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Show SOCIALISTS IN THE CABINET "Tho World" rebukes Postmaster Gonoral Burleson for recommondlng government ownership nnd operation ot tho telegraph and tolephono systems. sys-tems. It charges him with rushing "headlong Into tho field of collective ownorshlp llko a nowly converted Socialist." Worse than that from "The World's" point ot view Mr. Burleson Is seriously embarrassing tho President. "Coming from n member mem-ber of tho Wilson administration It is an amazing proposnl, utterly at conflict with tho fixed doctrlncii of tho Democratic party." Secretary McAdoo, wo prosumo Is also horrllled at tho Idea ot putting tho govornment Into business ns tho owner and operator of public utilities llko tho telegraph and tho tolophono. It Is truo that ho and tho President fought tooth and nnll In tho last Congress to put tho government Into business ns an ocean frolght carrlor. Thoy tried to got Congress to sanction sanc-tion government ownorshlp and operation oper-ation of ocean steamship linos, doing business In competition not only with frolght but also with American shipowners. ship-owners. Tho tolophono and te'.cjjrnph BOr" lccs aro natural monopolies, operated operat-ed govornmontnlly in most countrios in conjunction with tho postofflco sorvico. Transporting frolght by soa Is not a natural government monopoly; mon-opoly; nor la It a natural monopoly ot any sort. Tho sea Is freo to all; It Is an open highroad between nation na-tion and nation. Novortholesa Mr. McAdoo and Mr. Wilson urged Con-gross Con-gross to voto millions of dollars to put tho govornment Into business nB a deep sea carrlor. Thoy rushed into in-to tho flold of collcctlvo ownorshlp furthor nnd fastor than Mr. Burlo-son Burlo-son hns over thought of rushing Into In-to It. Why, thoroforo, pillory tho Postmaster Post-master General as "a nowly converted convert-ed Socialist" or say that his proposal is "amazing" as coming from a member mem-ber of tho Wilson ndmtnlitration? Ho 13 In vory good company In tho Wilson Wil-son Cabinet. His' Socialistic suggos- tlon Is far less In conflict with tho fixed doctrines of tho Democratic party par-ty than Mr. McAdoo's and Mr. Wit-son's Wit-son's Is. Has ho made himself persona per-sona non grata by urging government ownership of tho telegraph and tele-phono tele-phono systems? Tho Idea Is fantastic. fantas-tic. "Tho World," says that Mr. Burleson's Burle-son's Socialistic zeal "may bo accounted ac-counted for by the Impracticability of his plan." Why Is tho government govern-ment ship monopoly plan of Mr. McAdoo Mc-Adoo nnd Mr. Wilson any less Socialistic So-cialistic or any less impracticable? Now York Tribune. |
