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The Commoner,
5
JANUARY 20, 1905
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game principles which govern them in dealing
with national questions will govern them
wheii dealing with questions of state and city.
There has been a rapid growth of public senti
ment in favor of the municipal ownership of muni
cipal franchises. At the beginning of tho Mast
century nearly all the cities obtained their water
supply from private water plants; now, nearly
every city of any size has its own water plants,
and those that have not, ought to have. The own
ership of lighting plants cornea next, and each
year finds a larger number of cities providing
their own light and furnishing light at cost to
their people. The municipal ownership of street
car lines will follow, and municipal ownership
of the telephones may come even before the street
car lines are acquired. Where competition is im
possible, and a monopoly unavoidable, the bene
fits of the monopoly must accrue to the whole
public and not to a few favored individuals. Muni
cipal ownership of natural monopolies is not
only necessary to protect the people from extor
tion, but for the purification of city government
and city politics.
"Not only must the city own the natural mo
nopolies of the city, but the nation and the state
must for tho same reasons follow the same course
in regard to monopolies that come within their
sphere of operation. The consolidation of rail
roads, the giving of rebates, the making of dis
criminations, the watering of stock, the charging
of excessive rates and tho corruption of public
officials all these are combining to force upon
the public the consideration of tho railroad ques
tion. President Roosevelt is just now entering upon
a contest for the regulation of railroad rates, and
the democrats ought to heartily support him in
the position he is taking, if with democratic
assistance, he succeeds in securing more strict
regulation of the railroads engaged in interstate
commerce, the public will receive the benefit and
the democratic party will share in the credit. If,
even with democratic assistance, he fails, tho
democratic party will (profit by the educational
work which he is doing, and the railroad ques
tion will be made still more acute. "While I am
anxious that the virtue of government supervision
and regulation shall be fully tried, I find myself
inclining to the belief that public ownership is
tho only permanent cure for the evils which have
gxown out of the management of ithe great arteries
of trade by a few individuals who have only
their own pecuniary interests in view and who
exploit the public to the extent that the traffic
will bear it. I believe that the federal ownership
of trunk lines and the state ownership of the net
work of local railroads will furnish a solution of
the problem. State ownership of the multitude-of
local lines would give the people tho benefit of
public ownership without the dangers of centraliza
tion and the federal ownership of trunk lines
would answer the purposes of interstate commerce.
"It is for the members of the democratic party
to deal with these and similar questions with the
courage that Jackson displayed in dealing with
the questions which confronted his generation.
That democratic principles are sound does not,
among democrats at least, admit of dispute, for
they rest upon belief in the brotherhood of man.
That those principles will triumph can not be
doubted by those who believe in their truth, for
truth is mighty, md must at last prevail.
"If any of you lack faith go forth into the
fields. You find that a tiny seed planted in tho
ground contains a germ that, bursting from its
prison walls sends its roots down into the ground
and it3 leaves up into the air. Under the influence
of soil, and rain and sunshine, that seed multi
plies until it furnishes bread for the race. Go
forth among the orchards and you find that a
little slip or twig will grow into a tree which will
furnish shade for, the weary, and fruit for the
hungry. You know that behind the seed and the
twig is an irresistible force that working con
stantly, supplies the needs of man. The forces
behind moral and economic fruit are no less ir
resistible. "We have but to plant and attend them,
and the har e3t of blessings is sure."
JJJ
Home Rule For Cities
Governor Folk of Missouri, in his inaugural
address urged home rule in the. cities, in the fol
lowing language:
The government of the large cities of the
state is a subject of great importance. The
police departments of S't. Louis, Kansas City
and St. Joseph are controlled as an arm of
the state by boards appointed by the governor
This has been the system in our state for moro
than forty years, and changes that are mado
should only bo after due consideration and close
study of this' serious problem. Hasty action
on measures intended for tho boneflt of soma
political party may lead to serious public
injury. These questions should bo approached
with a due appreciation of their gravity and of
tho good or evil that would result from any
now laws on tho subject. I believe tho peo
ple can bo trusted to govern themselves, and
that if these cities are given tho privilege of
selecting their own officials the peoplo there
will give moro attention to their political af
fairs. If it bo wrong to give local self-government
in the selection of local officials to
any part of tho state, then it would seem
that tho entire theory of our government is
wrong. If the peoplo of these cities do not
take enough interest in public affairs to secure
good government for themselves, they ought
not to expect to get it from the outside. It is
insisted that the criminal classes congregate
in tho larger cities, and if tho police depart- '
ments, for instance, are subject to local control,
these criminal classes would have an undue
influence over the members of tho departments.
Unfortunately, it is true that tho criminal and
corrupt, though constituting but a small pro
portion of the entire population of tho great
cities, have a powerful influence in politics, by
reason of their pernicious activity. They have
'this influence, however, because of the inactiv
ity of good citizens. Local self-government
would compel tho latter, in self-protection, to
attend to tho public business, which is their
own business, after all.
