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the Conservative. 9
POLITICAL. ORGANISATIONS.
"A political pnrty is nil organization
of men having in view the establish
ment of the political policy agreed to by
them as the policy of the government.
By "abolishing" political parties by law
or in any other \vny , all men are de
prived of the right to organize for what
they consider the right. . They are thus
deprived of any adequate "place on
earth" for without organization there is
neither right nor justice possible on
earth. " Nebraska State Journal.
The erudite State Journal is as far
from the mark as Jones. Jones is right
in idea but wrong in method. What
the country does want is independent
self-govornment , but it cannot be had
by "direct nomination of candidates by
the people" or ' 'by direct making of
laws by the people , " any more than it
has resulted from "organization of men
having in view the establishment of the
political policy agreed upon by them as
the policy of the government , " The
one would lead to anarchy as the other
has led to machine despotism and cor
ruption as The State Journal well
knows. "What part does the individual
piny in caucus nominations or the party
policy ? Not an iota ! The plate is made
by the ring in accordance with dictation
of the boss or bosses. The machine ,
that is the organized people , simply con
firm it. Political independence is im
possible in organization. It does not
continue through one presidential can
vass and election. It is not present in
and through the first caucuses for
nomination of and ' '
a new 'independent
party. "
The Way Out.
The way out of this difficulty is not
"by the direct nomination of candidates
by the people , " as Jones says , nor by
party organization as The State Journal
claims. Political life in the village com
munities of New England shows the
former , even in local affairs , while
national and state politics show the
futility of organization to insure compe
tent and honest government.
The way out is simple. It is to do away
entirely with all local representation
and have all candidates elected nt large
by self-nomination. Awaken individual
responsibility and the majority of
American citizens know what they
want. Those having like interests want
approximately the same thing. The
individual struggle for existence , "a free
fight and no favors , " needs to be intro
duced into politics. Politics should
become a science and those thinking
they have fitness should prepare them
selves for the fight and enter the lists.
The people will soon learn who best
represents their individual necessities.
Each great interest should produce its
candidates. Those connected with each
interest will soon learn which , of the
candidates is best fitted to represent
them individually. No matter what
the number of candidates the whole
number possible of election should bo
limited. Those having the greatest
number of votes in the county at large
should bo elected in serial number until
the list of candidates is filled for
national representation , and so for state ,
city or town representation. Each voter
would then , in a certain measure , be
come acquainted with the candidates
and personally select and vote for the
one best suiting him. Ho would bo a
man of his own profession or work ,
known to understand the needs of the
individual men in that branch of in
dustry. The way out of the political
muddle is interest , representation , indi
vidual candidacy and direct voting by
the people individually. All local rep
resentation in national , state or town
politics should be abolished.
FRANK S. BILLINGS ,
Graf ton , Mass.
A significant fact
SOMK INTKRKST-
ING DATA. * 'nni nPDears m
railroad statistics
in a recent edition of "Poor's Manual"
is that the highest earnings per mile
and the lowest rates go together. The
ton-mile rate for freight is the lowest in
the Middle States , averaging only 0.01
cent. But the freight earnings where
that low rate was charged averaged
§ 10,050 per mile , which was the highest
in the country. The average freight
earnings per mile for the entire country
was § 4,717. The highest ton-mile rate is
found in the New England States , 1.10
cents , but the proportion of valuable com
modities carried is higher in New Eng
land than in other states. At the same
time the average train load is smaller
in those states 162.46 tons , as compared
with 283.18 tons in the Middle States.
Earnings have increased as the freight
rates have gone down. The ton-mile
rate fell in the last ten years from 0.977
cent to 0.758 , or 22 2-5 per cent. On the
other hand , the freight train earnings
per mile increased from 155.71 cents in
1888 to 1G009 in 1898. While rates
went down 23 per cent , the earnings in
creased 8 per cent , showing that the low
rate is the more profitable. This is in
some measure due to the improved con
dition of the roads and to the use of
more powerful engines carrying larger
loads. The average of the train load of
freight in 1888 was 159.86 tons , while in
1898 it was 211.06 tons. Oil those roads
where the lowest rates were charged
the earnings were the highest and the
train load was the heaviest. The aver
age train load of freight for the entire
country was 211.06 tons , but the average
on the Pennsylvania was much greater
than that , and on some other roads it
was as follows : Chesapeake and Ohio ,
425 tons ; Buffalo , Rochester and Pitts-
burg , 407 tons ; New York Central , 846
tons ; Lake Shore , 852 tons ; Erie , 885
tons. On through freight the average
train load on the New York Central was
750 tons. The great benefit the public
gets from this increase in the train load ,
duo to improved track and more power
ful engines , can bo seen in the returns
of the Chesapeake and Ohio. In 1892 >
the average train load on that system
was 2590 tons , and the average charge
per ton per mile on freight was .636 cent.
From year to year the train loads in
creased and the freight rate decreased ,
until in 1899 the train load reached 425 . | ? 'J'
tons while the freight rate had fallen to B * ' '
.862 cent.
The roads are not able to make as
good an exhibit in the matter of pas
senger fares. These have been steadily
reduced , and , like freight rates , are the
lowest on record ; but it is not in the
power of the roads to increase the train
load of passengers as they do of freight.
The passenger rate averaged per mile
1.994 cents , a decline since 1888 of 1JC ]
per cent. Bat the receipts per passen
ger train mile fell in the ten years from
98.74 cents to 79.07 cents , a decline of
15) per cent. The average number of
passengers per passenger train fell in
that period from 41.78 to 89.66. The
earnings on passenger trains per mile of
railroad fell from § 8105 to § 2796. More
passengers are carried but a great many
more trains are run , and they are on
the average run at greater expense ,
better accommodations being furnished.
The railroads are giving the people now
much the best and cheapest service ever
afforded. To accommodate passengers
the roads have materially lessened their
earnings on passenger trains. And yet
there continues to be n demagogic out
cry against the railroads and opposition
to just legislation for their benefit.
When they ask for a law to stop ticket
scalping and save the § 2,000,000 now an
nually absorbed by the parasitical ticket
brokers a demagogic outcry is raised in
opposition. And when they want legis
lation to enable them , under the super
vision of the government , through the
Interstate Commerce Commission , to
fix and maintain stable rates and to do
away entirely with all secret discrimi
nation , immensely to the benefit of the
public , there is this same unfair dema
gogic opposition. The statistics show
that the public is getting the benefit of
all railroad improvements. Rates have
gone up on steamships and prices have
gone up generally on everything rail
roads use , but their charges remain the
same. It is time that they were given
credit for what they are doing in the
way of improved facilities and lower
charges , which benefit the country. The
great reduction they have made in
recent years on freight rates has been a
very important factor in the general
prosperity of the nation. *
Were the self-made man conscious of
his origin he might not be so conceited
on ass.