Carson daily appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1873-1877, 1875-10-08
CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS. .UN-
IOR, on THE RAILWAY CUES
TION.

fraIlciS Aua:nS. Jr., delivered iiIe aELi.ii
Grafton. II tie course Of his remarks
he said:
Regarding, therefore, this railroad dis
cussion as OF short, present lie, / an
none the less fG'iy persuaded that /. VIII
again present itself IN the net remote
future. 1t will then, ! fancy, come n !.
new and more portentUJus form. and III
connection with social questions which
it is premature 10 discuss. How soon
this will be it were folly 20 pretend 10
predict, sooner. perhaps, than most of
us would imagine. How many years
think You i; will be before /. single con
solidated company holds IN its hands
every nile Of roa: between New York
and San Francisco, and dispeuses hun
bred millions Of annual income: Ii you
hesitate to answer, let me further ask
you how many years II Is since dozen
separate companies subdividei the line
between Chicago and New YORK: If you
will sufficiently study the past. Perhaps
Won may hazar,l closer gasss Is TO the
future. But 10y fear is not Al all to- the
future; that will take Care OF itself l
do fear for the present, lest that which
ought to he done now to provide FOX tire
future should remain UudOre. [ van;
TO see now the good seed planted. l
want TO see publicity as respects railroad
corporations secured beyond question.
while it is We: tine: al the rest may
then, if need be, rest and sleep Tor 4
generation for sught care. l want also
to see machinery perfected through
which pablo opinion can make itself
feit-essiiy. quickly. cheaply. I want
to see the system SO perfected that any
laborinS man having good cause for
complaint against any. even the wealth
lest corporation, may, by dropping
postal card into a box, do wha. all the
complex machinery of your CouIts will
not enable him to do now-secUre an in
felligent presentation OF his case I
want now to See III every State. and In
the Government of the United States,
trained officers whose duty it shall be to
examine and supervise the accounts of
the railroad companies, so as to insure
in them uniformity, e1actness and pub
icity, to the end that we may no longer
grope our devious way to ruin through
the shameful mysteries Of railroad hnan-
ciering. Above all, and most CT all. |
want at last to see the duties, the liabili-
ties, and, though last not least, the
rights of the railroad corporations dis
cussed, explained, and enforced by pub
lie agents who, knowing that whereof
they speak, will Eot call names, and will
see justice done.
The above shows that even the ablest
Of our public men and scholars find it
Difficult: to move on: Of accustomed
grooves. Else, why will men Of the
ability of Mr.. Adams talk in a strain
which Is simply utopian and illogical.
Certainly the ends he prays for are de
voutly to be wished; but while he is
wishing Why not wish for absolute per-
lection itself. 1t Is just as cheap to pray
for the best things possible as it is to
halt half way in our supplications and
make poor mouth over our importuni-
ties. We are not criticisinS the tone
and spirit of Mr.. Adams remarks. bat
cannot help calling attention to the very
obvious omission of q chief factor in
successfully dealing with the subject of
railroad control. What Mr. Adams
is such a system of laws regarding rail
roads as shall protect the people from
abuses and render the great monopolies
as harmless as possible. The arcadian
state of affairs which Mr.. Adams hopes
for could no: exis: without largely
Strengthening the pa;riarchal character
Of our national system Of government.
If railroad companies can ever be sub
jected to such absolute control as Mr..
Adams hints at, why 10: take a: once
the step which the logic Of the case
points out, and relieve the proposition
of all doubtful considerations by sub
jec;ing the railways o: the country
to the proprietorship of the Repub- |
lie? As to whether the government:
can rightfully prescribe rules and
schedules for what it does not |
own, is, and necessarily must be,
under our form of government a very
serious question. 1t strikes one with
very great force. that there is much more
danger to be apprehended in the exercise
by the Federal Government OF control
ling influence over the policy and action
Of private corporations than in its max
ing and enforcing rules for the govern
men. OF institutions which belong to the
nation itself. II ia 4 wise saving that