The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-12-10
"Plain Talk.V


munication respecting certain sins of
omission by the legislature, can hardly
! c considered misnomer. AS to the
need or desirabiity of the railway legis-
lation asked for at the late session, there
was unquestionably much honest differ
ence of opinion among the Lawmakers.
That there is demand for railway COM
mission and " short haul " enactments
is undeniable. How extended is this
demand among business men and the
general public, and how reasonable, we
will not undertake to say, from our
present information upon the subject.
The railways object very strenuously to
the legislation asked for. These cor
porations, the country over, are the
source of great deal of solicitude to
legislatures and congress. Between
them and the people, whose interests are
reciprocal, there is a great deal of
antagonism. Neither side has mo-
nopoly of the blame, and legislation has
been, in some states, sincerely and
successfully directed to the finding out
of the spots where there is friction and
applying remedial fabrication. Proba-
bly, in this state impartial investigation
would show that complaints have their
origin in fact, sentiment and misappre-
hension in about equal proportion.
Other elements doubtless enter into
grievances, alleged or real. Why the
railways should object to the establish
ment of well-ordered commission we
cannot see, and we do not appreciate
the force of the reasons they give for
opposing commission. 1t should be
to their advantage to have this eter-
nal jarring ended If there is nothing
in the great mass of complaints, if the
alleged determinations and unjust
charges are susceptible of explain ations
on business principles, as we believe
very many if not the great majority of
the complaints to be, it would be worth
much to the peace of the state, and it
should be for the interest of the cor
porations, to have the facts shown up.
The argument in favor of commission
has much to commend itself to a disin-
terested observer, and the force of the
argument is not weakened by the ex-
perience states like Iowa and Massa-
chusetts have had with tribunal of this
character. Governor Longs argument
in favor of a national commission is
certainly very clear, and, considering
the authority behind it, very convinc-
ing. 1t is not inapplicable to Ver-
mont. We believe the railways will
yet see that in opposing judiciously
constituted commission they are stand
ing in their own light. Nothing is
more grievous than fancied wrong,
and people are never more unre asona-
BILE than when afflicted with an imagi-
nary complaint. We believe there is
salvation for the people and railways in
a body of men that will dispel such
illusions when they exist, as well as
right whatever of positive wrong on
either side there may be. However
these things may be, the right of the
railways to be represented at the legis-
lature, when the passage of laws vitality
affectingthei interests is contemplated,
is as broad and plain as that of those
who are asking for those laws; as clear
as the right of the banks, the farmers,
the manufacturers to watch, by attor-
MES or paid agents, legislation affecting
these several interests. The one is no
more a subject of criticism than the
other