Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1891-10-31
d COMMON SENSE VIEW.

No one deplores the recent sad railroad
accidents more than we do, and no one
has more strongly advocated the neces-
sary legisl alton to compel all corpora
ton authorities to provide the necessary
precautions for the safety of public life
and property. The people and employees
of public institutions are bound on their
part by the same laws to exercise due
care to avoid unnecessary danger and
the risk of accidents. Railroad men es-
pecialIy. should be always on the watch
and rather suffer the risk of every other
loss than the loss of life or limb. No
man is legally or morally justified in
going on duty when he is not in physical
condition to safely render his services,
and no railroad has u right to compel
him under any penalty, even of disfavor.
1t is the duty of public sentiment and
the influence of the press to expose any
criminal neglect in the management of
any public concern but the interests
and reputation of the city demand that a
public duty be not made a pretext for
venting individual spite or personal en-
nifty. The city of Martinsburg is too
big and promising and inviting to thus
appear before the world as a wayside
station that needs the perpetual booming
of the journalistic canon to attract the
notice of the conductor of its railroad
train to stop for belated country travel
er.
In airing personal grievances with q
vengeance it might as well be &C considered
that political influence has paraded long
n in a Of hn
bosses and that men have suffered polit-
icaily as well as physically by party pre-
judice that doomed the best of them to
take their walking papers, and excluded
experienced but unrecommended mater
ial to the advantage and preferment of
hooppole cutters who stood in better po-
litical grace.
Martinsburg advertises her population,
inducements and advantages on broader
principles and more liberal terms OF
pride, ambition and encouragement.
One interest can not fight the other with
out belittling the city. The public evil
dences of unity and good will are essen
tial to commercial and industrial pro-
gress. The lessons of experience should
bring truth home to the men at the head
of public affairs. and they should at once
rid the future outlook of that petty fight
and partlality for patronage that has
wrecked all former public enterprises.
The men who are enterprising for the
honor of position or the self-interest of
themselves or friends are the ones whose
lightweight was drag in the past and
who hadn't money interest enough in
the failures they met with to pay the
taxes on their defunct concerns.
Honest criticism is healthy where
fighting opposition is bIighting in its eff
fects. By the pluck and public spirit
and money backing of our leading bust
ness men, Martinsburg is advancing
more solidly than ever before in its his
tory. Keep it there by fair treatment
and prudent management Every citi-
zen of Martinsbnrg is interested in the
city's extension and the success of its
business enterprises and manufacturing
industries. The people are better off in
dependent of the railroad than Deepen
dent upon it. and have been told so by
the highest officials. Then the duty Of
newspaper and individual is to work for
diversified industries-to keep all we
have and get all we can, without use
lessly opposing any.