The Portland daily press., 1875-03-15
The Impending Railroad War.


if not good will to mankind in general. The
public had hardly begun to congratulate it.
self upon the good results of the railroad
peace when the .distant rumors Of another
and more deplorable conflict, arising out of
the reported purpose of the managers of the
the Maine Central at the annual meeting to
be held in Waterville the oath inst. 1t is said
that the Eastern managers claim that they
control majority of the Maine Central stock,
and, in view of this state OF affairs, propose
to choose board of directors who will man
age the trunk road of Maine in the interest
of the Eastern. Messrs. Morrill,, Coburn
Patten, Brown, Pierce and others, who la
bored to bring about the existing and accept
able business relations between the Maine
Central and the Boston & Maine, are to be
dropped aid their places filled with men
pledged TO the policy of making the Maine
Central an auxiliary and dependent OF the
Eastern. In other words, it is proposed by
men living out of the state to manage its
principa. railroad in the interest OF foreign
corporation in whose welfare they are more
deeply interested.
Such is the reported programme of the
Eastern people; and, as there has been no
reputation of it, the public whose interests
are to suffer most by an interruption of the
present friendly relations between the Maine
Central and the Boston roads, are chiefly
concerned at the prospect. And well they
may be; for upon the wise or unwise man
agement of the Maine Central, depends very
largely the prosperity or failure of hundreds
of manufacturing enterprises along its line
and branches. If the Maine Central is to be
run simply for the purpose of retrieving the
stock from its present market value of less
than $50 to S110; if large part of Maine
traffic which goes to cities on the Boston &
Maine is to be delayed and laid under addi-
tional burdens; if, in consequence of an eye
single to Eastern stockholders interests, dis
examinations greater than now exist are to
be made against shippers between different
points in Maine and in favor of those who
carry their merchandise over the Eastern,
this new policy of the ambitious Eastern
gentlemen, living in other states, to treat
two-thirds of the State of Maine as depen-
dency of that corporation, to endure what
ever restrictions and bear whatever burdens
it is pleased to impose, will not only provoke
the fiercest opposition but will result in the
signal defeat of their purpose and in greater
embarrassment to that Company than it has
experienced even during the past three years.
Even Maine people will not stand everything.
Foreign railroad corporations may think 9TH
erwise judging from the past; but when they
come to fully realize the design Of the East
ern managers (f the policy attributed to
them is their real onej, they will be surprised
to know how thoroughly enraged a slow,
honest people will become when they are
treated with indignity or outrage, and how
long it takes them to forget it. Moreover,
Maine will look with disfavor upon any of
the existing companies that interrupt the
present harmonious relations of the railroads.
The people of Maine are wearied of the
years of railroad war within the state and on
its borders. Until the present year, tens
of thousands of dollars have been expended
to shape railroad legislation in Maine. From
these legislative contests no profit has been
derived except by well paid lobby. On the
other hand, these serseless contests have in
terfered with legitimate legislation and have
doubtless led to demoralizing and corrupt
combinations. The people, too, have found
that they ultimately furnish the sinews for
the prosecution of these wars. They see
this fact in continued high tariffs which must
be maintained to pay the black-mail of scores
OF lobbyists and other extraordinary ex-
penses. They also realize the cost of these
contests in the length of legislative sessions
aud in the hasty character of general legisla-
tion when legislators have both time and at
tention absorbed by an exciring railroad war.
They want no more Of this sort Of thing.
They are satisfied with the present condition
of affairs by which the Maine Central is in
dependent of both Boston roads and treats
both alike. With continued peace, the peo-
pie of Maine expect from the Maine Central
essential notifications of tariffs. With an
interruption of the present harmony, they
have no hope of better things; and. if in the
future, the Maine Central is to be managed
by strangers in the interest of foreign cor
poration, they are filled with the apprehen-
sion of a more grasping and hostile policy.
Let the Maine Central, therefore, be man
aged by Maine men who have deeper inter-
est in the welfare ofits people,a better knowl-
edge of its requirements, and are answer
able to some extent TO their fellow citizens.
Moreover, as the directors of the Maine Cen
trail residing in the state brought about the
existing harmony, uninterrupted friendly re-
lations are only assured by their continuance.
Indeed, the rumored purpose of the Eastern
managers is proclamation Of hosti,ities re-
commenced.
We trust, however, that the Eastern man
ayers have no such purpose in view-that
there is no foundation for the report to which
we have alluded. We trust they are too wise,
even if they have the power, to wrest the
management of the Maine Central from
Maine men and thereby declare for renewal
of hostilities.
1t is by no means certain that the Eastern
people hold majority of the stock of the
Maine Central. 1t is asserted that such is
not the fact unless prominent stockholder
in the Kennebec valley disposes of his three
thousand shares to the Eastern interest. II
it is true that this one man holds the balance
of power between the home and foreign in.
terests, let us hope that he will not forget
that he is Maine man and throw away a
peace which he labored TO negotiate.
Iu conclusion, We can but remind the East
ern railroad managers that the attention of
large part Of the people of Maine has been
attracted by what is declared to be their in
tention with reference to the Maine Central ;
and, if they do ought to disquiet the present
business arrangements, it will be the most
fatal of all their mistakes, and cannot be eX'
cused as a blunder because it will have been
done with deliberate design.