Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1885-01-18
DAILY POST-INTELLlGekCER


u
consolidation, not eonpesition, Is the |
,oIo,iop Of shs railroad q7s-tlon-" NJ
Brozn u not altogether incoTTect- Con
,oIida.ton 10 one solution OK the l7es-
lion; bu, there are tao Dossisle s0i1
ions. WhIis consolidation - one,
,om stition is the oshsr. Which se0alo
b, ehoseuY II the decision - b Il TO to-
suturs, IL will BE- isel3ed by the rail-
roads: AZ get, hozevsr, The peopie them
selves have the poser OF deciding.
There are bns too soEstipns- when
viii the people ebOEHi
Consolidation can ba brought ao'u'
Ia two ways- It may he tbe result Z"
disaster. The ruin Of One company
aay foIlos that Of another, ese h newlS
wrecked road being si1-orhed BY ons
s,sopas Ike mbinstion, until the en-
.irs railroad systsp OF tbs cyGutry 10
brought uRder une bsad- Ia 'bis man
nsr the Wabash system andsF the ksrL
u,anaesns. nj Of Jay Gould absorbed'
a,ad absorbed, aud ah-orbsd, until I'h
tasaales xere eEt<rjsd to every Psrt OF
the fair West abd n sacked sha LIE
blood from = very empire Of tbs sods'
Tee second method Of consolidation II
the logical folIoHinR up OF TIE poolinH
gys.em as 1t exists today. Ihs poser
of each POOL is gradually bseoning
more centralized, and single pools arr
gradually extending over . WIDER aud
wider extent Of territory. All tue IA
stfa roads, for instaBcs. are nov IN
MANY respects under the Ab.DIuts con
troll Of the Tran@,ortiBenial Assocla-
ton. So IL il throughout the eooHirg-
Pools exist 90 all baRds, and theit
mower becomes greater and groater- Doe
other step. and the system viii Ds
eomplste. Il there anything to prevent
q pooling of pools, ~ that the sEtIrs
enantry will be embraced in one great
rooi, 10 which the present pools Will
bear something the same relation rs the
executive departments nov beAT to the
sovsrnnent? IL there anything TO pre-
vent III IL ii not the Logical and prob
able development of the present system
In whichever way consolidation would
10 brought about. the result would be
the same. A strongly centralized power
would control the transportation system
Of the entire souhtry, and would act
through the various great railroad sys-
.sms rs through departments. IL would
draw revenue from everJ state. aud
would be the ahsolete master sf a
rsilliou employees. IL would be the
virtual setting up Of another govern
Gnsni within the UBitsd States At
FIRST, Of course, II would appear in the
sluiss Of purely business power; but II
would he, neverth, less, q power v 1iob
could levy tax upon the estire people
and which would from its nature feel
superior 10 any Law. whether passed by
q state OF By The National Government.
Can IL be doubted that the brightest
Eninds OF Amefiaa would be found ip
abe service Of sneh = powerp Can IT be
doubted that the presidency of snoh
corporation would be position OF
higher honor aud would be more eagerly
aouehs after than the Presidency Of the
United States? Would the drift OF
power not be from the old pIwsr TO the
new7 Would tbs Federal Government
mo. lose In strength A. the railroad gov
ornment Gainedl Undoubtedly.
We wonld have. ten, within thu
sane Nation. two governments. Will
one wouia rest the power of leGislA
tion. aud nominally the power OF col
lsoting revenue. With the o,het
woald re>t the real power Of taxa
tion and collecting reyeHue. Th'
latter, moreover. WI uld consider it
sslf superior 10 the former. and strong
or than iis laws. such a state of attAir;
sodtu uot tAtSt tut ahN HhAfn ~ RN''
without a collision between the TIVE
powers; conAint must sooner or late
30 ne. What woald be tbs result
Toe railroad power would be ineonpar
ably the Vealthier OF she two. II woulS
have In In service the beat and bright
ss iuieiiects. Il wouid control the en-
tire transportation service. Il wouiS
be able 10 thtow into the field At QUO,
al army Of trained employees, VIII
could be compelled to obey It's orders
IL would und ,ubtedly triumph, ans
frem the day Of les triumph the Fed
sral 0oveFnmen, would be virtually So
aside. its power would grow less an,
less until "a would either be ahoiisheS
entirely. or voald be allowed 10 exis
90 ratiiy the DEGREES Of the greater po'E
or, 40 the Rnaliah throne Is allowed h
exist 10 rAtify the decmes 81 Pariia
ment. Our Government woald, 10 fact
be snpplanttd by an oihgarehy, wbtrl
would possess powers Of taxing the pso
pie such a. The world has never seer
As In tho CHASTITY ssory Of Frank, nstei
che creator would yield up its life 20 th
created.
TIE second solution -o0mpetision-
involves Tho growth of numberless sys
tens ef transportation, each acting ~
cheek usoa the Others, zach under Oh
wise control IL Federal Lac, taca seek
iax By ooneessioas 10 secure the pat
ssnaes Of the people. earn doiaR bad
nsss ID the loves, passibls rates. |
woald avoid the numerous evils con
nseseA 9Th the present conduct o
American railroads. and would unit
among lnnaserAleis oshsr good point
tse few remaining in the present sys
ten.
Mr. Brown. as q railroad taAn who's
passiosism 10 Tied ap tn hls money bais,
woald doaetlssa choass the former 50
isiinn. whiee Gill tss people choose
The twe ricsarrs are net ovSrdrawr
Each h within the bands OF poasibili
sy. One 10 eomhinas'on the other !
soupesition. Thank Heaven, MI