Dayton daily empire. [volume] (Dayton [Ohio]) 1850-1865, 1859-04-15
Railway LihgatiOn-Bad Effects upon
Railway Interests

We call the attention of Railway officers
and especially Stockholders to the following
sensible and pointed remarks FROM the
American Railway Lines upon the subject
above named. There is nothing we can
think Of that will 50 speedily and eifectually
damage Companys local reputation, and
lessen the confidence in il, of the muLi,y
through which road runs, as constant and
persistent litigation
The Times says: ave can imagine no
worse evil to befall any railway corporation,
than to have for its leading officers persons
who have decided love for legal quarrel.
These men generally possess great combat
iyeness, great vanity, and general quality
of brain that eschews wisdom. Backed by
the power Of the combined capital of the
company, able to retain and pay the best lie
gal counsel from the companys treasury, ut
terly ignorant that any one possesses legal OF
other rights opposed to the corporation, de.
srous to show that they can stave OF On hon
est claim against the company for ten dol
lars until the claimant is badgered into ac.
cepting five in full for the 'claim-no matter
what the cost may be to the company for
this badgering process-they go on from case
to case and from yesr to year until, by a
long course Of injustice and impertinence
they succeed in making the company they
represent, and in consequence all other rail
way companies, so distasteiul and offensive
to the public, that finally when the COMPANY
has a case brought before jusy for settle-
ment, it will seldom have fair chance for
justice
The litigating tendency of some few OF
our railway managers have done great deal
to bring railway companies into discredi,
before the public jnries Continued injus,
tice, continued overbcarance and imperti.
nence from the agents of a puhEc
""" - ..l'7 ns' ipence ib.
90. hle, =. steals
-.oaA inIua to mind, spreading from
one to another by speech, the wave constant
ly growing broader, until that influence has
become public opinion, before which not on
ly the jury, but the Court is forced to bow
This antagonism Of the public mind is ia
tai to success in more points than one. Pub.
lie oPinion Is represented by the Legislatur,
by the Courts and juries, and the man or th,
corporation who falls within its witheripr
influence 10 a contest with lavorite or even
unknown parties, will have short thrift.
The case Of Shaw VS. the Boston and Wor
eester Railway Company, is an evidence Of
the truth Of what we have seid. Here il !
case that might and should have been set.
tied at once at comparatively small sum
We shall not go into history of the matter
for the daily papers have been full Of it,
The plaintiffs husband was killed and she
most horribly matilated. Instead Of coming
forward and settling the case at once at 4
fair sum, the corporation offered price 70,
the killing and maitaing Of the parties thai
wss o ridicul' u " small as to be beneath 4
decent persons contempt The case ha,
been tried four or five timesi the juries every
time Increasing the amount Of the verdict
and the corporation every time standing
worse and woiss before the public. The Il
nal damages which jury will award, the
expenses Of legal counsel, aud other neces
sary expenses including costs, will no doubt
amount to ten times the SUN for which the
whole thing might have been settled for at
the start.
Daring ell these years Of poverty and SUI.
lsFlng 20 the plaintiff the continued oppo-