The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1874-06-06
Som. Advice to President scott.

Railway Company. The cheerful Wall stree
reporters tell US that ''great confdenc'
is felt in Mr.. SCOTS management" and
that she is now, by all Odds the
most powerful railroad man in the world. >
When we come to inquire into the reasons
for this resonant compliment we learn that in
addition to his new dignity 'he is already
President of the Pennsylvania Company, the
| agency by which the Pennsylvania Railroad
leases several Western roads; President also
OF the Pittsburg, Cincinnati and ST. Louis
Railroad of the Texas Pacific and the Allan
tic and Pacifc;" "a controlling director of
the Southern Railway Security Company,
which has the management of great network
of railroads in the South. land director in
a large number OF other roads" The Penn
sylvania Central goes from New York to the
West like one of the old Roman roads of the
Empire. We take the deepest interest in the
gentlemen who are intrusted with its affairs.
We have no doubt MIR. Scott will make an
acceptable President A man who has risen
from the village school and wayside freight
Office to be ''the most powerful railroad man
in the world must have many qualities de-
handing our respect. His new station, how
ever, will be SO highly perfumed with that
incense of praise which always follows new
their functions, that it may not be unwelcome
for us to give him word or two OF advice.
The first thing that appears to us is that Mr..
Scott has too much to do. Napoleon Bona
parte, sometime French Emperor, had con-
spicuous success in handling the French En-
pre- He was as gifteda man as Mr.. Scott, even
if all that is told of Mr.. Scott is true. and was
regarded by complimentary journalists just as
Mr.. Scott is regarded now by the same class as
''the most powerful man in the world" His
troubles began when he permitted his ambition
to carry him beyond the French Empire, to
aim at becoming ga controlling director" in
German and Russian affairs, and in the man.
agement of ''great network" of kingdoms
and principalities. Complimentary journalists
say now of Napoleon Bonaparte what we trust
they will never have cause to say of Mr..
Scott that he was too sanguine, too
daring, too reckless, that he forgot that
human endurance had limit, and that
the Supreme intention was that he should be
of the universe and not its master. Comph-
mentary journalists have a way Of following
success with incense and failure with moral
reflection, only the inc ense is apt to come too
early and the moral reflection too late. Mr..
Scott can be the efficient President of one
railway company; but we are afraid he must
neglect three or four at least when he assumes
the control of five or six. To us it seems that
the Southern Security Company, if it really
means to manage 20 great network of rail-
roads in the South" is a tremendous, and,
no doubt, praiseworthy undertaking for one
man. If this company or any one man in it
can in twenty years succeed in reconstructng
the railway system Of the South he will be-
come public benefactor. But he cannot do
this and at the same time direct the Pennsyl-
vania Central Our advice to Mr.. Scott is to
retire from one or the other.
Then this matter Of Pacific railways is some
thing Jay Cooke was great man in his
day, quite as conspicuous as Mr.. Scott, and
complimentary journalists incensed him as he
went up, and improved his fall with moral
reflections which as yet have no end II
we are not badly informed Jay Cooke
assumed the management of one Pacific
railway and it threw him. Yet here Mr..
Scott is in charge Of two, not to speak
of ''the great network" of Southern rail-
ways and the Presidency Of the Pennsylvania
Central. Does ue really expect to build these
railways, and If 80 where is he to find the
money? In Congress, perhaps, or in foreign
markets. Well, we can think of no more
dismal errand just now than pilgrimage to
Washington to lobby for . subsidy, unless,
perhaps, it is a journey to London to induce
Englishmen to invest the money they have
saved out of Emma Mine and other s'unparal-
leled opportunities" in Pacific railways. And
when we consider that this duty devolves
upon one who is already President OF
q mighty railway, not to speak of the
"great network" we cannot but have ou1
fears. We have nothing against Pacific rail-
ways To be sure, we do not accept all the
statistics as to land values and the income
from the buffalo and antelope trade, nor have
we perfect faith in Sioux and Arapahoes as
the basis of steady passenger traffic, and
we cannot overcome the prejudice that pop
ulation Of some kind is necessary to sustain
. railway-we mean population Of men,
not coyotes and prairie dogs; but at the same
time we should like to have a railway across
every parallel of latitude SO long as we do moi
have to advance the money. Mr. Scott may
have a noble ambition to build these roads.
Let him indulge it But our advice to him
would be either to give his mind to one thing
or the other-to the Pennsylvania Central o,
the Pacific. He cannot manage both any
more than Napoleon Bonaparte, "the mos,
powerful man in the world" could manage
Eronco opd SYain