Daily globe., 1882-09-30

human life among their laborcrS; and
that they are wanting in general courtesy
to the public and to the state itself.
In fine, the railroads are managed and
controlled as though they were purely
private property and for personal ends.
For eight years we have left them to
themselves, and this is the result of our
experience. We find that they require the
presence of police officer, and the re-
straining hand of power.
THEIR OWN STANDARD OF MORALITY.
Tried by their own standard, what right
have they to expect that the public will
place confidence in the equity of their
cenducts They do not repose confidence
in each other. There is not one single
railroad corporation in this country that
places implicit trust in the honesty and in
tegrity of the action or promises of an
other. Do they not battle with each 9TH
er? Cut rates, form secret alliances, over
reach? They keep standing army of
secret agents to watch each other.
l am credibly informed of their recently
patching up war of rates at
meeting of managers and agents, and
then rushing from the council chamber, to
meet in the telegraph Office to send in
structions to their eastern agents how to
evade the covenants just made! We are
constrained to believe that railroad mo-
rality is not of high standard. They them
selves teach the lessons of distrust With
them, peace means preparation for war,
and all their wars are but the result of
punic faith. The gates of the railway
temple of Janus are never closed. They
really need laws to protect them from each
other, and to protect the stockholders
from the results of wasteful wars by en-
ragged managers. They are Rob Roys, the
strong way laying and robbing the weak.
The large roads, without compunction
wreck a weak one, and swallow it as
shark does minnow. Shall the public
treat them as they treat each other?
'.That mercy to others show,
That mercy show to me-
We are taught to believe that pres
ent railway management will respect
nothing but the empire Of force. You
may not trust human nature
with unlimited money and power
in its fists. Corporate power holds in the
hollow of its hands the industries and pro-
ducts of the people. Any day Gould can
blow his hot breath on the bulb of the bar
ometer and breed financial storm. The
public should endeavor to protect them
selves from such possibilities.
WHAT IS THE REMEDY!
would be a greater discoverer than
Columbus if could produce a specific for
railroad abuses. We are all but students
in system, which in single lifetime has
drawn to itself the vital energies of the
commercial world. There are no definite
laws yet fixed for this new force We only
know that it is remorseless power which
must be watched in every phase Of its de-
velopment. The conditions of the railroad
problem have themselves changed SO rap
idly that no perfect theory of control has
yet been evolved. Undeniable facts and
abuses must be met as they arise. We
know enongh to know that we must for the
present meet railroad abuses by force.
Here is where the machinery of the state
must be brought in play. But
it must be done considerably
and firmly. They must be made to feel
that are always at the bar of public opin-
ion, on trial for their good behavior. We
should have no laws which are not en-
forced. You have a statute now which
able" but there is no sufficient penalty at
tached. You might have a law against
murder, but without a penalty affixed it
would be dead letter. By discreet, but
vigorous statute, we can prevent most of
the evils arising from differential rates.
from rebates, and from autocracy in general
management. We can compel them to
parade all their financial operations to the
oS
commissioner can note and present to the
legislature such in6rmities, as they pre-
sent themselves in daily experience, for
such aston as may appear wise to the leg
islative authority. If deemed prudent.
maximum rates could be fixed within
which tariffs might be flexible. The gem
eral idea Of publicity in all railway bust
ness should be pushed to the extreme limit.
We can require of them that all their
accounts shall be kept by one
uniform system so that in
understanding one you will understand all.
We can improve the machinery of state
authority without increase of expense by
associating the Governor and State Auditor,
with the Railroad Commissioner as tribu-
nal for the consideration of such higher
matters as should not be left to the author
Ivy OF any one man. 1n0 ra1lrOaQS muFJ
be made to respect the sovereign authority
of the state. That authority must be
welded with prudence and carfulnsss and
yet with unfinching frmness. It is time
for our state to formulate purpose in its
dealings with the railways, which will be
up to the measure of the advanced thought
of the country. Let us neither hope nor
expect anything ideal, but meet every
abuse, demonstrated to be such, before it
shall become by custom, established as
part of the system and slip beyond the pale
Of Law,
ANEW PHASE OF RAILROAD DEvBLoPMET
1t has happened to Us as it has to other
portions Of the country, that we have en-
tered upon q new phase of railroad deve-
|lopment.F Forty different railway enterprises
in Minnesota have been consolidated into
seven great systems. Of these the Mil
waukee has absorbed eight; the North
Western six; the Omaha eleven; the Mani
toba three; the North Pacific five; the Du-
luth three and the Minneapolis and ST.
Louis four.
We are now to deal with few great cor
porations and not with a multitude of
roads. If competition is largely destroy
ed by pooling. We have yet gained the