The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-04-01

IL away from them. II the law does not give
them the right, how is it that they dare as
sumo il? It is on this point that the investi-
CATION of the Judiciary Committee was ex-
pected to throw some light. But it seems to
be the point which the committee most scru-
pulously avoided. In fact the course Of the
committee Throughout has been directed to
screening the railroad companies instead of
investigating them. Colonel Gowen, Presi-
dent of the Reading Railroad Company, one
of the chief offenders, has virtually been per-
mitted to conduct the investigation, to cross
examine the witnesses, and, probably, to
write the report. How we'll suited this gen.
tleman is for carrying on an impartial inves-
tigation is apparent from the fact that he was
the chief originator of the similar attempt
last year to fleece the public by a concerted
advance in freights. The attempt would
have been successful then but for the re-
fusal of the Baltimore and Ohio Company
to join the conspiracy. Although at that
time the Reading Company was charging on
coal nearly double the freight rates per mile
charged by the Baltimore Road, this self-same
Colonel Gowen, representing, it is believed,
the entire ring of carrying companies, is re-
ported to have approached President Garrett,
of the Baltimore Road, with an urgent propo-
sition to raise his freight charges another
dollar ton, so that they might all charge the
consumers this extra dollar, and to have
pointed out to President Garrett how many
hundred thousand dollars year the Baltimore
Road would make, and that they might Just
as well have it as not. The Baltimore and
Ohio Road-it should be remembered to
it's credit, whatever its motives may have
been-refused, and the plot failed. Yet the
man who is openly charged with such cool
attempt to levy on the public, who has pub
licly stated that he would put up his tolls two
dollars ton higher, if necessary, to put a
stop to all mining, while hundreds of thou
sands of poor people were actually freezing
from the dearth OF coal-the man who in face
of these facts asserts that the only reason of
the advance in rates is the inability of the
road to carry small tonnage as cheaply as a
large tonnage, has been practically charged
with the management of an inquiry into the
cause of the present troubles in the coal re-
gionsl
1t is we'll to understand in advance the
kind of justice to be expected from a COM
mittee acting under such influences; to know
what faith to attach to the result of their in
quiries. But it will not do to discard the
matter lightly. While the railroads have
made great efforts to influence the commit
tee, and have been successful, it must not be
forgotten that the working miners and those
who have the public interest at heart have
likewise made strenuous efforts to lay their
case before them and that the report of the
committee partakes of the nature of judicial
decision. However much we may doubt the
impartiality of the Judge, however
strongly we may be convinced of his unjust
leaning towards one of the parties, it will
not do to forget that his decision is for the
time being the law of the land. And this
decision virtually endorses the action of the
railroad companies it decides by its silence
that the companies have not made them
an Ia tS.a v.~TA
wealth; that the citizens of Pennsylvania are
dependent upon the mercy, the charity, the
good-nature of the Reading Railroad Com
pany; that the latter has the right to run
trains when it pleases, and to stop running
them, to carry freight and passengers, or not,
as it pleases, to charge what it pleases, and
to do or leave undone what it pleases,
without any one having the right to inter-
fere.
The decision is practically this: The rail-
road companies have done no wrong; if there
is wrong, it must be on the part of the
miners; still we advise that the dispute be
submitted to arbitration. The committee
does not say what shall be done if the arbi-
traitors cannot agree, nor what if one or the
other party refuse to submit to arbitration or
refuse to adhere to the award. Unsatisfac-
tory as is this conclusion, we may indulge in
the hope that it will strengthen the prevailing
disposition to submit the whole question to
the decision of unprejudiced persons, and
that the result will be speedy resumption of
work at the mines, with ample opportunity
to discuss the question quietly during the
summer, so as to guard against recurrence
of the troubles next winter.