Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-11-29


The concentration IT tins enormous
influence and power in lew individuals.
which this alliance between WANDER
BrLr and GoULD implies, is matter
which concers th, public inter est, and
will have an important bearing upon
railroad management throughout the
country. We append very interesting
discussion Of the subject by the Ne"
York Tiwrs:
Messrs. Vanderbilt and Gould seem
% be parceling the railroads OF the con-
tinrnt between them. and according 10 /
present appearances Mr.. Gould will
snon have the larger share. The chief
owner OF the New York Central has, 50
far. confined his sovereignty 10 the do
minion stretching from the sea-bOrd 20
Chicago. The man with whom he con-
sruts o. share this empire already
controls the greater number OF rail-
rnads beyond the Mississippi, and Is
Srhrming and plotting % make his mas
terry of trans continental traffic absolute.
What might have been expected 10 be 4
Ii,-or-lcath struggle between two giants
IHL tine SUM IllNlNlAAA MRAl ANtl III 'AAA W.
be an amicablr arrangement which look
crS-ou will not uunaturally interpret "A
a surrender on the part of the Wander
hilt interest. Two other potentates
have apparently slipped quietly OIL the
ne,d. Col Scott and the Pennsvl-
gania railroad, Mr.. Garrett and the
baltimore and Ohio, are no lon
yer formidable IL competitors
Tor power. Each Is per
mittel to retain a circumscribed range
OF influence uutu AIr. Vanderbilt or
Mr.. Gould, or both 90 them, shall choose
to prescribe other limitations. ~ long
Is these maguJteS moved IN different
spheres, each Was in some degree
cheek upon the other. Neither dared
to exclude from his calculations the OPP
rrationS oi his rival The situation Is
changed now. The cOntcnding powers
have become allies They who but yes
trr,lay were watching for chances 10
strike each al the other, are to-day viz
tually partners where hitherto the sway
of the Vanderbilt hal been complete.
We may not be permlttrdtO know the
precise motives which have impelled
Mr.. Vanderbilt tO rrlIupuiSh con>ldera-
blv more than uuy-.hirl of his entire in
trrrst iu the New York Central 20 a
combination which in effect represents
am interest until now antagonlstlc.
There has been SD much thrilling with
truth ON the side Of At least one of the
parties to the negotiation that reluc-
tauce % RELY implicitly on any eIpIana-
ton which that Sidc may offer, will ma
tUra'ly be- felt. Tn the absence Of trust
worthy data. everybody will put his
own construction on q transaction
which obviously means more than
= allowed to appear upon the sur
ucc. Doubtless, the prevalent idea
will not bee favorable On the permaneuce
OF the Vanderbilt dynasty. Whether
it, chief be- constrained, or simply dc-
sirps. t0 lessen an enormous invest
mcut I'm the main feature OF the Wander
bill system. or whether hc has come
20 the conclusion that 10 is better %
make terms with Gould than % fight
him. the impression produced cannot
be- favorable to the prestige at Mr.. Van
dcrbilt And tine event rs certainly
adds to the speculative prestige ot
the Central figure Iu the Wabash
system anil the various roads with which
IL il connected What Vanderbilt
loses could gains. The latter will
be- regarded n having indirectly
acquired advantages whose cost must
Intimately GLl upon the New York Cen
trail property. No one will Dee deceived
bv the transfer ot S2j,OOOO0O Of ltS stock
to London. For the moment the stock
advances. But the transaction opens
the door tD one whose ambition Is over
topped by uu>crupuluusncss, ami whose
presence D. a sure promise 81 perpetual
intrigue.
Tia, transaction invests with fresh
point an unanswered question. While
the great railroad spectators are parti-
tiouIug the continent and cntrriu. into
bargains Tor the more effective CARRYING
ont Of commou purpuS,s, what Is done
Tor the protection Oi public
interests Common sense always
suggested that competition i a desirable
thing when tho object sought ~ the
cheapest conduct CO., the railroad trans
portation business Railroad presidents
and managers have invented phlloSu-
ply which suits them better. CoWpctl-
ton they coudemn - calamity,
pools and combinations of all sorts
they cXtol as the perfection of manage
mrut. The argument iu support Of this
mrtuoi brgS a large part Of the ques
ton THAT which Is best Tor the COM
pJuics is best tur the public As mat
tiers stand, the proposition L. not
susceptible OF proof. 10 has been
acted ON los the railroads. however,
and out ut 10 hats grown the "SyS-
tens" of railroads between which the
great huIA of the ruuutry's traffic has
been divided There was a little salts |
faction 100 the knowledge that though
competition, pure and simple, was UnIt- I
tainahlc. the competition ui 'Sy>tcmS
existed Icauu>irS, had faith. business |
eNlyrucir~. nj, tended % impair the Suc- |
rrs, ui tlr uuu.jug plan, AMI IN some dc- /
gree helped the public. There was a
certain assurance ui safety, Tor instance,
when Mp~~rS Vanderbilt Iul Gould !
pulled ion different directions. Zach
operated ~ a rurrS upon the other. !
But N tine New Work Central system Is !
hyur,iur,h o. hn operated iu unison /
with the Wabash system. and the lat |
ter. again. with ttou,d'S trNns-MiSSiS- |
~jpi schemes, the last yc,'l.C ot compc
titiuu will disappear, \ gigantic rail
road monopoly, long apprrhendci - a ,
possibility, will bean accomplished fact |
IIt,lc dlscerumcnt Is needed % trace |
the bearing of the fact upon the de-
mand for Federal legislation in regard !
% Interstate commerce generally, and |
especially in regard % these great COM
biuatiOns as affecting the rights and IN
terpst Of the people. The Granger l
movement did not eNaggerate the I'M I
portance 81 the issues involved in the /
subject. States, however, cannot cope
with the evil IL has OutgrOwn their
jurisdiction, and only the Nation
al Government can adequately guard
the welfare Of the cOmmu- ]
nitv against the entertainment OF a
power more arrogant and unprincipled,
more exacting and dangerous, than any
other with which this country must con-
tend. A single t-ansa ton covering /
So, OOO,0 OO eNempliiies the magnitude Of
the force to be encountered; and the
OF Gould in the West still
further shows the necessity OF regulating
promptly the exercise of an influence
which deiies attempts at local control.
We are menaced with a railroad despot-
ism, and the duty of Congress is 10 in
tsrfere.
The long talked Of telephone from the
RygIsrER Office, Wheeling, 10 Bellaire,
il AT last completed and works satisfac
torily. The REGySTER has shown more
enterprise in journalism than any OF the
Wheeling papers, and IS meeting with