Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-05-11
EVENING STAR.
WEDNESDAY, MAY II, 1858.
"WHAT WILL BE DONE ABOUT TIP

ut the corner of almost every street, and by
almost every fire side in the land, with
reference to the most recent atrocious rail-
road massacre. Alas! it is a question much
easier asked than answered. These fright
full public murders have been committed so
long with impunity, that they are almost ex-
pected now as matters of course. Our rail-
road, and rivers, and lakes, and ocean
shores, have become so familiar to the sight
of human blood and the sound of human
groans, that it would seem as if they could
hardly be expected to see and know any
thing else.
But if We were asked "what ought to be
done about it," we should answer in a
way that our readers would be likely to re-
member. Perhaps the time has not yet
come for bringing public sentiment up to
the standard where it would sustain such a
law as these cases Of human slaughter re-
quire.
We are living in time of profound peace,
of unexampled national prosperity; and
yet what sacrifices of human life and proper
ty the press is called upon daily to record
What with railroad slaughters, incendiary
fires, and shipwrecks of clipper vessels, burn
ing of sea, and lake, and river steamers,
there is perpetual defamation of our race
going On, we'll nigh equalling the operations
of the murderous trinity of War, Pestilence
and Famine.
Is there no remedy for this terrific state
of society,"? Are such fragrant outrages
inseparable from this fast age? If SO, then
we give it as our humble opinion that we
had better not go ahead quite so fast
Better gain in human happiness what we
lose in human speed.
The only true remedies for all these great
grievances of the people lie with the people
themselves.
In the first place: Let the people cease
patronizing the proprietors of these whole
sale engines of death and carnage. The
moment such human measures as this at
Norwalk occurs, let the Company guilty of
them be branded as Infamous, and forever
after avoided, unless it can give abundant
assurances OF greater care and attention for
the future. This would bring these greedy
monopolies to speedy terms
In the second place: Let there be Rail-
road Commissioners appointed in every
State, Territory and District where road
exists, whose duty it shall be personally to
superintend the workings of all the roads,
under liberal pay and heavy penalties.
In the third place: Let no engineer, or
conductor, or other travelling agent be en-
ployed who is known to be in the habitual
use of intoxicating liquors. To this law of
travel the Railroad Commissioners should
have power to compel every company and
proprietor to conform.
In the fourth place: Let the heaviest
penalties the civil law has the power to
lnfiict, be at once inflicted on all persons
directly or indirectly concerned in these
merclless and shameless outrages on the
life and peace of society.
In the fifth place: Let the charter of
every monopoly, or the papers of every
proprietor, be instantly taken away, revoked
and cancelled, on the occurrence of every
act OF carelessness by which human life is
sacrificed.
In the sixth place: Let the conductors of
the public press write as one man
to concentrate the focus of public in
and scorn on all those who are
IN any way instrumental in procuring these
Infamous immolations of our fellow citizens
on the reeking affairs of Mammon. This is
the influence, after all, that will control and
put down these public enormities.
Beneath the rule ofmen supremely great,
The Pen is mightier than the Sword
And what deed is greater, nobler, more
glorious, than the saving of one human life
that might else be thrown away? If he is
q public benefactor who causes one blade
of grass to grow where none grew before,
how much more does he benefit the public,
who saves single human being to bless his
family.
Let the press wake up the people! And