The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-11-23
The Party Of the Future.
from he washington starr

VIVu IAe Warrington StAf)
The signs are that should o new party
arise having vitality enough 10 make IL
self ielt over the existing party organiza.
tons, Il will be founded on the platform
Of anti.monopoly. The growing discon-
tent with the exActiOns and arbitrary rules
Of the railroad monoplies Il evident, and
In the late election whenever the issue
was presented 1t rose above all politics.
In California and Nevada the congress
slonal candidates favored by the railroad
and bank monopolies were defeated, one
and all, without the slightest regard to
their politics; and suchIWlll be the case
onthe Atlantic slope as soon as the gen.
eral dissatisfaction gets localized In shape
10 ind expression Rt the ballot box.
A significant sign OF the drift Of public
opinion Is TO be found in the TACT that the
Atlantic Monthly for December gives the
leading position in Its columns 10 an ar
tlcle showing up certain abuse Of the
railroad corporations upon the public as
e4empliaed by the personal experiences
Of one John A. Coleman, Of Providence,
r. l. Coleman Is In business that compels
him 10 travel from twenty 10 thirty thou.
sand miles year, mostly upon railroads,
and his experiences have led him TO note
the wide difference which exists 10 the
method oil conducting ordinary business
and that oil transportation, In the one
case Q regard for the rights Of others,
spirit Of accommodation, politenesS and
general fair dealing are absolutely essen
liAl 10 success, But when the same people
engage In the transportation Of passengers
and merchandise upon railroads, they be-
come arrogant dictators TO their patrons
Just in proportion TO the special character
and pecuniary value of the privileges they
have received from the public whom they
maltreat. Unfortunately, the public has
been so busy in this new country that It
has unwittingly permitted the railroad
men to steal away It's liberties. The cor.
pOrauons promise TO construct and opeE.
ate roads Tor the convenience OF the pub
lie. The promise Is broken at the start.
The public Is informed that the fare shall
be just what the road chooses to exact
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 III has
received-the ticket-shal be "gO0od Tor
this day 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.
A considerable portion Of the Atlantic
article is given 10 the history of the fight
made by MIR. Coleman in the courts
against railroad company TO test wheth.
or passengers have any rights that rail
road corporations are bound to respect.
The test case was the refusal Of the com.
psny TO convey him from New York 10
New Haven on ticket good from New
Haven to New York. he maintained that
the ticket is simply like q baggage check,
the Evidence that the road has a passengers
property in his possession, for which it is
b0und 10 return an equivalent, The
equivalent In this case was seventy.iour
miles travel between the two cities, and
1t Is as absurd tor the company to assert
that il Ia good only in one direction as it
would be Tor the United States govern.
ment TO issue postage stamps which
should take letters from New York TO
Boston but would not take them from
Boston to New York. Further, II the
ticket Is contract per 81 as claimed by
the railroad corporations, where Is the
government contract stamp upon It as on
any other contract?
In this case the railroad conductor re.
fused to receive the ticket, and he had
MIR. Coleman elected with such force from
the cars, by q gang Of employees, as to
main him for lite. He brought suit
against the company, and after a tour
years contest with this wealthy corpora.
ton, finally got verdict in his favor.
The conclusions arrived at in theAtlan-
ia article are thata general railrosd law Is
needed establishing: First, uniform and
reasonable fares, say two cents per mile;
second, when frss-class fare Is paid
first class passage shall be given in q com.
Portable car with such appointments as
the law shall specify; third, when dol.
lar is received for travel from passenger
the equivalent OF that dollar shall be re-.
turned il. travel; not according to the
caprice Of the company, but according to
equity and justice, and the reasonable de-
mand Of the passenger; fourth, in all cases
enlargement, or of wrong. doing, the
road should be compelled to confne itself
TO the same peaceful redress as an indi-
vidual, and cause arrests only by regular
authority appointed by law, unless the
offender be guilty Of obscene Or indecent
conduct in the car, or commit . trespass
upon life and property. 20