Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1871-04-26

y
and Obeyeti. 1t does seem TO me, sir,
Z that such a power as this should be
carefully and Justly destroyed b. law,
= Aside from securing an enforc 5ment
Of the laws, this bill, by independent
I provisions, seeks 10 more fully Insure
] the safety aud convenience Of the
travelling public. know that rail-
road officers, aotuated by motives both
/ of interest and humanity, usually DO
/ an In their power 70 prevent accident,
I but sometimes through parsimOny or
negligence occur those horrible ealam-
ities that shock the public. lt was
I thought by the committee that it
would lessen the chances OF accident
and insure a more safe condition OF
railroads to make II the duty OF an
officer Of the law 10 inspect railroads,
and to order repairs where repairs be-
come necessary to the reasonable Sc
eurity Of life and d7llmb. Hence this
duty is made incumbent upon the
Railroad Commissioner by section
| four of the bill, which section, 10 be
I fully understood, should be read in
connection with section six Of the act
creating this Office. of which it IL a
counterpart. The requirement cont
tanned in the amendment made this
afternoon upon the motion OF the
Senator FROM Cuyahoga (Mr. Streator)
that the Commissioner shall publish
the condition Of defective roads that
refuse to repair, will, think, insure
respect for his orders, while il will en-
able the public 70 protect itself by
avoiding travel upon them If this
should fail, 1t empowers him to stay
the running Of trains until the road is
once more IN safe condition.
Is there any need Of legislation iH
this direction? am not very famll-
lar with The condition Of the railroads
Of the State, but while know that 8
majority OF our roads are well main
tained, / should be surprised 20 learn
that among them all there were not
some in a condition extra hazardous
TO human life. / know Of one, at
least, that Is in this condition. A
railroad with which / am familiar in
the northern portion OF the Stale, and
know that other Senators upon this
floor can attest the truth Of what
say, is maintained In such q condition
that reasonable safety Is entirely out
Of the question. It's iron Is worn out,
its bridges are falling into decay, it's
rolling stock is sadly out of repair, and
altogether IL Is in an unfit condition
for public travel. Yes, sir, although
the earnings Of this road show IL to be
a paying one, It has gone on month
after month impeFlling the lives OF
hundreds and thousands Of men, Bo-
man and children who pass over.it in
Ignorance OF its condition, and all for
the purpose Of putting more dOllars
into the pockets Of the New York
railroad swindlers who manage its
affairs. .--
This, Mr.. President, is the same
road which but a few months ago, by
the order Of an Ohio court, psid TO its
receiver the modest sum Of S153, ,2l5.47
for little more than one years ser
vice, while the poor farmer living on
its line, who, amid the SHOWS and
frosts Of winter, got out a hundred
ties and sold them to this receiver, is
unable to get his pay for them. This
is justice with vengeance, is It not?
Yes, sir, this hiss gone forward in the
presence Of the powers Of our sover-
eign State, and nothing was inter-
posed. 1t seems to me about time we
should clothe somebody with author
"
II the stockholders OF a railroad cor
poration believe its affairs are being
conducted IN frand Of theirrights, this
bill provides 8 remedy. II makes il
the duty Of the Commissioner to er-
anime books, papers, eecounts, every
thing, and expose wrongs, If WFongs
are found to exist Il Is important 70 \
stockholders OF existing corporations,
and 10 Is important 70 the encourage
ment Of railroad enterprise tfOF stock
holders, and not manipulatons, are the \
class to whom the public Is indebted
for nailrOads), that there should be
some efficient, certain means Of pro
lection against fraud. 1
A resort 70 legal Supervision over
railroads and railroad affairs is the
only remedy which human ingenuity
has ever yet devised for such evils az
1 have named. The dill advocate I
may be imperfect in its details, bat its z
principles are sound. II Senator'S re-
fleet a moment they will see that am
right. Now If am right In regard ]
to this-if IL Is true that this bill pro-
poses, so far as IL goes, the only rene !
dy Of which these evils are suscspti- I
DAOTAA lleSS SsAA9 .aA9 " Hu4LIAcuA /
magnitude 10 demand a remedy at |
the hands Of this Legislature, then it /
must and does follow that the bill !
ought TO be enacted into q law, and |
that Ohio, for the protection OF her /
citizens, and for the advancement Of |
all her clustering interests, should at I
once resort TO a supervisory power
over railroads and railroad corpora
tioHs.
4 URTEE HTCTORW