Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-10-12
he Daily Intelligencer.
LANCAsrER. OCTOBER IA. isss.
The Gniity should Be Punished.

The Lehieh Valley railway slaughter
@1oems to differ from the usual run of
toilroad accidents, not only In the num-
~ Of the killed and injured but in the
&nct that 1t was due, not to misconcep.ion
sof orders or failure Of machinery or lack
~ signaling, but simply TO the drunken.
1ees of the engine driver Of the rear
0Ain. There were two engines to this
train, which was on fan upgrade at the
time /; one or both of these engine drivers
inns to be clearly responsible for the
disaster evidently there was not an in
eolligent and careful outlook kept for the
danger signals, and safe conclusion is
that the engine crew or crews were
drunk. The responsibility for the acci.
dent however does not fall wholly
upon them, but must be shared by the
railroad authorities that permitted men
Ia such condition to man the trains.
Doubtless they were emergency crews.
The lagre demand for transportaI ion
facilities we suppose exhausted the com.
pADy's supply OF reliable men, and drunken
eugineers were put into service at just
She time that none but the most trust.
Worthy men should have been on duty;
for 1t is just when q railroad track is
crowded that the greatest care is called
for In running trains.
II there ever was disaster that called
Tor the exemplary punishment by the
criminal law Of those causing it, this is
the one. The man or men whose drunk.
enness is responsible for it are guilty Of
murder, and should suffer the penalty.
Our judges are fond of declaring that
drunkenness is no excuse for crime; and
now they have as good an opportunity as
ever can be offered them to defend their
doctrine. We do not think that it
- sound law to declare that q
drunken man is deliberately gull y
OF crime, and that therefore he
can be guilty of murder in the
hrst degree, the essence of which is de-
liberation but if any drunken man can
be guilty of such a crime it is the drunken
engine driver; and not less guilty is the
railroad superintendent who permits the
>drunkard to mount the engine.
It is possible that no one will suffer
Tor this last horrible crime. The
railroad officials, as usual, will have
too much Of the guilt upon their
shoulders to be willing that there should
be any exposure. They will be eager to
settle their damages privately and thrust
thu matter into obscurity as speedily as
possible. They control the Off GERS of
justice and paralyze its power. With all
the railroad disasters that happen daily
In this country, where are the criminal
trials that they have produced Not a
day or an hour passes without disaster
on the Iail the newspapers do not 10
cord one in thousand; mention is never
made of them unless coroner needs to
be called in. Railroad employees who tell
OF accidents lose their places at once /;
no more heinous offense is known to the
railroad superintendent.
The timo has come when the state
should take cognizance of the way that
railroads are managed. There should be
state department OF inspection and con
trol, to see that life is properly protected
The sharp application of the penalties OF
theCrlminal law are needed to secure due
protection. That offered by damages in
civil suits is wholly inadequate. The
damages are charged to the expense &C.
count, and the stockholders and the Gus
toners OF the road between them pay
them. What is needed is penalty taken
out Of the hide of the railroad officials
and only when we can get this will we be
reasonably protected.