenoy in Balgium now is for the govern
ment to absorb all the remaining lines.
Certainly the public feeling point very dis
tinctly towards the acquisition of the
remaining lines of the system by the gov
ernment, while the sale of the government
lines to private corporations has never been
urged by any considerable party. Finan
cially, the undertaking has proved a de
cided suooess, the government roads netting
an annual profit of late years of about 6 per
oent., whioh is equivalent to at least 10 per
cent in this country.
Prof. Richard T. Elv nayi, In a recent article
In the UoiivtgnlnnalM, In re ard to the publlo
opinion la Urmaiy ou the subject of state ewn
enhtpof r&llrottds:
The general improvement in railways in
Prussia since the nationalization has been
immense, and has converted praotioally the
entire people to nationalization not that
there may be no opponents, but that they
are few, and rapidly diminishing in num
ber. Every well-informed man whom I met
in Prussia, without one eioeption, consid
ered the test of experience as demonstra
tion of the superiority, in that country, at
least, of the government ownership of rail
ways, and I did not see one person who
would like to go baok to the old system of
private ownership.
From C. Wood Davis.
The last Victorian report shows this new
and sparsely settled oountry as able to bor
row money with whioh to build national
railways at 3 per cent, per annum. How
many American corporations are able to
borrow money at such a rate? This saving
in the interest charge directly benefits the
public and is due to national ownership,
and a like saving will be made by the na
tionalization of American railways.
This report also snows that wnut tne
oountry is to ruggsd that in many cases the
gradient are aa great as 130 feet per mile,
and the cost of labor and supplies more
than here, the roada are operated at less
cost, as measured by the expense per train
mile, than in the favored regions in the
United States. The Kansas City, Ft. Scott
k Memphis railway is, admittedly, one of
the best managed and moet economically
operated railways in the west, and with the
abundanoe of very cheap coal, low grad
ients and running more trains than do the
Victorian railways, should be operated
more cheaply, yet the cost of operating this
road, as measured by the cost per train
mile and this is the best possible criterion
of economy in operation is one-third
greater than on the government-owned rail
ways of Viotoria.
In the United States, one of the useless
traffic associations pays its chief umpire
nearly as muoh as Viotoria pays its entire
commission.
Ail the Australian reports ana aooounts,
whioh have oome under observation of the
writer, are models of conciseness and clear
ness, and show that there is nothing inher
ent in railway aooounts rendering it
necessary that they be made obscure and
misleading.
Neither in the Australian report nor in the
oolonial press is there the least evidence of
discriminations against individuals or lo
calities, and this one faot is an argument of
greater force in favor of national ownership
than all that has ever been advanoed
against it.
HIS HEABEBS IIT THE SAME FIX.
The State Journal, in its account
of Mr. Cabbison's speech at the conrt
house the other evening, reports him
as saying:
He did not know when he began what he
would say, or, when he ended, what he had
said.
We have conversed with several
persons who were present and heard
him, and they were very mnoh in the
same predicament.
EEOEIVED TOO LATE.
We have a communication from Mo
Fherson county relating to the home
record of Farmer Smith which came
too late for this issue of the Advocate.
It will appear next week.
Several other communications of
less importance also have to go over.
Missouri is not altogether lacking
in ! prosperity, we notice. A Kansas
City paper last week contained forty
six columns, nearly seven pages, of
tax sale notices set in small type. No
wonder the republicans over there are
alamity bowlers.
If Sam Wood had been murdered
in the south as he was in Kansas, it
would have been called a political
muider. As it is, his murderer is as
free as the wind, and is highly re
spected by the administration crowd
in Kansas.
It's sad to think of how free coin
age would "unsettle business," as the
Kansas bankers resolved the other
day, but then no one ever thinks of
tine unsettled condition of the farm
ers and other laboriog men.
' A few more copies of that excellent
little book, " The People's Cause," are
to be given away with yearly sub
scriptions received before November
8. Send on a dollar and get both the
Advocate and the book.
Attention is called to Crorby Bros., of this
city, who advertise on the last page. No
better firm or cheaper houae is found in the
west. Local readers are urged to patronize
them, and thoe in any section of the state
will receive full value on all mail orders.
KANSAS POLITICS.
Straws That Show Which Way the)
Breeaoa are Blowing.
The democrats of Barton county have
endorsed the Populist state ticket
The report that Duane Freeman had
withdrawn from the race In the Sixth
district is disputed by Mr. Freeman.
David Orermyer and Judge Doster
now speak from the same platform. That
makes a rich treat for those who hear
them.
Dan Swearlngen, editor of the Populist
paper at Waverly, has been arrested for
publishing obscene literature. He pub
lished the truth about his political op
ponents. II. S. Martin, the brilliant young law-
! yer of Marion, spoke to a People's partv
meeting in the Shawnee court house Sat
urday night. 0. C. Clemens was the
principal speaker.
A number of Santa Fe employes who
have carelessly let it be known that they
were People's party men, have been
called up and given to understand that
such things would never do. i
The rranaing privilege is stretched
alarmingly by the republican state com
mittee. They are using the franking
stamp of their congressmen and senators
to send out carloads of campaign trash.
