New-York daily tribune., 1859-08-05
RAILROAD MORTALITY.

An effect without cause-a product without
producer-a fruit without blossom-a conse-
0uence which follows nothing, is produced BY moth
ing, is connected with nothing, and comes from
nothipg-can such thing be- The absurdity OF
the statement is evident on the face of it. moral
vacuum is as abhorent to nature IA Vacuum in
physics.
There is no such thing az an accident IN this
sense: and if thing can be less than nothing, if
there is any negative quantity more negstive than
absolute negation, then especially is there no such
thing as Railroad Accident. The Telegraph
flashes lies when if thus announces the latest case
of Railroad Slaughter; the papers lie in big type
which publish the dispatch-lie perhaps in an En-
ira. lie in second and third edition, lie IN weekly
and semi weekly issue; the public lies which re-
oests the news and even the dscOnsolate friends
of the maneled victims will mock their own grief by
ipscribing on the silver plate of the coffin which
holds such fragments of theirrelat'es as happened
to be picked up in the confusion of the moment,
the lie that all accdent-a Railroad Accdsnt-Was
the cause of death.
Death BY RsilrOsd-desth by torture-or by
whatever other name We may call the sudden sacri-
ice of human life, and, Whist il woree. the sudden
manning of human creatures who thenceforWard
shall drag their torn and tortured members to the
grave which they are too long in reaching, is no
more chance than the inevitable consequences
which. in any other of the affairs of life, follow an
infringement of inflexble and unchangeabe law.
II is not an accident in the sense of result OF some
known cause which could neither be foreseen nor
guarded against still less an accident in the more
common sense Of casualty which had indeed,
cause, but one existing only for moment trifng
in itself, and perhaps unknown. No; these railroad
catastrophes are inevitable consequence we'll
known results of well. known causes-eyents as
sure to come. and known to be as sure to come, as
BY the law of gravitation and the law OF change
the fall of the rotten apple from its tree.
We are reaping just now harvest Of these
occurrences Is any one blind as not to zee that
they come periodically For season of years
one may take a seat in railroad train, with some
confidence that at the end of the trip his head may
still be UPON bis shoulders, and thst bis wife will not
be compelled to acknowledge her obligation to some
.ympathizing friend for forwarding BY express an
arm or leg or two of her unlucky husband, which
was all that could be found of him after recent
melancholy disaster. And then comes another
season when we have no such confidence; when
the resignation 10 horrible, inevitable fate; when
sublime devotion to duty however disastrous may
be the consequences; when that passive courage
which faces an almost probable death in its most
appalling shape take the place of that calm sereni-
ty with which, in ordinary timee, the traveller
takes leave of wife and children. We instinct
lively recognize these seasons of danger and OF
security.
Why should they recur and why are We at this
moment in the dispersation of danger Simply,
we think, because railroad directors do not recog-
nize that they have moral duties to the public at
large quite as imperative their pecuniary obEgs-
tions to stockholders and bondhodeIs. To these
last they feel bound to pay dividends if they can,
interest at any rate. They forget that their first
duty is to give to the public safe highway, to
guard with all possible care against danger to
human life and limb. Dividends are good things;
interest on bonds is also good thing; but the lives
of fellow -mortals are more precious than either.
The question at this moment, in the present stagna
ton Of business, 10 between railroads kept In
proper repair, and the semi-annua interest on hrst
! and second mortgages. If the repairs are attended
to, the nteres. is unpaid. And if the roads are
kept in proper condition, the mortgages may be
foreclosed. Undoubtedly this is a hard condition
A railroad lapsed into the hands Of bondholders
and the stock at zero, is unquestionably
subject of uncomfortable, perhaps even exsspe-
rating, reelection to shareholders. But empty
homes are harder to bear than empty exchequers
1t IS better 10 have low percentage Of killed and
wounded than high percentage on the stock list.
Better break down bonds than bridges Better
foreclose mortgages than human lives. Better re-
ceive the execrstions Of stockholders whose certi-
fcstes are only melancholy evidences of misplaced
confidence in directors or in routes than hear the
groans Of tortured and mangled wretches and
know that to many home there has come sud
den sgouy which has added to bereavement new
/ horror.
| We have great confidence in common sense, and
in common humanity. We even believe thst in the
holders OF bonds and of stocks these qualities are
not wanting Sydney Smith said that railroad dis
asiers would not cease til the custom was adopted
Of tying director 10 the front Of each en- gine
The director who should volunteer 10 introduce
such s regulation would be sure Of Immortality
A sl.~tN ~.