The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1889-08-02
RAILWAYS AND THE PRIZE FIGHT.

4 We have been curious to Sc
k. what writers and thinkers who'll
,e devoted TO railway interests, an
- looking at the matters from thel
q particular point Of view, woul
>. have to say upon the act Of III
/. Northeastern Railroad in adm
II and abeltinS the recent unlawlll
q invasion of Tie State of Mississippi
I by horde of prize fighters. Tn,
, plea, asst was reported, which Wa!
, urged by The railroad, that being {
common carrier it could not pro
perly refuse any business offered
and had no right to question the
moral character of its customers,
may seem proper enough to those
whose morality is purely CONNER
cial commodity. There are con
siderationS, however, that are not
so easily satisfied. There are rail
way men who are not so blinded
by personal or professional inter
est but that they can see the rights
and wrongs Of acts, and as a repre-
sentative of this class we find the
New York Railroad Gazette. 1t
expresses itself very strongly
against he plea Of the Northeast
ern in the premises, and we print il
al some length as a timely express.
ion upon an important subject.
Says The Gazette:
A superintendent or general pas,
senger agent who has d burning de-
sire for business, and does not par
ticularly object to prize fights, pro-
badly has little difficulty in any
case in adapting his theory TO his
practice. AS ID common carrier he
must transport all persons who
apply and tender payment to re-
fuse them he would lay himself
Ii able to prosecutions; TO inquire
closely concerning passengers bus.
mess or motives would be imperti.
nent and ulWarranted. On The {
lther hand, one who clearly saw {
he disgrace involved in dealings
With plug ugIies and gamblers, and \
Who was desir0us of frustrating
heir plans as much as possible, 5
ven al the expense of some reve- a
'ue Chat would be lost), could |
doubtless readily find WAYS TO put |
rs wishes into effect. 1t is said j
hat the officers of the law, when d
hey asked for a special train TO h
ursue the criminals, were mel v
nth the statement that the equip e
lent was all engaged. Il
The railroad officer who made
his plea could no doubt have
ranged without much trouble 10 Il
lake The same excuse TO The law. C,
reakers. In deciding on the right Il
illness of one or the other of the II
yo courses above outlined a Judge a
Tten has TO be guided substantial "
by the standard of the Dutch n
lstice, who settled The melon q
callers case by telling him lin The h
Dsence of conclusive evidence, IA
decide that you are guilty be. So
luse ii is so much like vCu." I'll
Owever much we may laugh at OF
Ie crudity of the law in this case, III
e must all admit that the princi- "'
e generally further the ends OF 10
stiCe. As for railroads, the Mis- M
SSippl case is Onlya pronounced Sc
,ample Of n very common state ar
affairs. HOrse-racing tracks of W
e vileSt character are encouraged ly
Indirectly, it may be) in more
an one case by railroads nomin-
Iy law-abiding. Sunday excur- IA
ms patrOnized chiefly by roughs nc
no conduct baseball games of a ~,
aracter condemned by all decent =,
ople are morally The same as I'll
ize fights in kind though not in
gree. While as an agent of an he
personal corporation, and as IA ed
putable citizen a man may claim ca
be actuated by contrary theories, lie
is pretty contempbIs business an
HIM not 10 let it be clearly re
own which OF The theories he wi
'uld prefer 10 follow; and all ste
urt decisions of The higher class th'
'tually demand This standard of arr
nduct. What is the United
ales regulation requiring rail
ads not 10 transport empty casks De
which are uncanceled revenue mr.
-mps, but requirement that of. =,
ers and agents actively support -,
government IN repreSsing lul
uds upon the revenue? Why FRI
so many roads instruct conduc- oil
: 10 suppress gambling on trains?
nply because il is necessary in
Ter 10 meet The sentiment of The Ca
pectable passengers. 1t would to,
easy 10 take the opposition and ~
: that evidence TO convict could oe
he obtained, but IT is recoguiz- So'
that that would not pay. Rail- mi
IDS should not be consistent. ba,
-----
dR- GEO. z. BRANDT, a prominent :
reliant of Pass Christian and D.