The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1889-06-14

1 lN al kti1 AtAHIA NAS J'St
before the flood struck the building oceu-
pied as the office. Our readers know the
rest and can, better than we, perhaps, fill
out this incomplete chapter.
Outside of the dreadful disaster to life
and limb at ~Johnstown, there is 10 loss by
corporation. company or combination OF
capitalists at all comparable to that sus-
tanned by the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany in its line through this part of the
stricken country, a loss that will run into
the millions of dollars, and requires the
best directed and most intelligent effort of
able minds to make good.
And yet, who pities the railroad? by
which, Of course, we mean the financial
hackers and stockholders of the road).
Who has 4 word of sympathy to give-to
waste perhaps it wonld be teFmed-to a
class of men who, in the material line of
work touch shoulder to shoulder the whole
American people and are the greatest civil
izers of this 10Th century.
Who gives pause to the reflection that if
railroads and corporations have no souls,
individual stockholders at least have, and,
as has been proved time and time again,
very large ones, too, and that they, quite
as much as others on whom we waste II
sympathy in an nndiscrim&ating way, are
entitled to the large consideration and
generous fellowship of the public.
In short. who pities the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company in lis recent immense
losses, and how mueh2 Do We hear of a
theatrical company here Of elsewhere bill
ing a play for their benefit? Do We hear
of i public call being made anywhere to
devise ways and means fer their relief?
Does anybody. o. aggregation OF bodies.
propose to share with them a part Of the
burden, and help lift from their shoulders
a 1.-THE Of the several million dollars loss?
We hardly imagine so, but already hear
some asking in a earping, waspish way.
'.What are the railroads at Johnstown do
ing to help the sufferers there?" "What
is the railroad doing for the publie?" and
ttN ihF 4hAS, CFtA4 lOSolAAiSS4S oip I'LL
worthy words for an honest man to give
utterance to. When did the railroads ever
do less than help the people in times like
these?9 What did they do in the case of
the time of the epidemic north? What
when the flies and locusts and drought de-
voured the people west? And what they
did then will furnish the best answer to
what they will do now to help relieve the
Affections of their fellow sufferers at the
east.
VIII is expected to move first in a col
losal charity like that at Johnstown?' Why
the railroads, of course. Who receives
less thanks? None. Who gives free and
unlimited travel over their roads to digni-
taries of almost every shade, national,
state and local, to editors, legislators, rail-
road attorneys, railroad directors, retired
and ex-conductors Of railroads and their
families, founders Of small settlements,
owners Of factory and mill sites along the
line, mail carriers, news boys, stage and
omnibus proprietors, and others we do not
now recall? Why the railroad, as every
body knows. And who is sometimes re-
garded by this horde Of national, state and
local dignitaries, editors, Legislators, ct. al,
as well as the general public, as sordid,
mercenary, close and graspine? Why
the railroad, certainly.
But it expects pay for it in return, :"
says Ills Innocency. Yes, and no. News
paper publishers are expected to pay in
advertising, and perhaps others are in
one way or another, bnt the great bulk pay
absolutely nothing and expect to pay moth
ing. But prithec, what is there wrong in
expecting an equivalent for value received
by railroad corporations as well as others?
Do you, captious reader, place your money
in a stock company or individual enter
prise as a mere matter of sport, or, better
still, as a public or private charity? We
hardly think SO, but rather imagine you
put it there TO realize from it every dollar
possible, and perhaps q little more.
Who or what ever gives the railroad
anything? ''Oh, no." | imagine you re-
tort, chow about the government subsidies
and the IMMIGRANTS west?' Well, the
former never amounted to much, as a help
to railroads, and the government expected
and took great pains to get back dollar for
dollar for every cent contributed in that
way, and as for the land-grants west there
hasn't been a day since the establishment
of tins government that Congress has not
stood ready to grant the same lands, free
gratis and for nothing, to any scalawag of
a settler who would pre-empti it by a squat
ter settlement.
No. no; the grandest c~ivilizer and eman-
eipator of this 10Th century, the railroads,
ask no gratuities and pay roundly for ev-
erything they get, while at the same time
dispensing favors right and left with a
lavish hand. The railroad corporation is
not the party to get something for nothing,
whatever other corporations may do. Is a
man, woman or child run over and kill
ed or manned on the line; if q horse, or
COW is killed while on the track, the whole
power of the community where happening