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

say once more. can see anything In II
which should cause public or private
anxiety. The doubt in my mind exists
as to what is going 10 happen between
now and next week; what will take place
tomorrow. Events are moving alto
gether too fast, even for our times. I
would, therefore, like TO see the Inter-
state Commerce act amended as respects
the pooling provision aud the long and
short haul clause, amply as q method of
putting on the brakes. The time Is not
ripe for what Is impending. They are
talking of trusts aud consultations to
be effected tomorrow, when 1t seems to
me that in the natural order of events
they would not take place until next
week. An amendment OF the Interstate
Commerce ace In the two respects have
indicated would, in my Judgment, !. ad to
delay this progress Of events. II wonld
not, 1t ia true, touch those radical evils in
the railroad rgsnization--thst absence
of faith, that Unsuitable greed, that low
sense Of commercial honor--of which |
hare spoken. These eau only be cured
in one way. That Que way is by placing
responsibility on individuals.
1t is for this reasUn that could not
the other day but regret the signs of pub
lie disapproyEl with which scheme for
railroad clearing house in the West was
met. 1t was At once characterized In the
papers gs vast ''trustn-in these days
everything is q "trust" and denounced
% a conspiracy. 1t was nothing Of the
sort. There was not feat re OF what is
known as trust in the sen sms-hardly q
feature of pool. On the contrary,
well.devised railroad clearing house
would prove in practice, whether go in
tended or mot, in the direct line OF tho en-
forcement of the Intorstate Commerce
act In all its better features, and 1t has
many such. That rates cgn in these days
and in this country lopg be more than
reasonable do not believe. A reasonable
system Of railroad rates publicly an
nouhcad, equal TO all, md honestly maiu-
tanned, ID tho commercial need OF the
day, and not less no for the community OF
business men than FOR the railroads them
selves.
This was one OF tho results which 1t is
hoped the Interstate Commerce act
would bring about when, two years ago,
it went into effect. In practice it has
only aggravated the evils it was intended
to remedy. In my belief 1t cannot pro-
duee any other result until the railroads
themselves co operate with the aot and
they cannot cooperate until they Are
brought together 10 one responsible or.
ganization to enforce its provisions.
There must be some one somewhere to
whom public opinion G IN look; and then
whom the ABUSES TO which have referred
ars committed, the huger of public opin.
ion will assurediy point to the responsi-
BILE man.
For myself and on behalf of the COM
pany Of which am the responsible head
l will say that to day and 80 long as it
stands on the statute book we wonld vel.
come the rigid and literal enforcement Of
every provision OF the Interstate Com
merce act. II Is either good law or o
bad law. II it is good law 1t should bs
obligatory on sill alike, the sneak thief
and the piokpocket as well as the law.
abiding citizen it should no longer be q
cover under which the former ply their
vocation undisturbed to the extreme do
triment OF the latter. II II is not good
law we believe In General Grants aphor-
ism, that the proper way to repeal o bad
law is to execute it, aud we would have
every provision of this law rigidly en-.
forced, to the end thht it might produce
its natural results, with view TO amend
ment or repeal.
If, therefore, were asked this eve
ming for concrete propositions embody-
ing the measures most likely to work an
important and desirable reform in the
railroad Eitaatiau would say: Delay,
1 al least toE = time, the prescott too rapid
tendency toward capitalization OF aon-
solidstion by repeating the features Of
the Interstate Commerce act which are
precipita,ing events in that direction. II
the anti-pooling provisions of the act
may not be wholly repealed, let them, Of
least, be so modified that contracts made
among railroads, subject TO the approval
of the Interstate Commerce Commission,
for the division OF competitive trsftio az
reasonable rates, MAJ be binding In law.
! Then, more aud most OF all, encourage
and facilitate any movement among
those Interested which will tend to raiBe
the standard of commercial morality Ia
railroad circles, aud be- assured nothing
| will tend more directly and Immediately
to that result thsn the organization Of
the railroads into some public and reeog-
nizad Clearing House systam through
which the traffic management Of the
country csn be taken out Of the hands of
irresponsible aubordinates who now 40
vilely abuse it and restored to those who
should be responsible, in fact AZ we'll az
in name, for the companies of which they
are the heads.
This hold to be the work of to. day.
That the material and scientific develop
ment which is hurryipg us forward 20.
ward greater Capitalization can be para
lyzsd or set at naught by act of Congress
do not for an instant Believe But it il
not wise to look too far into the future,
for it is the unexpected which is apt to
OCCUR. The work of the present Is clenr,
and it is enough; aud the work of the
present shculd, in my Judgment, be to
retard rather than TO accelsra.s the ten.
denotes TO WHOM I have referred on the
ons hand, and to create higher stand,
ard If railroad honor through organiza.
ton and individual responsibility on tue
other. The law and the influences nov
At work ere doing neither the one nor the
other.
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