St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-31
THE RAILROAD PROBLEM.
Mr.. Robinson Discusses 1t at Some
Length.

Mr.. Robinson Discusses 1t at Some
Length.
To the Editor of the Globe.
Dear Sir: am sorry that my atten-
ton was not sooner called to the vari-
Gus articles in your paper of Sunday
last in regard to the second edition Of
my pamphlet, sour Railroads" l read
the articles for the first time yeSter-
day, and have been unable to find
time to reply to them until to-day.
In brief, 1 find that all the articles,
occupying some two columns, are an
elaboration of the statement that the au-
thor of the pamphlet wiz. MYSELF is a
liar; mo ordinary liar" as you say.
This might nave been stated in smaller
compass. But do not write to quarrel
with the GLOBE, or with your editorial
writer tor the candor with which his
views are expressed. L have seen
enough of human nature and of daily
Journalism to know that the practice of
disposng of facts and figures which
one does not like and has no means of
continuing by simply assuming that the
person who advances them is lying is a
common one; and, further, that it is not
necessarily intended to convey personal
discOurtesy to the one referred to. Your
editorial writer, meeting the author of
the pamphlet on the street or in his
club, would not, | sure, dream of call
ing him a liar. The expression, when
used editorially, simply means Tor let US
assume that it only means) that the
writer disagrees with the facts pre-
scented to him. and has no immediate
means of committing them; it is the
practice Of the old maxim, familiar in
courts of law, when you have no case
abuse the opposing counsel"
But it hardly seems TO me an adequate
way of disposing of a question OF the
greatest public interest.
The facts set forth in the pamphlet in
question are simply these: L. That of
the Western railroads only one COM
pany in six is at present earning any re-
turn upon its capital Investment. 2.
That during the last year railroad Sc
curIties in this country, with a face
value of something more than three
billions of dollars, were absolutely I'M
productive of revenue. 3. That under
the conditions the prospect is that in
the language Of A. f. Walker-"R Rail-
road managers will soon be chiefly re-
ceivers," the only alternative being az
vast consultations, or trusts" of the
railroad properties, which the people
certainly do not desire. 5. That these
conditions are chiefly the result of hos
tile legislation. and that (6) they are
working very serious hardShips to the
holders of railroad securities (whom the
public does not care about, and also TO
the railroad employees (whom the public
ought to care about, as we'll as Interior
ing with the ability of the companies to
criu
efficiency and safety which the public
ought to have.
The inference from the foregoing
showngs is that the present tendency
Of anti-railroad legislation in the West
ern states is, in the first place, unjust;
and in the second place, detrimental to
the public interests. These differences,
however, the author does not state. but
leaves to his readers to draw for them
selves.
Now, in setting forth these conditions
as above, the author Gas he has care
fully explained in the preface) uses no
figures and advances no theories OF his
own manufacture. ALI be has done is
to place before the public in easily ac-
cessible form the essential facts in the
various official reports of the national
and state commissioners. and of the
other recognized authorities on the rail
road question. He is not his own au-
thority. And all that your writer has
to say in reply to the facts as presented
to him is that these persons who
have arrived at them, viz: Judge
Cooley and the other members of the
interstate commerce commission, Prof.
Henry G. Adams. Prof. A. L. Hadley,
A. F. Walker, the compilerS of Poor's
Manual, the members of the state COM
missions of Iowa, Minnesota, Wlscon-
sin, Michigan, Kansas, Missouri, Ne
braska and both Dakotas. as we'll as the
officials of the British board of trade
and the railway commissioners of New
South Wales. Victoria, India, etc.,in adj
dition to the presidents and accounting
officers of half dozen railroads, and
together with handful or so of finan-
| cial writers of some reputation,
these men are all mo ordinary liars"
1t is most unfortunate for these men
| that they should hold opinions with
| which your editorial writer is at vari-
ance. But the results which they have
| reached are the results of long and pa
tient investigation, of a life study in
many cases. Is it not little harsh that
| your writer, because he, by intuition
| only and his instructive perception OF
| truth and falsehood, cannot agree with
| them, should condemn them all thus
sweepinglY? You have probably heard
| of the juror who, finding all the rest of
| the jury opposed to him, ''never saw
eleven more obstinate men i'll all his
life''? You have also heard, perhaps,
| of the gentleman, who, when the facts
| were against him, Opined that it was
$50 much the worse for the facts"?
Your editorial writer, perhaps. has
! heard Of them also. Both Of them as
serted the rights of the individual mi
nority magnificently. But [ do not
know when any one has rivaled the
superb comprehenslveness of the de-
nunciatiOn of your editorial writer,
since the famous indiscretion King
| David committed sin his haste" And
even that mitigation in this case is re-
moved, as it is to be presumed that the
editorial opinions OF the GLOBE are
| formulated only after mature and states
manlike elaboration.
But does it appear to you that this is
an adequate disposition to make of SO
large question? Is it not trifle sum-
mary? Would 1t not be better to in
vestigate aud see if there is not, per-
chance, some grain of truth in the con-
illusions at which all these high authOri-
ties have so unanimously arrived? A
very large question of the public wei
fare is at issue. Would it not be more
in consonance with the position of
the GLOBE as mOulder of pub
lie opinion if it were to in
quire for itself into the facts, and
recommend our Legislators to do the
same, that public opinion may be
moulded Alright, and that our laws may
be based on the truth and on eonsidera-
tions of public interest? Yours very
sincerely, HARRY P. ROBINSON.