The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-03-19


West 70 fuse the opposition elements against
the radicals In homogeneous and powerful
party.
TIE War q shs Rsllvs~A Kias~.
The passion for power d Inherent In human
nature. In al times and In al countries men
are found to be moved by the same appetite for
conquest and the same desire for mastery and
control. In the earlier ages Of the world the
men Of the greatest intellect and the strongest
will rose above their felIows, put themselves
at the head Of armies and carved out empires
with the sword. The ambition 70 subdue and
to rule caused Cyrus 10 build up the Persian
empire and induced Alexander 70 destroy u
and TO sigh for more worlds 10 conquer, and
It has been the incentive Of military despotism
since the creation. Under our modern forms
of government and In the advancing strength
and intelligence Of the people men no longer
attempt to rule by the sword, but they find In
money weapon % sharp and more effective
and having lost none Of the old lust for power
they seek to establish over their fellows the des-
potism of dollars.
The eyes Of our modern Alexanders turn
eagerly to the great railroads Of the different
nations as offering, through their magnitude and
importance, fine field for ambition. In Eng
land the railroad king, Hudson, sought to grasp
all the roads in the country In his hands,
and actually succeeded in obtaining control Of
majority of the leading lines; but 1t was not
long before there was general revolt against
his rule, and his downfall was as rapid and
signal as his rise. In France the Rothschilds
are in fact the monarchs Of the rail. They
hold them, Il is true, nominally under govern
ment ownership; but as the Rothschilds them
selves control the government their real power
Is little short Of supreme. On this side OF
the Atlantic our republication has not suficed
to protect US against railroad autocracy, and
we have our Caesars and Alexanders here,
whose ambition is little inclined 10 stop short
Of absolute despotism. Some Of them take
broader views and attempt more magnificent
is the same in all, from Stockton, the Gar Of
the little State Of Jersey, up to Vanderbilt
the autocrat Of the great State Of New York.
The concentration of railroad power or any
other power In the hands Of one individual Is
adverse to the spirit of our institutions and in
conflict with our notions Of public interest.
While the people Of the United States acknow-
ledge the advantages derived from combinations
Of capital to carry out great undertakings, and
while they will do all in their power to foster
and encourage private enterprise, they have
natural repugnance to monopolies, which they
regard with jealousy and suspicion. The railroad
power has heretofore been the most aggressive
Of any in the country. For years the late
Dean Richmond controlled the democratic
party through the influence Of the Central
Railroad, which he ran as tender to it.
Elections in different districts were carried in
accordance with the dictation Of the Central
road; along the line of the road, in most
districts, its enmity was fatal to candidate,
and Legislatures elected in opposition to the
road were bought up Wholesale by the cor
poration year after year and used for Its pur-
poses.
The great fight now going. on between the
Erie and Central roads has at its foundation
the desire to unite the two great trunk lines,
from the West TO the seaboard, under one
management, SO that the carrying trade may
be monopolized by single interest. The Erie
road has for many years been struggling on
with difficulty, mainly on account Of the deter
mined opposition Of the Central, whose enor
nous wealth has enabled II to embarrass its
weaker rival in variety Of ways. The present
great effort of the Erie is to secure the COM
pletion OF six feet track from Akron, Ohio,
where the broad gauge now terminates, to
| Chicago; aud the friendlness of the Western
connecting lines has recently given to the
undertaking . fair prospect Of speedy success.
The Central is interested in preventing Its
rival from running through to the West with
gauge that will largely increase its tonnage
capacity; but the shrewdness and intelligence
OF Vanderbilt enable him to understand that
this great addition TO the carrying facilities Of
the Erie road must eventually be secured
despite opposition, and hence he yearns to add
Erie 10 the conquests he has already made,
and to reign supreme at once over Central,
Hudson, Harlem and Erie-to say nothing OF
future designs upon the principally Of the
Pennsylvania Central or the little Panhandle
and Allentown duohies.
The people care very little whether Wander
bils or Drew may be at the head Of the Erie
direction; but they do not wish 10 see al the
trunk lines in New York under single man
agcment If Vanderbilt were not the owner
Of three other roads his immense power and
capacity might be useful 70 the Erie road and
beneficial to It's stockholders. But while he Is
the autocrat Of Central. Hudson and Harlem,
Il is not desirable that 70 should also seize
upon Erie. In the contest that has Arisen be-
tween the two roads the courts seeni TO accom-
plish little except 10 get into muddle and fight
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