The anti-Buchan republican league In
Wyandotte county Is making It exceed
ingly hot for the men who championed
the Kelly age of consent bill and op
posed the an ti-Pinker ton and antl-black-11st
bills.
The report that J. J. Grelbel, People's
party nominee in the Thirty-ninth sena
torial district, has been withdrawn Is not
true. The committee thinks he is the
only man that can defeat the republican
oandldate there.
Topeka ministers have "memorialized"
against the constitutional convention.
Considering the stand the average
preacher usually takes In political mat
ters, that action is almost enough to
carry the vote in favor of the provision.
A. W. Smith is now generally dubbed
"Farmer Smith of Copeland county."
This originated among the republicans
who opposed his nomination and who
said that for the last few years Smith
had done most of his farming at the
Copeland hotel in Topeka.
During his Wichita effort FL Scott
Harris said the leaders of the People's
party were worse than the anarchists
who died at the rope's end In Chicago.
Then the audience gave three cheers for
Jerry, and Harris proceeded to tell how
he Intended to vote the 'straight republi
can ticket. Harris Is a "stalwart" demo
crat. J. K. Hudson ran up against S. M.
Soott at Garden City the other day and
during the joint meeting found himself
in an extremely uncomfortable position.
He was compelled to listen while Soott
read some of his (Hudson's) late calamity
speeches. The "Majah" endured the
agony better than any decent maacould
have endured It, while the audience
cheered Scott and some of the republi
cans showed their contempt for their
would-be champion by leaving.
You don't hear much about Jerry
Simpson's cattle sensation since he has
produced the evidence of a number of
good republicans to prove that bribes
were paid to induce the Interior depart
ment to close Its eyes and permit cattle
to be grazed on the Cherokee strip in
order to swell the Harrison campaign
fund. The cattlemen themselves have
produced the receipts for the money they ,
paid, and under such circumstances it
was no use for Secretary Noble to deny
the charge. For any information about
the steal write James Hatson, Sterling,
Kas.
The worst Joke that has been perpe
trated on Jerry Simpson this campaign
was played in Chicago at the world's fair
dedication. Bill HIggins was Induced to
wear a pair of glasses In order to give
tone to the Kansas crowd. Then some
body circulated the report that the man
with the glasses was Jerry Simpson,
whereupon everybody but the Kansas
crowd began to "Hurrah for Jerry." BUI
lifted his hat and gracefully acknowl
edged the compliment. Then the shout
ing grew louder and kept ou growing till
Bill's head swelled to such a size that
his hat wouldn't fit.
Hypocritical Traducers.
To the Editor of Thb Advocate.
Mr. Lewelltng wants to be governor for what
there Is In It for himself, and It Is well to ask the
question as to who and what be Is? Kansas
wants a man for governor who will unselfishly
perform the duties of the office; one who 1 Iden
tified with hr growth and development, and not
arter the salary aid perquisites alone. Eagle.
The man at Topeka, as governor, who
would suit the editor of the Eagle and
the clique that controls him, must needs
be some pliant, sycophantic, subservient
partisan, so that the Eagle could have
some "Influence" at court, With Lew
elling governor, the editor of the Eagle
knows that straightforward, honest busi
ness methods would prevail in the execu
tive office of this state; and, that being
so, he could neither presume to suggest,
dictate or threaten in referenoe to any ap
pointments or policy. Whenever the
Eagle is after anything, you may be sure
it is prompted by Its vanity or selfish
ness. This editor's vanity is his vitality;
it is all that holds him jip. Such devo
tion to conviction as actuates the editors
of the reform press never moves such
organs as the Eagle.
Now, the fault with these fellows who
are opposing Lewelllng in Wichita Is that
they know he Is an honest, capable man,
and that nothing dishonorable can be
charged against him. They know his
election will not conserve their selfish
schemes, and they hope by Insinuations
and base lnneuendos to so work upon
prejudice and impulses as to compass his
defeat. Their efforts prove abortive arid
retroactive. Lewelllng Is destined to be
Kansas' next governor, and as such will
fill the office with honor and credit; and
in voting for Lewelllng no one will make
any mistake. Geo. Stark Miller.
Wichita, Kas., October 20, 1892.
From Georgia.
to the Editor of Thb Advocate.
I see that the Capital, published in
your state, says that the People's party is
dead in Georgia. This, likely, Is as near
the truth as that paper ever prints. The
papers here have not published even the -vote
of the "bourbon democracy" allowed
us In the count. It will never be known
just how many votes we did poll, but the
democrats have counted about 70,000 up
to this time. But for bulldozing and
bribery, there is little question but what
we would have carried the state by a
good majority. It was a fight of the pro
ducers against the money and town rings.
Our people are not discouraged, and
we send greetings to the brethren of the
west, and say, "Meet us in the middle of
the road." We are there and there to
stay until the victory is won.
In one short campaign we snatched
from the party of "rotten egg" argument
75,000 votes.' In a short while we will
have the large majority and will stand
invincible in our determined march in
the "middle of the road."
Push the fight in the west and our
boys will stand by your slle in the
struggle. M. D. Ibwix.
Atlanta, Ga., Octobei 17, '93.