Governor Folk's reasoning is sound. The doc
trine that the people of St. Louis, Kansas City and
St. Joseph can not be trusted to control their own
police force is inconsistent with the theory of self
government. If the peoplo can not take care of
their own local affairs iow can they be expected
to act wisely in dealing with things remote from
them? The tendency toward the centralization of
power at some gemote center is a dangerous one.
Governor Folk ha3 sounded a democratic note and
he ought to have the support of all the democrats
in the Missouri legislature. If the democratic party
ceases to trust the peoplo the people will ceaso
to trust It. Nothing in Governor Folk's message
furnishes more conclusive proof of his loyalty to
the fundamental principle of free-government. Suc
cess to his effort to restore homo rule to the cities
of Missouri.
JJJ
The Commoner
In this issue Tho Commoner enters upon its
fifth year. In its initial number Tho Commoner
said that it would bo satisfied if by fidelity to tho
common people it proved its right to the name
which has been chosen. It is not for The Com
moner to say whether this right has been estab
lished. Yet it will not be denied the privilege of
saying that if mistakes have been made they were
mistakes of the head rather than of the heart, and
that the eiiv-.ts of The Commoner have been to
hew close to the line of what its editor believes to
be in the puuiic interests and to faithfully cham
pion those principles which give the highest prom
ise of providing "the greatest good to tho greatest
number."
The increasing number of subscribers and the
cheerfulness with which men in all sections of tho
country give their aid to the effort to widen The
Commoner's sphere of influence, provides reason
for believing that the great work to which The
Commoner has been dedicated is appreciated at
least by those who sympathize with the principles
advocated by The Commoner.
In the future, as in the past, Tho Commoner
will exert itself in behalf of democratic prin
ciples to the end "that this nation shall under
God, have a new birth of freedom, and that gov
ernment of the people, by the peoplo and for tho
people shall not perish from the earth."
JJJ
Governor Folk Inaugurated
The inauguration of Governor Joseph W. Folk
at Missouri's capital on January ninth was a
political event of great moment. Thi3 vigorous
young democrat won a notable victory and his
inaugural message an abstract of which will be
found on another page gives promise of a benef
icent administration. His discussion of homo rule,
lobbying, boodling and failure to vote was espe
cially strong. Much oncouragoment is to b
found in tho fact that such an earnest protest
should bo mado against corporate domination and
against tho lobby by a democratic governor In
Missouri and by a republican governor In In
dianafor Governor Hanly has also taken strong
ground against tho lobby, tho railroad pass and
corporation rule.
Governor Folk not only censures the stay-at-home
voter, but suggests a remedy. Ho advises
that the Indifferent voter bo temporarily disfran
chised, with provision for a restoration of tho
franchise by court decreo on proper applica
tion. This Is an excellent idea. It ought, how
ever, to bo accompanied by tho postal voto, so
that a person, sick or necessarily absent from
homo on election day, could voto wherever ho
happened to bo and send his voto by registered
Jotter to tho proper officials at his voting place.
Mr. and Mrs. Bryan attended the Folk Inaugu
ration and the reception which followed.
JJJ
iNo Federal incorporation
Tho Wall Street Journal suggests tho federal
incorporation of lnter-stato commerce corpora
tions. That is not only not necessary, but it is
actually dangerous. Let the states create corpora
tions and control them insofar as they operate
within tho state. Then let Congress regulate
all corporations engaged in lnter-stato commorco
by fixing tho term3 on which they do lnter-stato
business.
JJJ
Good Work
One of tho best known democrats in Iowa, a
gentleman having a national reputation, writes
to say:
Let mo present you a new year's gift of the
above eighty-six new bona fide subscribers for
The Commoner. I will shortly send tho other
fourteen to make a round one hundred. I have
not retained the commission of 40 cents In a
single instance, preferring to enjoy the roward
of helping to promote the cause. Find en
closed draft for $51.G0 to cover the same.
Another democrat, living in Missouri, writes
as follows:
I Inclose my check on St. Louis for $18.60
for thirty-one subscriptions to The Commoner.
Please acknowledge receipt of same and ex
tend my time for paper accordingly. This costs
mo more in time and money than If I paid for
my subscription, but then I am built that way.
I wish you success.
Both of these gentlemen are very busy men,
but they believe that Tho Commoner is doing a
good work and they are therefore anxious to aid
in tho increase of its circulation. These two let
ters may provide a hint to other Commoner read
ers. Those desiring to assist in the effort to widen
The Commoner's sphere of influence will find the
opportunity in tho special uibscription offer.
According to the terms of this offer, cards,
each good for one year's subscription to The
Commoner, will ue furnished In lots of Ave, at
tho rate of ?3 per lot. This places the yearly sub
scription rate at GO cents.
These card3 may bo paid fpr when ordered, or
they may be ordered and remittance mado after
they have been sold. A coupon is printed below
for the convenience of those who desire to parti
cipate in this effort to increase The Commoner's
circulation.
THE COAMONER'S SPECIAL OFFER
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sire you to send me a Bupply of subscription
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Indicate tbcnuirber of cards wanted by mark
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Jf you believe the paper is doing a work that merit
encouragement, fill out the above coupon and mail it
to The Commoner, Lincoln, Neb.
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