Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-11-19
The Party of the Future.

The signs are that shosld a new party arise
having vitality enough TO make itself felt over
the existing party organizations, il will be
founded On the platform OF anti monopoly. The
growing discomfort with the exactions and arbi-
trsry rules Of the great railroad monopol,es is
evident and in the late election whenever the
Issue was presented IL rose above all politics.
in California and Nevada the congressional
candicst's favored by the railroad and bank
nOnoPoies were defeated, one aud all, without
the slightest regard TO their politics; and such
will lie the case on the Atlantic slope soon as
the general dissatisfaction gets localized in q
share to ind expression at the ballot-bDx.
a significant sign Of the drift of public opinion
is 20 be found in the TACT shat the Atlantic
Ho'iAiy for December gives the leading position
n It colJ uBHs 10 an article showing up certain
abuses q the railroad corporations upon the
public a. eXemphfed by the personal expe-
Iienees Of one John A. Coleman. of Providence,
Il. /. MI. Coleman is IN busin IS that compels
him to travel from twenty to thirty thousand
miles a year, mostly upon railroads, AMI his
experiences have led him to note the wide diff
ference which exists in the method of conduct
ing ordinary business and that of transportation
In the one a regard for the rights OF others,
a spirit of accommodation, politsness and
general fair dealing are absolutely essen
tial TO success. But when the same people
engage in the transportation of passengers
and merchandise upon railroads, they
become arragant dictstors to their patrons
Just in proportion to the special character and
lecuniary value OF the privileges they have
received from the public whom they maItreat
Unfortunately, the public has been so busy in
this new country that il has unvittingly per-
mitted the railroad men to steal away its liber-
ties. The corporations promise TO construct and
de for tba of he
The promise is broken at the start. The public
is informed that the fare shall be just what the
road chooses to exac'; the equivalent for the fare
shall be taken by the passenger in such manner,
and at such time as pleases, not him, but the
railroad; the voucher for the money it has
receiyed-the ticket--shall be "gOod for this
CAV only, ;" "goOd for this trip and train only,
''goOd for six days after date" etc. That is,
the road will keep the money and render nothing
in return except upon its own conditions.
\ considerable portion of the Atlantic article
is given to the history of the fight made by Mr..
Coleman in the.courts against railroad COM
paUy To test whether passengers have any rights
that railroad corporations are bound to respect.
The test case was the refusal of the company
to convey him from New York to New Haven
On ticket good from New Haven to New
York. lie maintained that the ticket is simply
like baggage check, the eriieHcs that the road
has passengers property in his possession, for
which il is bOuRd to return equivalent. The
equivalent in this case was seventy-four miles
travel be- seen the two cities, and it Is as absurd
for tie company to assert that it is good only in
one diTCCtiO a. il would be for the United States
GOv6Tnm Ut 10 issue postage stamps which
should tlke letters from New York 10 Boston
but woald not take them from Boston to New
York. Further, if the ticket Is a contract per Sc
as claimed by the railroad corporations,
where Is the government contract stamp upon it
Is on any other contract?
IL this csse the railroad conductor refused to
receive the ticket, and LIE had Mr.. Coleman
elected v Oh such force from the cars by a gang
OF empit yes, as TO MAIN him for life. He
brOuGh, suit against the company, and after q
four years contest with this wealthy corpora
ton, finally got a verdict in his favor.
The conclusions arrived at In the AEaati
article ar that general railroad law is needed
establi,ITg: First, uniform and reasonable
fares, say two ceTts per mile; second
when frst-class fare is paid a first
class passage shall be given in COM
Portable ear with such appointments as the law
shall Il eciiy; third, when a dollar Is received
Tor traV,i from passenger, the equivalent OF
that dollar shall be retained in travel; no
according to the CAPRICE OF the company, but
according TO equity and Justice, and the reason
able deriand of the passenger; fourth, in al
cases OF Disagreement, or of wrong-doing, the
road should be compelled to confne itself to the
same peaceful redress as an individual, and
cause arrests only by regular authority APP
pointed by law, unless the offender be guilty Of
obscene or Indecent conduct in the car, or com
nit trtsIsss upon life and property.