Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1882-01-24

The New Treaty OF Peace.
The railroad magnates tell the public
that they have settled their differences
and are again a band of brothers, having
no aim but the filling of their treasures
at the expense of the people. Heretofore
some of them have been posing as bene
factors, fighting for principle and the
peopel's rights. Mr.. Vanderbilt has been
conspicuous in declaring that New York
shall get Western goods at the same cost
as Philadelphia, though it is longer
haul. The PENNSYLVANIA and Baltimore
roads have on the other hand been vir-
tuously determined that their cities shall
enjoy the natural advantage of prox-
Unity to the West. All these companies
were fighting, according to their ac-
counts, for the interests of the people of
their section.
But meanwhile they were unani-
mously grasping all the dollars they
could get for all the freight which they
could control along their respective lines.
The local rates have been raised while
the through rates have been cut down ;
such course being necessary to enable
the treasury TO stand the game. The
problem given was to carry through
freights at a loss and keep.the dividends
up. Obviously the local freights had to
he called upon to provide the solution !;
and they have been.
Why through freights should he car
ried without profit has been an enigma.
1t has not been because these freights
were needed to provide sufficient bust
ness for the roads, since they have lately
complained of having too much business,
and it is notorious that the Pennsylvania
railroad at least has suffered heavily by
the numerous accidents occurring on its
heavily blocked road. The public, in
looking around for the reason for these
frequently alternating declarations Of
war and treaties of peace between the
great railroads, think that they are JUS
titled in finding stock-jobbing rea
SONS at the bottom of them.
Warned 10y experience, they do
not rise so readily to the fly as
they used to do. The present com
pact of peace is heralled without seGuc-
ing the people who have money to invest
into putting it into railroad stocks.
These decline to go up in price under the
stimulus of the settlement of the
railroad war, notwithstanding capital is
very abundant and is content with low
interest. The trap has been set too often
to lie very inviting. Maybe after awhile
hesitating investors may bc again lured
in to seize the tempting bait but the
number of foolish people to be caught
grows steadily smaller with each snap
ping Of the trap, and presently it will
cease to be effective.
There is an elegant opportunity now
for aspiring patriots to make success.
full assault upon these great railway
corporations which have demonstrated to
the satisfaction of everyone the utter
seltislness of their management. No
one can question the fact they are public
plunderers, in that they both charge too
much for their service, and that they
charge unequally. In honest truth the
good of the country requires that trans
portatiOn should be as cheap and efficient
as possible: with railroads capitalized at
their actual cost, goods and passengers
would he carried with cheapness, dis
patch and safety. When they are com
PEELED to es rn dividends upon an extrava.
CANT valuation, their charges must needs
BE- high and their economies dangerous.
The people are beginning to have /,
thorough comprehension of the evils
under which they suffer from the tax
levied upon their labor by railroad man
ayers. They know that it is far greater
than the impOsts of the government
Whether we have high tariff or free
trade is of little consequence beside the
question rs to whether or no we shall
have our transportation ut Il moderate
profit Oh its cost, and be secured in it by
a better guarantee than railroad presi
dents promise. If the railroads were
but held to their duty as common car
riers as defined i'm the common law, the
manufacturing and business interests of
this country would have all the protec-
tion they need for their property, and
undoubtedly the question of the regula
tiOn of railway carriage is one of the
great issues of the day.