Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1888-12-27
RouGH ON xAr1noAp nrnr.


President Charles Francis Adams
Says Present Evils are Due Not so
Much TO lhe Gnterstate Uomnierce
Law an 20 0ishonorable Managers.
The regular meeting Of the Commercial
Club-its 19ist--was held at the Hotel
Vendome Saturday afternoon and even
Ing, with an unusually large attendance
of members and guests. The occasion
was rendered OF unusual interest and i'm
portsnce at this time by the discussion Of
the interstate commerce law and its effect
on the railroads and the business of the
country by several railroad men and
others. Their remarks followed an ex-
hau1tiye address on the subject by
Charles Francis Adams, president of the
Union Pacific railroad.
Among the invited guests present, some
of whom participated in the discussion,
were Mayor.elect 6art of Boston, Presi-
dent Lord Of tbs Boston and Maine, @.
II. Ohoste of the Old Colony, Alden
Speare of Chicago, George G. Ofocksr Of
the Massachusetts Board Of Railroad
Commissioners, Thomas j. Hurley of
Fort Worth, Texss; a, y. Seaberger,
collector Of ths port Of Chicago, .end
many others prominent in Boston bust
ness and railroad circles.
As usual, the meeting was held with
closed doors, none but members or
guests being preesnt. President Adams
spoke az follows:
Mr.. PRESIDENT AUD GENTLEMEN; You
have asked me, rs the representative OF
one Of the large railroad syntems Of the
country to express my views this even
Ing on the subject Of the interstate COM
merce act and its practical working, 90
seen through the experience of the last
two years. just now we hear, especially
la financial and railroad circles, loud
denunoiation of this law. II is constantly
referred to az the prolific source to which
all the evils under whieh the Hnilrcad
system is now suffering can be traced.
For reasons which 1 shall presently state
do not regard the interstate commerce
act as in all respects we'll considered or
benedcent law. am very sure it has not
produced the good results which were
hoped from 1t; but yet ] see no good
reason for referring to it in the way go
common CT late.
That the general railroad situation Of
the country is Rt present unsatisfactory
Ia apparent. Stockholders are complain
ing; directors are bewildessd; bankers
are frightened. Yet that the interstate
commerce act 10 N the main responsible
for all these results reusias to be proved.
In my opinion the difficulty is far more
deep and radical. In plain words,
1t does not lie in any act of legislation,
atate or national; and 1t does lie in the
covetousness, want of good faith, and
low moral tone of those in whose hands
the management OF the railroad sy9tem
now is-in word, in the absence among
them Of any high standard of commercial
honor.
These are strong words, aud yet, as the
result OF personal experience stretching
over nearly 40 years, make bold to say
they are net SO strong as the occasion
would Justify. The railroad system of
this country, especially of the region
west OF Chicago, is to-day managed on
principles which-unless change of
heart occurs, and that soon must in
avitably lead to financial disaster of the
most serious kind. There is among the
lines composing that system au utter dis.
regard OF those fundamental ideas of
truth, fair play, and fair dealing which
lie at the foundation not only of the
Christian faith but OF civilization itself,
With them there is but one rule-that,
many years ago, put by Wordsworth into
the mouth of Bob BOY:
The simple rule, the good old plan,
That ne Shall take who has the poWeg,
And he shall keep who can.
The SLATE u Things IA this respect was
bad enough before the passage Of the
interstate commerce act but the opera
tion Of that act has greatly aggravated
what was bad enough already. Since
that act went into effect two years ago.
there has been what might be called a
craze for railroad construction. Great
corporations, one after the other, have
contracted the madness, aud have built
hundreds OF miles Of road ,almcat parallel.
ing each other. In many Gases they have
actually parSllaled each other across wide
trncts OF country in which no human
being lived. This Is true in Wisconsin,
In Minnesota, in Nebraska, In Kansas.
Only day or two since some cltlzens OF
the west called upon me, and wanted O
branch Of the Union Pacific built. ex-
amined the map and found that there
WIS already railroad between the two
points named. They wanted us to build
parallel road short distance from it.
suggested to them ironically that il
would be better for as to build on the
right Of way of the other road, SO as to
make what would practically be one
double-traeE road. 10 my surprise they
vera so accustomed 10 railroad foIlias
that the irony Of the proposition did not
euggedt Itself them. They remarked,
With all possible gravity that this would
be altogether the best way OF doing the
thing. They simply wanted competing
road, bnlit by eastern capital, alonRside
OF another read already built, also by
eastern capital.
The construction Of all these miles Of
railroad, for which hardly any Immediate
demand existed, made readiustment Of
trotte necessary. That is, the momen.
fne roads we're finished the problem,
passed out OF the hands of the engineer
Into the hands OF the frelghI anent, by
whom traffic of some sort for the new
roads had TO be provided. The interstate
commerce act was in operation, II was
imposaible TO pool, and the long haul
regulated the short haul. Then followed
depth OF railroad morals sp4ong freight
agents lower than had even previously
5Sistsd--and thAt ia saying much. The
dishonest metGods Of E&t6-cuttinR, the
secret systems Of rebates, the indirec,
and hidden payments made 10 influence
me course o. tEaihc I6gurted to or devised
during tho last two years / DO not hest
tate 70 say arc unprecedented in tbs
whole bad record Of the past In this
respect | indorse every word of indignant
asnuneistion which Judge Cooley Of the
interstate commerce commission is re-
ported 10 have recently uttered.
hamea Of members or employees Of firm.
whose businesa it WAS desirable to secure
pua to whom it was unlawful openly t.
allow rebate, have beeu put upon til,
pay rolls Of companies at salaries equs
70 the estimated amount Of what thu