Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1885-03-01
Railroads and the People.

huDIeNg OF CarplHg cOmplathlS beColh-
ing 80 popular against railroad cor
poratlons. THE GAZETTE is ia SYM
patty with most Of that article, and
we are ever awake to the great advan-
tsges that have accrued and are still
so accrue to this state, IN common with
all new territories, from the extension
OF railroad facilities. AS we have taken
frequent occasion to enforce In these
columns, THE GAZETTE is @ friend to
railroads and railroad extensions and
connections, aDd fully Endorses
state aid and encouragement in their
behalf We favor liberal grants and
encouragements, and believe th.t the
state will reap large advantages there
from, in opening our fertile lands to
settlement and rapidly increasing our
population and aesessable wealth.
The GAZETTE, however, does not pro-
pose to indulge In any gsuzy hallucina-
lions on the subject Of railroad phi
lanthropy. No railroad was ever yet
designed, nor constructed. nor
operated, nor bankrupted, nor
wrecked" nor "pooled," nor "con-
solidated" on philanthropic principles,
so far ss we have been able to ascer-
tain. We would mildly suggest,
therefore, that the illustration used
by the somewhat oyer-fervld fancy
of our Vernon contemporary Is
somewhat too strong. The armless
migrate, incapable of self help and de-
pendent upon the generous assistance
and bounty OF others for sustenance
and support-"who would curse the
hand that would place food and drink
to his ungrateful lips" Is hardly fair
picture Of the country and people who
avail themselves of the advantages of
railroad capitalists and contractors !
1t Is not the habit or nature Of railroad
or any other corporations to hold the
pap Of sustenance TO communities
| along the line Of their enterprising
march. "On the contrsry--quite con-
trary-wlse,'-ss Mrs. Sairy Camp
was wont to say. Indeed, It will
never do to boost the "pub-
lie benefitn dodge upon a
syndicate, railroad or otherwise. We
doubt-though not protesting great
statistical lore-.if single instance,
amounting to fair illustration, can be
produced where railroad unfettered
by competition was projected and con.
structed on clean business principles
of economy through country of fair
average productiveness and fertility,
and managed with economy, thrift
and enterprise, without any stock. job
bling or kiting scheme, that was not a
fair financial success. In most cases,
Of course, before the country is fully
developed, great economy and energy
Of administration is requisite, but In
time, and assuredly where land grants
are obtained, the success is certain anC
the road Is built up and made wealthy
By the tabor Of The citizen and the cor
responding increase In the value oflanC
and the volume Of traffic and passage
The true principle, as well as the true
line Of advantage, to both corporation
and people, is in mutual development
and community Of labor and protec
ton. Where this fails to exist, wher,
sntagonisms and hostilities are engen
dered and mutual war Is waged, ii will
generally be found TO be the fault o
the corporations and their agents. Ag
gregated wealth and power induces
arrogance and contempt of the rights o
individuals. The individual outrage
in time, becomes the burden of tn,
community, and the tendency on thu
part OF corporations to absorb and con
centrate within themselves the accu
mutations Of the individuals, both q:
to wealth and power, reacts il
individual complaints, resentment
and reprisals, until the individual mas
Ia aroused into open hostility to corpo
rate encroachments, and wreaks III
vengeance and asserts its power, eithe
through the government in legal re
strictions, or, II thwarted by the cor
rupt methods so fruitful to warp o
stiile legislation, 1t ultimately breaks
forth in riot and contlagration ant
material destruction. This is the I'm
varying lesson Of experience in history
This emphasizes the wisdom and con
servatism of the policy, so constantly
advocated by THE GAzETTE, of legis
lative restrictions against the natura
spirit and tendency OF corporate power
and the corruption through the greed o
jobbing manipulators, and Of the sam,
time the most liberal encouragement
aud protection to capital and enter
prise, consistent with private right.
and public policy.
The House LAID BIZ.
The Chronicle is eitainly not an advocst,
of big pasi ores and agrees with TIM a A