Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-12
A few papers in cities directly Influenced b,

A few papers in cities directly influenced by
the Pennsylvania railroad have taken up the
cudgels for the Atkinson bill and repeat parrot
like. the railroads formula to the effect that
this is only freight measure OF childlike sim
plicity and innocence, surpassed in harmless
ness and inoffensiveness only by the road it.
self. which perverse and unprogressive WASH
ington brutality abuses" and ''persecu.es" To
those who know the real relations be tween the
capital and the corporation nothing could be
more iudicrous than to picture the city as the
tyrant and the railroad a suffering martyr
vitha fully developed halo. Nothing is recorded
In literature or history which can fairly be
compared with the roads complaint Of perse-
cution by the capital, unless it is the grieved
outcry Of the wolf in !Esop's fables, who, COM
ing down stream, met the lamb coming up
stream. and, seeking pretext to devour her,
charged her with muddying the water that
flowed under his lips. The road has never
been required to pay a cent for right of way in
the city, and the use of public reservation for
. station site was loaned to it In return for
these favors the road has disregarded the law,
and while engaged in law-breaking has injured
property and destroyed life. The people have
not stepped over the bounds of the law even in
retaliation. They have not fought fire with
FIRE. They have not illegally destroyed foot
of this railroads illegal tracks or even threat
ened such destruction. The track crossing
Pennsylvania avenue was torn up many years
ago, but that was used by the Baltimore and
Ohio alone. The people have prosecuted this
road only by appealing to the law for protec-
ton against it. The road has occupied streets
and reservations in a manner and for purposes
not warranted by its charter. 1t has converted
itself at times into public nuisance. 1t has
illegally interfered with domestic comfort,
with the instruction of youth in the schools,
with the worship of God in the churches. A
few of its victims have appealed to
the courts and after long and expensive
litigation have obtained judgments. At each
recovery Of inadequate reimbursement for
damage which it had illegally inflicted the
road has emitted a grievOus cry of persecution
1t has ignored the laws which limit its rate Of
speed within the city and has not fully obeyed
those which provide for guarding the grade
crossings. In the Golway case it killed man
with an engine running at several times the
legal rate of speed, End the conductor OF the
train at the ingues: testified that he was not
even aware of any law limiting speed In
other instances in its long list of killings and
nanglings the bloodshed has been attributable
to its violations of law. In some of these cases
in which 1t has Illegally destroyed life or prop
erty it has been sued or indicted. and again the
mournful lamentation of the abused corpora
ton has filed the air. 1t has used the str eets,
inexpensiyely but illegally. for freigh: and
storage purposes, and when indicted for the
nuisance OF the resulting obstructi m. it has
assumed once more the role Of the
prosecuted. 1t bought a little piece
OF property, of its chartered line, and in
violation Of the law attempted to reach this
property with tracks, illegally crossing and OBJ
structing the thoroughfare leading across the
Long Bridge, and when checked by citizens
and the Supreme Court Of the United States.
the sufferings of the road were akin to those of
the early Christian martyrs. Not content with
the public property of which the free use was
granted, 1t seized and occupied with side tracks
other property of the United States including
six small reservations to which the commits
sioner Of public grounds laid claim for the
United States, and for the occupation Of which
il has been indicted. Again the cry Of perse-
cution. and an appeal to Congress to protect it
from Uncle Sam, who has only asked for his
own Spending large sums OF money in other
cities TO save life by the removal Of grade cross
lngs, III mas not spent single cent since the
building Of it's line Tor that purpose here; and
when the people take advantage Of its applica-
cation to Congress for fayors to ask simple JUS
tice in requirements which will decrease man
slaughter and adorn the city. the air is at once
filed with the cry of persecution by unpro-
gressive Washington. 1t is the law and not
Washingt which has prosecuted the railroad.
and this persecution" the lot of all chronic and
persistent Law breakers, has been feeble and
inadequate in proportion to its deserts The
capital has been the victim Of .his corporation;
never its prosecutor. The lamb, having per
secuted the wolf, is threatened as in the fable
with the death penalty. For if Congress be-
slows privileges upon the road without touch
ing the grade-erossings evil, and thus perpet-
yates the surface tracks, the franchise granted
to the corporation will include unlimited right
70 murder
10 obtain Durer water Ia al Ieast