Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-09-29


The people of the State have now had
a very full opportunity OF forming Their
Judgment as to the railway issue
through the medium OF letter ad-
dressed by Commissioner Foote to the
Examiner, in reply to the Open Letter
of Stephen M. White, Esq, and by let.
tiers forwarded to the HERALD by Com
missioners Humphreys and Carpenter,
in reply TO the Open Letter addressed to
those gentlemen by the editor of the
HERALD.
As to Mr.. Humphreys's letter, which
was brief in the extreme, we have already
expressed our views.
The communication of Mr.. Foote was
voluminous to a discouraging extent.
II that gentleman had taken the pains to
condense his effort, he would have had
very much larger circle of readers.
Six long columns of solid nonpareil and
agate are entirely too much matter in
this work .a-day world for man who
desires TO secure IN extended hearing |
Passing this Objectionable feature of Mr.
Foote's production, there is little in it
that is new, the greater portion OF it
being devoted to a recapitulation of
things with which the public is already
familiar. But the fact remains that this
somewhat wearisome resume leaves MIR.
Foote in the attitude of having persist
emily sought to establish three.cent
schedule Of passenger fares. That in
this effort he has had the sympathy oil
Che great mass of the people cannot be
doubted. The public eye is fixed stead.
fastly upon the fact that the men who
have created the Pacific Coast system OF
railways are enormously wealthy, and
that their incomes arc OF the Monte
Cristo standard. Consequently, in the
present mood Of the people, Everything
goes" and with great numbers OF them
O cent and half standard of fares would
be too much. In addition to the sup
polt of this large class. Mr.. Foote, in de-
manding three-ccnt rate OF fares, has
the sympathy OF many persons who are
not yin8ictive, and who think that that
rate would leave the railway companies
an ample revenue; and that, indeed,
through the increased settlement and
travel which would result, it would even
ultimately increase the net earnings oil
the institution. In that portion OF Mr..
Foote's communication in which he
claims that the reduction already made
in fares is immaterial, we do not think
that he is entirely just. While
they arc not as large as the general pub
lie call sor, and as might be demanded in
tho interest of the travelling public,
even admitting that between many OF
the 6, 800 stations, where reductions have
been made, the travel is very small, still
the stations are so numerous that re.
duction to four cent standard will un-
doubtedly work sensible benefit to the
people. 1t must be borne in mind that
Mr.. Foote, in addition to his pledge to
the San Jose Convention, also made very
explicit ones to the Stockton body, com
posed of Changers, which honored him
with a second nomination. That he has
laborod to redeem his pledges is quite
apparent with one exception, that we
shall particularize later on. lie un-
doubtedly took up the work oil reducing
fares whore General Stoneman left it of.
When we come to the letter OF Hon.
G. j. Carpenter, the President OF the
Commission, we are confronted with
remarkably complex problem. To begin
with, as a specimen of clear.cut and i'm.
petuous invective, were it retrenched by
a skillful hand, it would deserve to rank
with some of the. more ferocious diatribes
of Junius. As it is, il very often sinks
to the level of Billingsgate. Purely
as literary effort, ii is incom'
parably superior to either of the others,
and is altogether the most vivacious
document which has appeared in Cali
fornia politics since the lively passages
between John B. FELTON, and Senator
Newton Booth and the later fusillade
between George G. Gorham and Frank
Pixley. He pours out his atrabilious
fury upon the Eramiaer and upon At.
torney-G General Marshall and Judge
Terry, without naming them, with the
yolublity and rush of 'Iser rolling rap
idly" We do not think that Mr.. Car
penter adds any dignity to his cause
by his too liberal indulgence in invec-
tive. On the other hand, in all fairness,
il must be borne in mind that dras-
tic stream of verbal and written vitu-
peration has drenched our irate cores
pondent for months, and that even the
traditional worm will turn when trodden
upon. Altogether, Mr.. Carpenters let
ter leaves us with greatly increased
estimate of his ability. He has proved
himself to be controversial warrior
worthy of any foeman's steel.
The ablest portion of Mr.. Carpenters
letter is that in which he discusses, as
lawver. the duties of Railway Commis
sioner. and the principles by which such
an official ought to be governed. This
is dispassionate and just. A
town meeting and q sworn officer are ON
an entirely different footing. There are
multitudes of citizens who have no love
for the controllers ofthe Central and
Southern Pacific Railways who would
disdain to do injustice to them, and
quasi-iudicial officer ought to share this
spirit in a superlative degree.
Mr. Carpenter repudiates, with a
warmth that we are glad to see, the i'm
putation that he has been governed in
his action by anything but sense of
duty. The allegation that he had been
corruptly influenced he meets with o
fiery indignation that will carry the con
yiotion home to the minds OF most men
that he is an honest man.
Nevertheless, ne deals largely in gilt.
tering generalities. Very often he at.
tempts to make wit and sarcasm do