The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1884-07-24
GOVERNOR CLEVELAND AND THE
TIVE.CENT FARES,
[Boston Heraldl

Lbonluh hNl1lhl
0fall the objections urged against
Gov. Cleveland, perhaps the weakest one
IL that he vetoed the bill for hye-cent
fares on the eleN ated railroads, But II
Ia charitable TO suppose the 0bjectgs do
not know what they are talking about,
Probably many people imagine that the
Governor vetoed D bill which was In the
interest of the haTd-handed working
m n, who goes TO his daily toll before 7
a. IN. and returns home after q p, m.
But such was not the fact, Possibly, II
the bill had been OF that character, Gov.
Cleveland would have signed II, though
his reasons for yet0ing II might reduce
the income below the limit prescribed
by law, and because sufficient inyestiga-
tiOn had not been made as to what rate
OF fare would yield the 10 per cent. In
come upon the capital invested, az the
charters OF the companies authorized
them to charge. The Senate OF New
York, upon receipt OF the veto,
passed resolutions, In March, 1888, in
atructing the railroad commissioners
In make thorough Investigation
of the subject, The commissioners
performed the duty, and their report 40
perfectly satisfied the Senate OF the
wisdom OF the Governors position that,
beyond accepting the report, no action
was taken. The commissioners, In their
report, after speaking OF the immense
labor involved by the investigation, said
that "the corporations investigated have
yOuched for their expressed desire TO
the investigation full aud complete, by
giving the board free access 10 every.
thing pertaining TO the subject within
their control" The report would make
nearly eight columns OF the Herald aud
little Of II would be interesting here.
The commissioners, In summing up,
said:
"As against those who watered the
stock and inflated the bonds ~ herein
before described, the proposed reduction
OF fare might be strict retributiye JUS.
tice. The dignity OF the State would,
however, hardly permit that an inya'
sion OF the spirit OF laws should, on lis
part, be met by punishment devised
80 az TO Ignore the promises OF the State.
AS To the present innocent holders Of
stock and bonds, the board deems the
following remarks Of Gov. Cleveland In
his veto message TO be particularly ap.
plicable:
But we have specially In our keeping
the honor and good faith Of q great
State, and we would see 10 II that no
suspicion attaches, through any act
of ours, TO the fair fame OF the com.
mOnwealth. The State should not
only be strictly Just, but scru.
pnlously fair, and In It's rela.
tiOns TO the citizen every legal and
moral obligation should be recognized.
This can only be done by leglslating
without vindiCtiyeness or prejudice, ana
with tirm determination to deal Justly
and fairly with those from whom we ex-
act obedience
whether the reduction OF fare Oh the
elevated railroads would, with such
profits, produce less than 10 per cent. on
the capital actually expended the
board cannot intelllgenlly answer,
Many assert that the Increased travel
would more than make up the deficiency
caused by the reduction, On the other |
hand, the roads insist 10 the contrary. |
The board can only say that upon the |
same number OF passengers as were car
ried last year the roads would earn |
81 ,600,3l5 less. This would reduce the |
gross income 10 as TO prevent the roads
even paying interest on their bonded |
debt In full, The laboring classes OF |
New York are carried between the hours
of $3.50 and $3.50 n, m. and i;30 and 1880 |
p, IN. at Ave cents upon trains which |
run at intervals Of forty.Ave seconds.
The reduction would not so much bene.
NJ them, therefore, as II would the class
who are better able 10 pay ten cents
than the laborers are to pay Aye,"
From the above II will be seen very
clearly that the talk about Gov. Cleve.
land being against the iaboriDg man
because he vetoed the ave cent fare bill
is the yeriest "bOsh, and the men who
talk thus don't know anything about the
auhipci