Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-10-27
Aancaster fntelliusnrer.
sATuRpAY EVENING, OCT. az. 1888.
The Railroad Snlt.


The contest in the Jersey courts over
the Jersey Central lease looks as though
II was TO be general engagement be
tween the Pennsylvania and the Read
lug railroads, and their respective officers
a1d attorneys. Things are getting very
warm already. The two leading counsel,
Messrs. Gowen and Conkling, do not
get along together any better than the
corporations they represent. MIR. Conk
ling Is 80 accustomed to be the cock OF
any dung hill he happens to be tramping
that he seems to be unable to accommo
date himself to the society of another
who also is used to being cock of the
walk. Mr.. Conkling has long been noted
for the offensiveness of his strut; and has
won the name of the turkey gobbler. a
man of great ability and of good inten
t,ons. and most amiable 10 his friends
and followers, he has too much sell
esteem and confidence to be gracious TO
opponents. He has come across, in this
inquiry, a witness whose testimony is
most damaging to his clients and nat
urally Mr.. Conkling undertakes to
brow beat and abuse him. OF course he
exceeded his privilege Us counsel and MI
Gowen sought to protect his witness.
The two counsel came in violent COLI
sion, as was to be expected for Mr,
Gowen is a bad man to attempt TO ride
over rough shod, in Mr.. Conkliug
favorite manner. The war, however,
was but one of words, Mr.. Gowen beirg
the victor because he was certainly right
in defending his witness he is quite the
equal of Mr. Conkling in combativeness
and self esteem, and his superior III
judgment and self control.
The respective counsel seem to lie
sufficiently aroused to rip open the bowels
of each others cases if not their own
and perhaps before they are through the
Reading and Pennsylvania railroad com
panies may be turned inside out 4; the
proceeding is ostensibly to annul a lease
made 10 the Reading, but the inquiry just
now seems to be as to the integrity of th'
PENNSYLVANIA railroad management. II II
not easy to see how this can iegitimatell
come within the scope of the inveStlga
tion or how 1t will affect the lease of
railroad to the Reading railroad tC
prove that the Pennsylvania railroad
gives Berwind, White \ Co. or the
Standard oil company lower rates OF
freight than it gives To others in the
coal or oil trade. And if these matter:
can be inquired into therei is no apparent
reason why any transaction Of the Penn
sylvauia or Reading may not be in
quired into. Mr.. Gowen laid his ground
by proving that the two railroads were
rivals and that the loss ot the Central
lelse would crush the Reading as a
rival he aims 10 prove that
the Pennsylvania railroad is the
active party in assaiing the lease.
But even if this be so, the drawbacks
Inquiry does not seem to be pertinent
to the issue. The public, however, have
no reason to complain at the irregularity
of the enlightenment they get, The dis
covery of any injustice in the manage
ment Of either Of these great corpora
tions will be a benefit to the people, and
they can bid the contestants in this suit
with hearty good will, to discover al
they know or can find out about eact
other. The savage onslaught by Mr.
Gowen shows that he has no quarter L
give or take, and if the Pennsy lyaui
is guided in its course by Mr.. Conkllns
it is certain that it will not ask or Oflel
it. There is evidently to be tirst-clas,
conflict in which old sores are to be
opened aud new wounds made, and the
fight thus started is to 90 on until one
party is overcome The public will reap
the advantage.