The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-07-20


dldates already named for positions of
trust and responsibility in this com
munity.
GAS we are not fatalstS in this coun-
try, and make our own laws, it is singu-
lar that the laws protecting human life
are not more stringent and effective.
Within the same week recently the aw-
full calamity of a wrecked train con-
sumed by fire, the torture OF man
entangled In an electric wire, the in
slant death of four persons at railroad
grade crossing, with numerous other
catastrophes of the same kind, were
recorded. All of them were easily
avoidable. Simple laws honestly en-
forced would have prevented untold
suffering and sorrow. The real fault is
not with the companies who own the
roads and wires, but with the public,
which does not insist that the price of
privileges TOR which such companies ask
is reasonably assured security of life
and limb. The electric light is very
servlceable, but there is no reason what
| ever that its use should be permitted
without ample safeguards and adequate
penalties for their violation. Not only
should the hideous Disagreement of
city and country by the monstrous poles
be forbidden, but the chances of hu-
man injury should be reduced to the
minimum by burying the wires. That
there is such law in this State, and
that it IS neglected and despised,
merely accuses the public not the COM
panies. They mean to spend as little
money as possible, and their principle
is that the public must look out for it.
self. If ii does not, so much the worse
for it.
"This is equally true of railroad man.
agement. Two things are as conclu
sively demonstrated by our railroad ex
perience as anything can be. One is
that cars can be heated without stoves,
and that stoves IN cars annually and
needlessly destroy scores and hundreds
of lives. The other is that crossings at
grades without gates or watchmen an
nually destroy as many more. In both
cases 1t is massacre absolutely without
excuse or extenuation. 1t is due wholly
to the greed of companies unrestrained
by the public. No company should be
suffered to operate a railroad upon
which in The event of accident passen-
gers are exposed to the certain peril of
stoves, and which are not compelled
either to lay their tracks under or over
highway, or to provide at every grade
crossing gates and guards, with the Sc
verest penalties of negligence. The
wanton recklessness of human life upon
the Long Branch Railroad is shown by
the fact that there is one passenger tram
at every point on the road every thir-
teen minutes upon the average. and
during the busy hours trains pass at in
tervals of five minutes only. 1t is stated
that nearly all the crossings are at
grade, and that only few of them are
guarded. The persons who were the
most recent victims had stopped for one
train, and then proceeding, were IN
statly crushed by the next.
at is astonishing that such events
should be tolerated month after month
in a civilized community. The newt
able risks of railroad travel are, of
course, many but the great multitude
of disasters are due to preventable
causes. The condition OF prevention is
larger expense upon the part of the
companies, an expense which expert
ence shows they will not usually incur
except upon compulsion. But to moth.
ing can legal compulsion be more wisely
applied than to the care of life upon
railroads. If by the law of averages the
number OF accidents by rail for the next
winter be forecast, it will be easy also
to calculate the percentage of horrible
suffering and slaughter which will be
occasioned by the car stoves, and
which could be wholly avoided. One
of the worst forms of pecuniary corrup-
ton is the buying of votes in Legisla-
lures by railroad corporations to defeat
wise laws compelling proper regard |
tor the safety of passengers. The Leg
islature and the community which en-
force the burying of electric wires, and |
either the abolition or the strict guard |
ing of grade crossings. will have accom-
plished an immense public service and |
removed monstrous public shame."