The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-12-27
NEEDS TONING UP


That is what Charles Francis Ad-
ans, president of the Union Pacific
railroad, told the Commercial club OF
Boston allied the freight agents.
For prominent railroad man, he
was singularly frank and candid. AS
a matter of course his speech has raised
row among railroad officials, many of
whom characterize him as crank"
"over-nice.' and so forth.
They do not deny that there is more
or less sly work going on, but claim
that it is not as bad as he represents it.
Two opinions are freely expressed
concerning the subject matter of his
Boston speech. One is that he gave
too much color to his charges of low
morals among railroad men, and the
other that he was far more rational
and wise in advising as remedy the
institution of a railroad clearing house
and the repeal of the anti-pooling, as
well as the long and short haul clauses
of the interstate law.
G. 2. Huntington, full of esprit du
corps, and having most tender regard
for the reputation of all railroad men
prOnounces Mr.. Adams statements as
''too sweeping" With what sweet
righteousness did he murmur to the re-
porter ''you know Mr.. Adams is so
cratic"
Indeed! What queer people must
they be who make an ''erratic' fellow
president of one of the greatest rail-
road systems in the country.
Mr.. Huntington admitted, however,
that business morals could be higher
among railroad men, and that they
were little disposed to hold to the
wicked idea that ''policy is the bsst
| honesty
He has a remedy for it though, one
that will cause commercial prosperity
to abound all over this land" That
is, "let the railroad men form com
pany to purchase the entire railroad
system of the country, then officer il
with strong and capable men, con-
trolled by board of directors chosen
from among the owners
A great railroad trust in other words
Is his remedy for the bad morals Of
railroad men.
Chauncey Depew also agrees that &
combine is the thing. He pronounces
the interstate law ian outrageous
measure that should be done away
with at once. lie cOnfesses to the I'M
derhand methods among freight agents
as represented by Mr.. Adams, but
hardly thinks they necessarily indicate
low tone of morals. Chauncey very
deftly throws veil Of casuistry around
the ugly business, and dismisses it as /;
trifle for which indeed some one should
be ''punished''-if found guilty.
President Shaw of the Hooking Val
ley calls Adams "a crank and ''tot
nice for any use" different agents, ,
says he, employ different methods t.
secure business. They must be al
lowed some latitude, you know. Hon
esty is very we'll, but-and Mr.. Shaw
shrugs his shoulders in a most signifi
cant manner.
NJ. Jefferson Seligman and others in
terested in railroads held similar opin
ions about railroad morals and TIT
necessity for consolidation.
1t will be noticed that all these mel
hold rather loose opinions about bust
ness morals. They have little or n,
veneration for the maxim honesty i
the best policy" To catch the neares
way and gather gear by every vile il
more to their liking. The pulpit die
tum, let not the left hand know wha
the right hand doeth, they import int,
their business methods, and find i
profitable.