New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-06-02
The Question of the Future.

Our cartoon to-day conveys moral which
our Democratic friends would do we'll to
turn over in their minds. That party has
set itself against government action of any
kind In its view government has simply
to do nOthing-the private individual every
thing. This is the policy which has resulted
in giving us vast corporations which per
form functions that would otherwise come
under the jurisdiction OF the general gov
eInment-the great corporation of the pee
pie. The result has been that we are actu-
ally ruled bv a number of irresponsible per
sOns-the Eanderbilts, the Jay Goulds,
the Tom Scotts-besides banking, trad
ing and political corporations of all
kinds. over which the people, as rep
resented by the legislative and executive
branches of the State and nation,
have no control whatever. And the real
question of the future is: Shall the coun-
try be CONTROLLED by these irresponsible
corporations OF individuals, or shall it have
a government responsible to the people
The Democrats say, Limit the powers of
government. Let Jay Gould and that ill1
rule u.s. There is no doubt that great cor
porations have, in certain sense acted
with great vigor and efficiency. They have
given US splendid railway system: they
have built of lines of trans oortation; they
have helped greatly to develop cities and
trading points throughout tie country
But all this has been at the expense of our
political virtue, and it has honey, combed
our whole financial system with peculation
and fraud. The Eee,ing Post Of yester-
day. Notwithstanding the recent reye-
lations of the Erie mismanagement, again
advanced the idea that the Erie canal
ought to be sold to private company.
Now. there is no disputing that the Erie
canal has been cause of fraud and cor
ruption in our State politics but we again
insist that for every hundred dollars which
have been stolen By rings 900 have been
misappropriated by the various irrespon-
sible owners of the Erie railway. But even
granting that the corruption was as great
in the canal management as it has been in
the railroads (which can not be cOnceded}
the railroad has one power for evil which
the canal has nOt-it can fix its own rates
for fare and freight: in other words the cor
porations have the power of taxing the COM
munity irrespective of the good of the COM
munity. The tolls on the canals are regulated
by the State and in the interests of the people
of the State, and not in the interest of an
individual or corporation. The Erie canal
has helped materially to build up the city
of New York and the many fine towns on
its banks, and the restrictions upon the fare
on the New York Central railroad has also
helped the community. II will be remem-
bered how otter the Democratic papers, in.
Guiding the World of this city, clamored
during the time of the Dean Richmond ad-
ministratiOn to have the two cents per mile
limitation in the law regulating the Cen
tral railroad repealed. SO that higher fares
could be charged. Yet since that time.
though the stock of the road has been enor-
mousiy watered and the road heavily bond
ed. it continues to pay its bonded interest and
eight per cent on it's stock. We again urge
that the questions OF the future are: Shall
railroad, transportation and telegraph com
panies run our government, State and ma
tional; or shall the government run them:
or shall we exercise such control over them
that they shall not have authority to tax
the community without any power being
organized in the State or nation to limit
their exactions! The compilation of facts
published this morning. upon which Judge
Donohue ordered the Erie railway into the
hands of a receiver, is dOument of startling
significance. II shows that directory com
posed of the most respectable names in Wall
street did everything which it has been
charged Gould and Fisk did in the manage
ment of the Erie railway. They have de
clared fraudulent dividends; they have
purchased coal lands at extravagant rates
and aving no intrinsic value: they have
taken leases of bankrupt railroads, and
have in every way squandered the property
intrusted to their care. Bad as the canal
management has been the sins of the poll.
ticians have been venial compared with
those OF the eminently respectable gentle
men charged with the government of the
Erie railway. Who shall govern US, Jay
Gould, Vanderbilt and Tom Scott, or Uncle
Sam !-Ner York GraDLic.