Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-06-08
dbe Cantaster 1ntclligellfsr.
LANCASTER, JUNE s, 1885.
A Railroad Revelation.


Philadelphia is having genuine sensa-
ti0n over railroad matters and although |
the rest of the state is not directly inter |
ested in the point at issue, which is the en- |
trance Of a new railroad into that city, it |
takes great interest in the discussion, be-
cause of the magnitude of the parties to
the controversy and of the matters involved
in the settlement of the question. The Penn
sylvania railroad locks horns with the
Baltimore & Ohio and the Philadelphia Il
Reading, and seeks to prevent the junction
of these great lines of railroads in Philadel-
phia.
1t assumes this task as friend of the
public, disclaiming 10y its mouth-piece, Mr.
MacVeagh, any interest of its own in the
matter, but claiming that public interests
forbid the junction. The position is a
novel one for any one to take; but that it
should be taken by the directors of
the Pennsylvania railroad is a paralyzing
surprise. These gentlemen have been noted
for their carelessness of the public interest
in the matter which they now claim to
have so much ut heart, which is the pres
ervation of the public from the hazard of
grade crossings. Up to date the Pennsyl-
vania railroad has crossed public roads at
grade at its pleasure and everyone knows
1t has done SO without pretense of regard
for the fact, which it now procaims, that
grade crossings are public nUisances. That
they are so the people have long con.
tended; and the Pennsylvania railroad
man3gers have bee,Ss.rsut the only ones tc
sag nay to the done.
They have, it seems, been misrepresented
in their opinions by their acts. They die
not believe that what they did was right
They have known all along that grad,
crossings were wrong. And they hav,
made them in defiance of the wrong the,
did to the public.
With this authoritative statement of tn,
position of these gentlemen, it may, w
suppose, be taken for granted, by TIN
authorities of cities, boroughs and town
ships that grade crossings are wrongs Il
the public, which should be abated a
nuisances. COuncilmen, supervisors an,
grand juries will hasten to take adyantag
of this admission. In this city the coun
ellis will at once proceed to require that tn
grade crossings of the city's street
shall be abated, and meanwhile shall b
guarded at the cost of the railroads. Th
township supervisors will at ono
object to the unguarded crossing
of the country roads !; and the grand jur
at its next session will present to tn
court all unguarded grade crossings G
public roads as nuisances who's
abatement the public interest demands
and the indictment of the confessed Gu
prits will follow.
1t is enchanting to find penitenti;
wrong g-doer; and in this matter, so impor
tant to the public, it is gratifying in I'll
highest degree, to discover that the creates
offender in the state acknowledges il
wrong and submits itself to the penaltit
of the law.
Perchance the wonderful revelation Q
to the enormity of the offense, that tn
Pennsylvania railroad has received frOi
the wrongful effort of its rival TO cross
grade the streets of Philadelphia, ma
have its counterpart some day soon in
revelation TO it from the competitio
business Of the state, which will teac
it another truth that the peopl
have long been contending for and I
which it has so far been totally blind
namely, that it is public wrong in
common carrier to discriminate in il
charges between its customers, SO 9
to make some rich and Othel
poor, and so as to build up fo
eign places and keep the grass green upo
the streets of the towns along its line
This truth is so plain that even til
fool may see it; and as the Penn
sylvania railroad directors are not fool
it may be presumed that they see i
rs they say now that they see the wrong {
grade crossings, and yet have not acte
upon it for the same unexplained reaso
that has kept them up to date putting
all the grade crossings that they could fin
place for.