Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-03-11
Che lanfaster 1,ttellige1fer.
LANCASTER, MARCH II, 1885.
Wolves in Sleeps Clothing.

The Philadelphia Record says that
the chairman of the Senate committee,
which is inquiring into the matter of freight
discrimination, has received letter from
Beiwind, White II Co., dated from their
Philadelphia office, earnestly requesting
that no bill be reported on the subject
without first giving us notice of the same,
so that we may have an opportunity,
should it bear unjustly on our section, to
bring the matter TO the attention of your
self and committee"
That sounds quite well. Berwind, White
& Co., large shippers of coal, propose to
keep sharp look out upon the interests of
the coal operators in their section, which is
the Clearfield coal field, to the end that no
unjust discrimination in rates may be
established. Berwind, White Il Co. are
only concerned that the proposed bill does
not bear unjustly on our section" They
want to see it before it is reported. They
want to help the committee to get it straight.
Unfortunately for this view of the phil
anthropic zeal of Berwind, White Il Co. in
the cause of justice for ''our section" it is
well known that this company has pros
pered and gained its prominence because of
the unjust discrimination i'm its favor of the
Pennsylvania railroad. They have grown
rich through freight rates given to them
lower than to any other of the operators in
"our section" This is entirely undeniable
and it has even been testified by one of thei,
former partners that Mr. Berwind gave tt
Vice President Cassatt IA share of The
r profits from this discrimination, and Sc
cured it by thus paying for it. Mr. Cas-
satt has never seen fit to bring al
action against the author of this charge
nor against any of the newspapers tina
have printed it, and no one doubts there
fore that it is substantially true that Ber
wind, White & Co. purchased from
Pennsylvania railroad officials the injustice
to "our section" which made them fat.
1t is therefore most refreshingly cool il
them to write to the legislative committee
which is fully advised of their corrup
practices and of the nature of their care fo
the interests of the coal operators of CleaI
field county, asking that they be consulte
as the trustees of '' our section upon tn
provisions of bill designed to defeat tn
discrimination by which they have flouI
ished. If they had told the truth the
would have had good reason to ask to b
advised of the provisions of bill whic
will have as one of its main objects thei
abatement as common nuisance. Upo
that question they are entitled to hearin
if they demand it. If they have anythin
to urge to show that they are any MOI
honest than they are believed to be, and
they have any statement to present to col
tradict the evidence of their former par
ner, Mr.. Faulkner, as TO their corrupt II
lations with Pennsylvania railroa
officers, the committee should give ther
ample opportunity to be heard. But in thei
present guise as agents for the other Cleal
field operators, whom they have systemat
ically defrauded, they can claimno hearing
nor do they really want one. They woul
beafraid to open their mouths before
committee. What they want is delay
They hope to kill the proposed bill by post
pOnementS.