Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-11-13
LET US NAVE PEACE.

railroad oillcer Is on record as de-
claring that the best possible improve
ment of common stock was to cross them
with a railroad engine. There is deal
Of grim irony in the declaration and
world Of truth. The marvellous yerdicts
rendered against railroad companies are
part OF the judicial history of the times.
One need not go beyond the limits OF
Tarrant county to And verdicts more in
accord with lex talionis than with Justice
or reason. "Rallroad casesn have become
the picnic and the profit OF lawyers, and
the real question has become simply how
much can be taxed out OF the railroad
through the forms and the farce OF law.
There are not wanting instances In which
men claimed damages to land through
which railroads were built that equaled
the entire value of the property, and the
appreciated value of long horn
or Texas razor-back when crossed
with the "cowcatcher," has become, a
by word and reproach to justice. These
verdicts are merely public repElsalH, and
1t would be well TO consider the causes OF
the popular hostility, and to make an OF.
fert to bring people and railroads closer
together.
The primary cause for the unhealthy
feeling between people and railroads lies
In the roads. Stock watering has antag-
onized the public, who are compelled to
pay passenger and ight rates deman led
not only by the actual cost of the roads
but by the water that stock iobbing has
put into the stocks, The people under
stand that the law permits this legal rob
berry, and they use the same law to extort
q portion of the ill-gotten gains for the
beneas,e7en Of mep SsAo sail their. razor.
backs and long-horn stock on certain
curves in the track. AS with all In.
furated masses, the people make no dis
tinctIons; railroad is railroad, and
The "verdict for plaintif' is only cues.
ton Of time, and the amount OF damages
a matter OF arrangement between plaintiff
and his attorney
The arbitrary rules OF railroads have
much to do with the promotion OF this
feeling; so also does the foreign owner
ship Of many roads, and so also does the
conduct of railroad officials. The people
feel In many cases that they are dealing
VITA aliens whose only use for the coun.
try is TO grind out Of it rates to make IN
terest on water. Too often modest 40.
mend for damages is met by some sub
ordinate autocrat with snub Of the petit
TONER. Unless something is done to allay
the hostility between roads and people,
the consequence In time will be- to divide
the public into railroad and an anti.
railroad party The tendency of these
excessive yerdicts in damage suits is to
drive some men, inconsiderately, into the
ranks OF the railroad party, and the breach
must widen, unless healed, until the war
becomes irrepressible,
1t Is not too late to bridge the ever.
widening chasm, but the roads must
take the nrst step, II they would
calmly hear all complaints and
not force men to resort to the law for
honestly-claimed damages, but seek by
every means to avoid litigation with their
people, a lopg step would have been
taken towards the restoration OF good
feeling, Corporations are soulless, but
II their officials would ever bear IN mind
that men have souls aud rights, and not
deport themselves as petty tyrants whose
exsctIons and disregard of the people
we're passports 10 the favor q their lord
high magnate, a kindAer feeling might be
built up IN the jury box.
Railroads are necessity to the people
and the people are necessary to railroads.
THE GAzErrE would zee each Just Ia the
other, aud the present hostility converted
Into amicaole relations, Certainly the