The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-03-26
LISTENING TO MR.. DEPEW.
THE NJ r. CENTRAL DEPENDED AGAINST
ANTI-MONOPOLY CENSURES.
How specuiators Last Year Cost tho Country
More than tho civil War--Ohiecttons to
the Reagan BiIl-A Commission Urged.

uoxx srecu,,tor. Last Year Cost the Country
More than the civil wnr--Obiections to
the Reagan Bin-A Commission Urged.
WASHINGTON. March 25.--Thc Hon. Chaun-
cey NJ Dcpew got the car OF the Commerce
Committee this morning. He had come over
from New York twice before without other ad-
vantage than the chance to listen to somo very
prosy arguments on Interstate commerce and
tho opportunity to stop of at Philadelphia
and commune with @. Washington Childs.
A. NJ. But to-day tho committee were
ready to hear what ho had to say in
behalf Of the Now York Central Railroad.
and especially in response to tho charges Of
Mr.. F. b. Thurber. These accusations which
Mr.. Thurber made against tho New York Cen
.ral Railroad. fow days ago. we're bitter. They
were set forth with Mr. Thurbers peculiar and
Energetic oratory. They awakened responses
in Judge Reagan's bosom which we're indicated
by expressive mods. and they seemed to epito-
mize all Of tho alleged abuses OF railway traffic
Some things wero 70 caustically said about
she New York Central's style of doing business
as to cause Mr.. Depew to burn with desire to
say something that would go alongside OF Mr..
Thurber's remarks in the printed report OF
the argument. So when the committee in
formed him week ago that he would be heard
without fail to-day. he made ready.
Mr. Depew got off the train last night with
printed report of Mr.. Thurbers speech in one
hand. and with the other clenching a mass OF
manuscript. Mr., Thurber's, speech had been
yiciously attacked with lead pencil in the way
ing and the manuscript consisted of half q
dozen sheets of i9Ioscap. covered covered with
tempts to write consistently with the
motion of q lightning express train. Thus
S sora the u co@ttee t to be the last
with one brief exception. OF the long list OF
speeches that have been made this winter on on
Wayne M9cv.eagh,s, dainty speech be excepted.
road, read for three days from manuscript
with the, .volublity of an Irish jaunting, ear
by.eran divine led delivering funeral discourse.
Alexander. the leading man of the Louisville
and Nashville. could not make his tongue keep
mented the committee by talking 70 them as if
they were Senators in the Senate. chamber.
through without one of them leaving his seat,
excepting when Judge Reagan went to toast
as his predecessors we're. to gaze at the com
nitce through yelling Of tobacco smoke,
Mr.. Depew rapidly sketched the methods OF
and denounced them with great ,vigor. He, as;
serted that these ant-monopolist people had
civil war did. when Judge Reagan looked up
In amazemcnt a this assertion. Mr. Depew
splendid crops. which found ready market
abroad, turned the gold shipment in our favor.
What did these s doe
question for emphasis. Then he answered it
by saying that instead of acting on business
PRINCIPLES. and handling the surplus crop. OF
shortage without loss Of trade. the specua tors
and middlemrn who make the most complaints
corn beef, and pork. held them until
they were twenty per cent higher here
lus TO agriculture in Europe. which We would
not be able to offset for quarter OF u century.
American ca ProdGf%n was struck it1Ssebr ring
been avoided. The railroads have hauled
a 4eT to eo ed by 5sge
70 carry the produce and provisions to export
nopolists howled down the offer and said:
See how those impudent monopolists inter
though well understood thrusts were made at
Mr.. Depew said that the Reagan bill could not
pei 70 give up It's through business. He re-
the Canada Ra@ads to Got ts large g T part Of the
through traffic He also sad that such rail;
could not tell what it cost to trans,
port any one articc-as wheat. All that
% sd HS 6 dde ys DlG 1 E on all oSS
ion that the man who paid for the transporta-
non of luXurics also paid for the larger part of
the tariff on wheat. for 1t was probable that il
the ratio could be determined. it would be
found that wheat and all low grade freights
we're carried below proportionutc cost. This
was new consideration. a fresh subject in this
labyrinthine problem. and Judge Reagan made
mote about il.
As to that part OF the bill which required tho
posting Of schedules and the giving Of five
days notice before q change could be made
bind the American railways by, the American
Congress and hold them bound for. FIVE days
while the railways of Canada bled them
for that period. As to the Pelanty clause,
no SPY or moety, system, and he described
case that might have bankrupted the Central
road; He sad that the Court Of, Appeals had
decided that the Central road. whom il bought
rated tso that the legal fare on the Tonawunda
road could not legally be more than two cents
a mile The Central had been charging
The Tonawanda'5 old schedule of three cents
against the Central by people who had ridden
over the Tonawanda road and paid three cents
a mile, Had not the Court OF Appeals de-
eided that only one penalty Of $50 could
bow many, times excuses Of fare had
been sued for. the Central would have been
obliged to pay 1000. 900 or gone into bank
In Conclusion Mr. pePeT favored
Thurman. Washburn. and Judge Cooley. and
he asserted that no railroad in the country
would dare resist the suggestion OF such a
board,
Mr.. Depew having completed his argument.
rushed TO the afternoon train just in time to
:atch 1t, and find himself going to Philadelphia
In company with Gen. Grant and other Stall
warts; When the train rolled out OF the depot
Mr., Depew was in the midst OF an anecdotc.
which WAS convulsing the Stalwarts.