The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1885-07-10
GENERAL PRESS.
THE ALTERNATIVE.


two evils they chose what they con.
sidered the least. 1t would be much
easier for them to influence one Con-
gress than many Legislatures. They
did not then expect that Congress
would ever take them at their word
and proceed to regulate the rail
road business between the States.
1t was then believed that the
public opinion of the country
was strongly opposed to such con-
struetion of constitutional powers;
and, therefore, that the Intervention
of the lobby would not often be re-
CURED to defeat any bill of the kind at
Washington. At that time it is true
that the prevalent sentiment of the
American people did not favor the
supervision of the trunk line roads by
the general government rather than
by the States. But it WAS then sup
posed that the States would rapidly de-
eide to assert authority in the premises
and give the public the relief
demanded. With two or three excep-
tions the States have failed to respond
to the calls for protection against pool
ing systems and freight dlscrimina-
tiOns. The people are, therefore, in
tently looking for aid to Congress. The
whole situation is changed by the in
action of the Legislatures. For this
reason the select committee of the
United States Senate now picking up
Information on tie subject at the
West are welcomed with much
enthusiasm by business men OF all
parties wherever they 60. At no pre-
vious time would such committee
have received so much attention, be-
cause never before was the issue so
clearly made. 1t seems at last to be
narrowed down to The single question
whether the general government shall,
or shall not, exercise some supervision
over the railroads in the interests Of
the public. The corporations affected
by the investigation are doing moth
ing before the committee to coun-
teract the Impressions received by
the latter from their tree intercourse
with the people. The railroad men are
evidently postponing their efforts to a
date when they may be made more Of.
fective-at the capitol. If the commit.
tee perform their whole duty, they
will be prepared to report early in the
next session. One cannot understand
how they can avoid coming to a ma
jority agreement in favor OF the estab
Hshment of Federal commission for
the purpose proposed. If they do, so it
is not impossible that next winter may
see this great and troublesome ques-
ton of railroad regulation settled in q
way that will make the legislation OF
the separate States upon the subject
unnecessary.-(N. Y. journal of Com
merce.
RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT.
Buddensieck, tho builder OF the
m8ny-storied tenement houses in
New York which fell down and killed
ever 50 many people, has been tried
and sentenced to 10 years. imprison-
ment, There must have been Daniel
come to judgment in the Atlantic me.
tropolis. IL was question whether
this wholesale destroyer OF human
life could be punished at ell, and GER
tainiy no one expected that his sem
tence would be serious. do has now
been retired from active life for so long
aperiod that other builders will DO
cautious how they set up death traps.
The tendency of luries is tOTerd Sc
verify. People are watching verdictB
moro closely than they used 70 do. A
man who serves on Jury which shirks
its duty is apt to have an unpleasant
time among his neighbors, Men talk
Of MIN as tho fellow who WAS "caved
down tho bank" and the boys arc
prone TO use complimentary phrases
as ne passes by, In the old days pub
lie sympathy was Nftener with than
against tre accused. Frequent fail
ures Of justice have changed
all this. Sympathy now Is generally
with the prosecution. 1t Is very rare
that an innocent man is laid by the
heels, and many guilty men escape
prosecution altogether. Hence, unless
there is uncommonly clear evidence
for the defense, the general feeling, in
the event OF an acquittal, is that the
Jury has been tempered with, or that
1t consisted of men so stupid or so
vicious that they were unable To do
justice between the community and
knave. Such sentences az that of Bee
ut Santa Clara and Buddonsieck in
New York Will have tendency 10
stifien the average juryman's back
bone. We need sucn verdicts,-t
Francisco Chronicle.
THE PURITAN SPIRIT.
Gods side against the devips-thnt
is the motto OF tho Puritan. 10 has
msde tho system Of universal common
school education, which is the great
safeguard of ouf land to day. It is
that spirit that moves in tho great bu-
man HARLAN schemes, in the thorough
establishment of charities on broad
plans for the relief Of the whole COM
muni.y. Wherever there is move.
ment to-day for the destruction OF the
liquor business the Puritan spirit
works. The Georgia editor has but to
look &. tho great movement for that
purpose that Is now sweeping over his
own State, and at the religious move-
ment which goes on by its SIDE and as.
ISOLATED closely with 1t, and in which
he u bearing noble part himself, To
see the Puritan reforming principle at
work-LSpringield Republican.
THE ENGLIsH-IRIsH COMPLICATIONS.
The oAe public question, however,
which at the present moment pro.
trudes itself upon the public attention
is not Russia, but Ireland. Ireland is
the key to the political situation, and
II is apparently the only key. She is
like Banquo's ghost; she will not
down at anyone's bidding, and there
can be no rest for her perturbed
spirit until organized justice shall
be accorded her. She has
Rrumbled with tho minority
for many years, and the Com
monors have voted her common nui-
sance, but she has persisted. She has
been obstructive in her course until II
seemed as though her only motive was
sheer wantonness. Tho wheels of gov
bintuout WoIo blOWtu uOWu by ner Qp-
position 70 every measure which gave
her a chance 10 protest, and the whole
English people were maddened 10
frenzy. They shook their fists at Ire
land, they hurled at her curses both
loud and deep, they openly ex-
pressed the wish that the island
might DO towed into the mid
die of the Atlantic and sunk. Still the
Irish members, sullen and determined
as ever, kept blocking the wheels and
doing all the mischief they could.
Then, when the Tories and the Liberals
measured forces and whipped in their
recreant members for maj GRITTY, Ire
land saw her opportunity and knew
how 20 use II. She hated Gladstone
because his promises are eloquent
words, rot eloquent deeds. She dis
liked the Tories because she distrusted
them. At the crucial moment, how
ever, she voted with the latter, and the
Gladstone Ministry was brought TO a