The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-07-21
A cALLoUsED PHILANTHROPIsT.

Mr.. Jacob Sharp, the gentleman who
has done so much towards getting New
York aldermen into jail by bribing
them, has one of the toughest hides
that ever surrounded so tender heart.
For a year or such a matter, the news :
papers have referred TO Mr.. Sharp in
anything but complimentary terms;
indeed, they have called him everything
in the Inst of criminals from the in
fluencer" up TO the thief, and in most
instances have accompanied their
allegations with proofs of their genuine
ness; they have been so persistent in
this matter that it will surprise people
If in the course of q few short months
the great manipulation of aldermanic
boards is not wearing striped clothes
and serving his State behind prison
bars. Through all this. however, Mr..
Sharp smiles grim grin. and says he
cares nothing for what the newspapers
say; he says he is above them and their
arrows, and is beyond their criticism.
When a man gets in that callous con-
dition one would naturally think the
newspapers would let up on him. as
journals are not in the habit of wasting
even their bile; they try TO make every
thing count, and not like the mad bull,
run their heads against stone walls,
merely for the fun of wasting energy.
Yet they keep right along with Mr..
Jacob Sharp, calling him rogue, a
thief, a liar, q bribe-giver, and so on,
running through the list of pet names.
Just as if every one OF them scored,
instead of falling short of the mark or
glancing of the target without leaving
even an indentation.
But the really queer part Of Mr.
Sharp's peculiar composition is that
while be is so impervious to newspaper
shafts he has such a tender heart, and
loves the people with such q consuming
passion. He says il is an out
rage that the street railways are
taxed so heavily that they are compel
led to keep the fares up to
five cents, and the burden falls
on the poor people, as the
rich ride in chaises and not in street
cars. 1t would, or should at least, melt
heart of flint to see ones affection go
out to the poor people in such cop GUS
flow; the wonder is that the struggling.
poverty-stricken masses do not come out
with a manifesto, declaring that Mr..
Sharp is greatly abused man, and is
deserving of the respect and love and
esteem of everybody instead of the ex-
ecration Of al honest persons. The
ungrstefulness Of people is scmething
shocking.
1t probably never occurred to Jacob
Sharp that there is q way to help the
people in the matter of street railway
fares and in all railway fares. The res-
son why fares are so high is not to De
found in burdensome taxation BY the
State, county or municipality; taxes
form a small proportion OF q
railway company's expenses, Fares
are high because shares are num-
erous and interest must be made on
false capital-on stock which represents
no investment of actual money. If the
capital stock and bonds of a railway
company represented only the money
that the road cost, fares and freight
rates could be reduced one-half or a
majority of the roads. The Jake Sharps
make fares high by issuing stock and
bonds for double the cost of construc-
ton, and then trying to pay interest on
the surplus. If there could be a law to
require every share of stock in rail
road to be issued only on the receipt of
the cash named on its face, the divi-
dends would be half what they are and
the people could get the benefits Of low
rates.