The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-05-08
The confIIct b PennsyIvanIa.


men. This fact shows to how great an
extent business has become politics. and
private matters. if Of sufficient magbi-
tude. become public matters and ques-
tions Of state poliry.
Mr.. Carnegie wants two railroad sys-
tens in Pennsylvania. Tbs Pennsylva-
MIA Railroad Company demands that
there shall be only one Mr. Carnegie
and the vanderbilts attempt 20 buiId
road through Southern Pennsylvania
The Pennsylvania Railroad Company viz
tually tears it up. as the Chinese manda-
rians tear up the rad in China, except
that the former uses money, instead of
pickaxss, in the process.
Mr.. Carnegie wants freighis within
Pennsylvanis 50 low that the furnaces in
Eastern Pennsylvania can continue %
make pig iron against the competition Of
those in Alabama. The Pennsylvania
Railroad Company thinks that By getting
high rates on its traffic within the State,
Of which it has a monopoly. and also the
low rates on which it can aid in bringing
southern pig iron to Pitsburg and Pail
adelpAia, It can make more money than
by accepting low rates on both Il even
thinks IL more profitable. 20 its stoekhcld-
ers, to spend part Of their money in
heading off a proposed rival road, than
to have the two roads. Both look at the
subject correctly, in the sense Of imme-
diate interest, from their respective stand
points.
Mr.. Carnegie would not buiid a road
except a. part Of a thorough system, and
in connection with the Vanderbilts. The
Vanderbilts had not quite the nerve to
consider what effect on their properties
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company
might exert, if they should undertake 10
carry through freights gratis. - Gar IN
the tight. the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company has held the whip hand. u Is
not within the purview Of the Interstate
Commerce act since its route lies wholly
in one State The Pennsylvania Com
pany. which runs, on leases, its various
routes west Of Pittsburgh. is a wholly diff
ferent corporation consisting Of essentially
the same men. Il Is an Interstate road
in fact, but il isn't in law. The View
York Central IS in much the same plight
but its monopoly Of its local freight rates
Il less complete, owing 70 the Erie Canal.
and to the fact that New York Is not
Pennsylvania, in railroad matters.
Hence the threat BY the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company 70 demOlish the New
York Central's through business, if the
Vanderbilts should interfere with its To-
cal business. was effective. The Wander
blts withdrew from the fight, dragging
Mr. Carnegie Off with them.
Vow he appeals to the Legislature to
give him, by law, the low rates he sought
TO obtain by. competition. He shows that
the State Is threatened with decadence IN
each Of its three sections-Elstern, Mid
die and Western-unless it shall enact
such law as viii prevent the Pennsyl-
vania Railroad Company from sacrificing
the local business Of its customers, in its
effort to grasp distant business through
low rates, while it holds local business at
high rates through its monopoly. This
is like those fights between the barons in
the seventeenth century. through which
the right Of the commons emerged into
being
Baron Carnegie is right valiant suc-
cessOr Of the Bruces, the Wallaces and
the Warwieks. His scimeter is as keen
as theirs, il flashes as quickly on provo
cation, and his retainers are as numer-
GUS
On the other hand, the Pennsylvania
Railroad Company i redoubtable old
fortress. over whose drawbridge more Of
the warriors that assail il have passed a.
prisoners than as eonquerer.
In such a conflict will everything de-
pend upon guns, OF viii something de-
pend on the common conscience Of the
people2 The abuses Of the Pennsyiva-
MIA Railroad Company's management
have constituted a chief motive in the
minds Of the people Of the various States
for the Indignation against railway man
agement generally which have found na-
tiOnal vent in the enactment Of that very
Interstate Commerce set. from whose
control the Pennsylvania Bulr0ad Com
pany Is Of all the trunk lines, the most
nearly exempt It is ike the notorious
"worst boy in school in bring
ing punishment on its neighbors and
lucky in escaping itself The aggrava-
tions growing cut Of Us monopoly have
tinsed even national legislation with So
eialistic remedies and theories.
There IS feeling on the part Of many
that this arises from the too close ami ar
feetionate guariing, by the Harrisburg
Legislature. Of It's monopoly This feel
ing finds EXPRESSION in the story. told
while Thomas 4 Scott was its president.
that the standing formula by w hich the
Legislature adjourned Was IF Tom scott
has no further business requiring atten-
ton before tins body it will now all
journ.7 is a healthy sign when An
drew Carnegie talks business to the Leg
isiature Of Pennsylvania.