Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-05-19

'-1----A ----H- = @'--a.a- = =
That Centre Pole.

n The conduct Of the street railway people
- what might be naturally expected from
kAeet Of Foreigners who have no interest
z1n the city save in the pennies they can
cet out Of it. No one knew these men
when they applied to the city for the ex-
E&3usive privilege of running cars upon
) ~ streets moved by electric power, as
|fn0 one knows them now but they got
1Nhat they asked for and got IL for moth
ing and now that they have the
. sprivilege II is no more than might be ex-
4 pected Of such people, with such interests
and inspirations, that they would under
Il take to seize upon more than was
2kranted them, and that they should
<yiolate the promises under which their
grant was obtained. They said that
thsre would be but three or four poles to
\ the square; and they put up dozen.
3 They talked Of iron poles and have pro-
tided hidcous wooden stumps. They
{ undertook to keep the rails level with
the street, but have not done a thing
StOward IL and now they seize upon the
sdead hours of the night to plaut
8 pole by the monument, where one
was never authorized to be put, claiming
shat IL was a necessity. Necessary or
not, 1t cannot be planted without the
permission Of the city, and the mayor
has given the fellows until noon to-day
70 take 1t down. They had the permis-
sion Of Chairman Cummings, of the
street committee, which is Of no more
account than that of Jim Jones. The
street committee has no authority to
oncunber the public streets nor can II
c0nstrue the ordinance which permits
poles TO be erected upon each side
'of the street, to authorize also their
erection anywhere else where they
may bs desired. II is wonder these
\ people did not ask the privilege of util-
1sing the monument itself as their Gen.
5tre pole. Perhaps soon we may hear
that they desire the Central market as
night storage house for their cars.
Some folks say this is public enter
\ prise, OF advantage to the city, which
should have nothing put in its way.
That is the fashion in which the
X Friends of monopolies are wont to talk.
they seize upon privileges and strike
down rights under the plea that they
= - es-s'&e ou iiiS Stcat WaNS vi BipkiNsS,
Q and that he who stays them lacks pub
\ 10 spirit. Such talk always should ex-
cite suspicion Of the self interest that is
&Apt to lie curled up behind II to prompt
He exudation of its virus. II often,
oubtiess, may be the honest talk of stu
rAdity, but it is oftener the interested
<aik Of capital.
There is In II something of truth. It
= true that public spirit welcomes im-
pc0vement; but II is also true that the
scustodlans of public powers have the
+ duty upon them not only TO distinguish
! True from false steps In progress, but to
ece that the true steps are properly taken.
Street railroads propelled by electricity
FOR instance may be good but it is not
good to grant them greater privileges
than are really necessary for their use I;
and especially is il the clear duty of the
city official to strictly coniine the grantee
Of every privilege, within the grant.
There is no safety to the people other
wise.