Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-06
The railroad a. . common carrier 10 one Of

The railroad a. . common carrier 10 one Of
The powerful agents Of modern civilization.
For value received 1t develops and builds MP
cities and states. In this capacity it is entitled
10 receive and does receive from the public
admiration, respect and support When the
railroad departs from the lines of its business
- common carrier, and mixes in politics,
nominstes and elects local and national legis-
lstors, bargains for places ON legislative COM
mittees. hires q lobby and the silence or sup
port OF newspapers, and essays to govern, and
to govern selfshly, for the increase of its
private gain and the injury Of the public, then
1t assumes . new role in which q different
judgment 10 passed upon IL by the people.
The credit which IL deserves - common
carrier does not avail 70 Justify
is encroachments as q manipulation Of politics.
Not content to be Q useful and valuable public
servant, il usurps the authority Of master Of
the public. As common carrier 1t would gain
and hold public confidence and support BY the
excellence of its service, by obedience to the
Law, and BY liberal Improvements for the pro-
lection Of life and property. As the pubiics
master il dlsregsrds the law. appropriates pub
lie property. makes no effort to save life and
femove trade distractions along its line. and
saves itself from the legal consequences Of
illegal sets and from the necessity of expendi-
lures in public improvements by manipulating
to its will the peoples legislatures. Washing
ton needs railroad carriers, not railroad rulers.
It wants all the railroads that it can get,
and it wants to see them supplied with the
means Of furnishing the best possible passenger
and freight facilities. II il not necessary in
order 10 have railroads TO permit them to
break the law at pleasure, 70 turn over to them
Internationally the freedom Of the city, ana
TO give them power of life and death over the
Inhabitants. The modern tendency in cities is
to insist upon individual rights against the cor
porate aggression, at least in matters in which
human life 10 concerned, and tho move
ment against steam railroad grade-cross-
ings ia widespread. No city has profted
more largely through railroads than Chicago.
They have made it great. But Chicago now
perceives. from the record Of slaughter at its
grade-crossings, that the tracks Of its useful
servants should not within the city limits be on
grade. And it struggles for this improve
ment IL does not seek to Danish the railroads,
but TO render their presence reasonably safe
and to reduce as much as possible the ugly feat
ures of their occupation The case Is the
same with Washington today. Here, however,
the benefits bestowed by the railroads have
been smaller, the gratuitous privileges granted
by the city have been larger in proportion, and
adecision of the eountry's highest legal tribunal
has pronounced illegal every diversion by the
roads from thoir main course through the city.
The situation is almost equivalent to the es-
Enlistment Of new lines of road, from which
concessions by way of compensation may
naturally and reasonably be eIacted. The
people ask that in pardoning past offenses of
the road and in rendering adequate its passen-
ger and freight facilities, Congress will also
take advantage Of the opportunity to protect
life, remove an obstruction to trade, and in
crease the astractiveness Of the city.