The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-06
THE RAILROAD BILL.
Interests Of Virginia and Her hights'
Corporations and Local Interests

s''''a ~
under q grievous delnsion. Those fea-
lures of the bill which are Objectionable
to the railroad companies are the exclu-
sion of the express companies and the
requirement that the railroad companies
shall pay the salaries aud expenses Of
the Railroad Commission. How easily
can these objections be removed with
out rendering less effective those pro-
visions of the bill which promise needed
relief TO the people. il it possible that
q~uibbling hesitation over these nom
essentials is TO be suffered TO defeat this
wise and urgent measured Surely such
triniDg obstacles will not stand in the
way of the passage of a law which
thousands of our citizens justly demand.
As The STATE has said heretofore, there
ia not among the railroad companies a
unified sentiment of opposition to this
bill. On the contrary, the testimony Of
expert railroad men Is in favor of The
bill. A leading official of the Norfolk
and Western Railroad Company pointed
ont to the Senate Committee n few days
ago what he considered the Objectionable
features of the bill, but among them wIs
found not one of those provisions which
really make up this measure, giving it
force and utility. Two other gen.
tlemen, long prominent and still promi-
nent among the railroad men OF the State,
have favored the measure as one that de-
served to he passed by the Legislature
and that ought not to he opposed by the
railroads. Indeed, far-sighted railroad
men know that if the measure is not
adopted the Indignation of the people will
he 50 great that they will be satisfied
with nothing less than The mos, rigorous
legislation. They know that it is far
better to acquiesce in the passage Of the
measure which extends and applies the
principles of the Federal Interstate
Commerce law TO Transportation in this
State than to defeat this bill only TO
be confronted hereafter with a
much harsher measure. II is
tue, moreover, that it is not the
railroad companies, but that class Of
shippers who demand unjust d%iscrimina-
tons in their behalf, who ale the real
enemies of this bill. The effect of the
bill will not be to deprive the railroad
companies of business OF compel them
to carry freight and passengers at I'M
profitable rates, but to prevent, As far as
possible, the shifting ofthe cost Of trans
p%ortatiOn from the shoulders of the
large shippers to the shoulders of the
small shippers. The railroads will still
get their money. The bill will simply cor
rect the evils of the system by which the
small producer is made TO help pay the
freight of the large producer. II will
guard the railroad companies against
the arrogant demands of those who
would monopolise the markets and de-
stroy their weaker competitors.
In the interest of peace between the
railroads aud the people, for the sake of
avoiding legislation that may discour-
age railroad enterprise, and for the sake
OF securing at the same time legislation
that will guard the people against I'M
just determinations, the measure ought
to be adopted.
The Republicans are opposing this
measure, as they oppose every measure
for which the Democratic majority may
get the credit, holding that If it is de-
defeated the Democratic majority in like
manner must bear the blame. For the
fact that the Democrats had the power
to pass the railroad law and failed TO
pass il, will largely exclude IN the pub
lie mind Investigations into the votes Of
individual members. IL is upon this
habit OF public thinking that the Re
publicans are resting their chances
for bringing the Democratic par
~ into discredit. They know that
men too often lose sight of indiyid-
ual action in contemplating only the
general action of a majority. The mi
nOriiy IN many legislative assemblies
frequently takes this ri-k of voting
against a popular messUro with the plea
thai The majority ale not 10 be trusted
Isl catfSihg sc oat, anti rs experience has
shown, the Ii-k is often a ,hrewd one,
ion which they 10 not suffer blame or
loss II the Railroad hill i, defeated by |
all The Republican yOte- combined with
only a few u, mIcrats, there viii remain
the o~vershndow ing fact that The Demo.
Gratis, though They had a msjnrity, fail.
ed 10 pass the measure. For that failure
the Democratic party will be held re-
sponsible, and difficult, indeed, will be
the task of explaining exactly how the
bill was defeated when there were Dem.
ocratic votes enough TO make il a Law.
When this Railroad I'LL, saving only
IN certain non essential features, which
eau DO aud ought TO be revised, is not
Objectionable TO the railroad companies,