The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1853-05-13
rhe Terr,hle WAGE. al I.if..

The Baltimore american Of yesterday says:
"Within the last three weeks we have received
Intelligence of no less than four catastrophes OF
steamers and four OF railways. The Independence,
the Albatross, the Ocean Wave, the s. S. Lewis,
are the steamers; and the Philadelphia and New
York, the Erie, the New York and New Haven,
and the Chicago, the railroads. By the loss OF
the Independence one hundred and forty persons
were slain; by the Chicago collision twenty four;
by the Ocean Wave twenty-eighs; while by the
Norwalk massacre forty -four were murdered and
thirty. seven wounded. This gives total loss,
in little more than fortnight, by corporate and
individual carelessness, of two hundred and thirty
six human lives.'
We unite with the thousands who are now
invoking the enactment of such regulations as
will hereafter protect the public from liability
to these disasters. Many plans will no doubt
be proposed, and we trust they may all be we'll
considered.
In our opinion, the evil exists in the eager
desire Of railroad and steamboat companies to
declare high dividends These companies are
too frugal in their outlays, and too desperate in
their attempts to excel each other in speed
Prompted by these motives, they forget the re-
sponsibilties resting upon them, and incur risks
to which the lives of their fellow citizens should
| not be subjected.
| Much is said of the justice of furnishing the
careless and reckless agents of the companies,
and there is no doubt that many of them richly
merit the severcst penalties; but the very am
pie opportunities they possess Of escaping these
penalties, by throwing the responsibility from
one to another, and by various other means,
render it improbable that many of them will
ever be punished; but, even if they should be,
we do not believe the evil will thereby be re.
medied to any great extent while the primary
causes we have alluded to exist. The compa
MES will still economist in their outlaws they
will still urge to speed beyond the capabilities
of the means they possess; and the agents, ever
willing to crafty their employers, will con-
| tinue desperate and remorseless in their con-
duct
The only efficient corrective, in our opinion,
is the certain award Of damages in every in
stance of injury to passengers who commit
themselves to their care. This species of pen
atty should be fixed at high standard, and
so imposed as to render evasion of it i,npracti-
cable, even to the sacrifice of the steamboats,
railroad cars, and railroads themselves.
The forfeiture of $40 900 for each life sacri-
feed in the late Norwalk disaster would make an
aggregate Of $4,000 and the inaiction of such
penalty upon that company would be more eff
fective in inducing the provision of every pos
sible safeguard for passengers than any other
means that can be provided.
"What one does by another is done by him
SELF" is familiar maxim; and we can see no
reason why it should not be applicable to the pro
prietors of steam vessels and railroads as we'll
as to others. We regard it as important that
they should be made to realize that it is so;
and thus induced to both secure good and con-
scentious agents, and to control their conduct
in such manner as to do away forever with all
dread of the reckless and wanton sacrifice of
human lives through their culpabiIity.
We sincerely hope this subject may be
everywhere discussed as a practical ques-
ton, and that the laws of every State may at
once be made to conform to the popular will
in regard to it.