National Republican., 1883-12-27
ownersnlp and Control.

There is one phase of the railroad question
which can bo dealt with by tho people di-
rectly, and that is the interference by tho
creatures of the railway corporations with
the action of political conventions. There is
railway lobby in many states in the union,
and its Shiny trail is found in their legisla-
lures and political conventions. The ex-
perence of the past proves that this influence
is exerted with equal partiality in each party.
Congress and state legislatures, national
and state conventions, all arc made
to feel tho presence of this dangerous
power. In the press IL is also powerful
Leading journals are owned or controlled by
our railway masters. Libels descend thick
and fast upon the heads of men in public
station who are too Independent to be used
in private interests, while men who have
been stuffed with bribes are euloglzed as the
saints of the earth. When a specially brutal
act of ruffianism is to be committed against
some decent man these railway newspapers
regulate the stops so as TO set the
music to tho key Of reform, and
the public applaud the slaughter of an honest
man because he has been so howled at that
they believe they are but witnessing the ex-
ecution of malefaotor. Cant and falsehood
draft virtues self into their work of defliug &
what is good, because they succeed in making
evil to appear good aud good to appear evil.
The railroad lobby wears no uniform The
near home friend of senator is set upon his
track, eating often at his table, and holding
converse with him every night. He gets his
views and warps his Judgment by plausible
statements. Members too are sometimes
lobbyists, influencing fellow members The
hopes, desires, friendships, and enmities of
legislators are ascertained and made to do
duty in bringing them into the net.
All this can be bettered, if not cured, if
the people will but determine that they will
not allow railroad magnates to pay their
debts to public men at party conventions or
popular or senatorial elections. Spot the men
who run railroad politics and defeat the men
they are for Teach the ambitious to aspire
to popular favor rather than to the favor of
the lobby. Learn that newspapers which
always happen to be for the railway candi-
dates are under railway pay. When an
effort is made to legisate against discrimi-
nation and other Of the coarser and
more obvious abuses of railroad corporations
in their dealings with the public, whose
franchises they enjoy, we are 6ippantly told
that control must go with ownership To this
the people should reply in tone of command /:
Be it SO then. But if control of railroads
must 60 with their ownership, then we will
teach you that the control of GOVERNMENT
shall 90 iOith the ownership, and the people are
its owners. Your rights as citizens
none will dispute. But your corporations
shall not be the government. That is
ours. If You would have our hands
off from railroads, keep tho hands
of your corporations off from the government
and from the political parties through which
we govern" Then, if either party allows
itself to be debauched by the railroad or
other. merely mercenary interest, let it be
crushed under the weight of popular indigna.
tion. If both parties should be thus lost to
decency through the treachery of men chosen
to speak for them in convention, then bot /
ought to be left to their own destruction by
the people thus outraged. The time is ript
for the absolute independence of government
from railway control, and the republican
party will do we'll to realize this truth.