Oakes weekly Republican. (Oakes, Dickey County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1898, 1891-09-04

SAAS
movement toward consolidation is in
the interest not only of railroad prop
perty, but of the popular demand for
the lowest possible rates OF transpor-
tation. Wisely enough, Mr.. Hunting
ton goes back to the beginning of the
railroad industry, says the st. Paul
Dispatch, and recites in brief the his
tory Of the New York Central & Hud-
son River railroad. telling OF its early
existence, in thetragmentary form as
the Albany e. Schnectady, the Utica
& Syracuse, the Syracuse & Auburn,
the Auburn & Rochester, the Roches-
ter & Buffalo railroads, all of which
were connected in a continuous line OF
track. The success of the movement
in that case it was which set on foot
the movement in railroad circles to
give the people better service and to
better protect the capital invested. 1t
IS not surprising that in this direction
the solution of the problem of mini.
mum cost and maximum benefit has
presented itself, or that, as Mr. Hunt
ington points out, this line ofimprove-
ment has come to be regarded as the
natural one which constantly goes
forward and never takes step back
ward. No one ever yet heard OF O.
proposal to increase the efficiency OF
railroad service or to lower the cost
OF transportation by dividing up an
existing system into fragments.
There is always before railroad mems
eyes the dread Unpopular interference,
and rightfully so. While tine early op.
erations OF such men as Fisk and
Gould, Mr.. Huntington himself, and a
few others prominently identified with
railroad speculation and jobblng in
Wall street, and in Legislative bodies
has made excellent and intelligent peo-
pie profoundly distrustiul OF railroad
corporations, it is in every sense true
that the popular .clamor which has
been raised from time to time and the
efforts at railroad regulation which
have been in many cases, in
effect, nothing short OF a series
OF assaults on the moral law.
For full three years the Dispatch
steadily, at brief intervals, urged up.
on it's readers that the railroad law
enacted by the legislature of18S7 was
public robbery in disguise, while be.
ing at the same time destructive OF
certain fundamental personal and
property rights supposed to be guar
anteed by every written constitution,
state and federal. But the power and
influence which the authors of that
law welded, and the supposed univer-
salty OF the demand among the farm
ers for it's enactment, blinded even
our supreme court to it's true charac-
ter. So, too, at intervals has it come
to pass that, through such legislation,
industrial progress has been put back
for years, and farmers and railroad
men alike have suffered permanently
in consequence.
1t is in spite OF the Huntingons and
the rest OF them that this movement
toward consolidation progresses. In.
deed, it may be said that the most
rampant OF grangers has been g. bene-
ticent force, operating in this line, COM
paratively with the influence exerted
by the railroad wreckers and public
corruptlonists OF the past. Today the
railroads OF the country are, as rule,
operated by men OF great intellectual
resource, who in any event, would
surely rise to the eminence OF some
great public usefulness. There are
many OF the earlier growth still left.
But while the Southwest, forinstance,
is cured by the sway of q Gould, the
Northwest is blessed by the admins.
trative genius and truly philantnropic
influence OF such railroad chlettains as
James J. Hill and Henry Willard.
1t is the dishonesty ofshippers quite
as much as the rapacity OF railroad
sharks which has made this movement
for consolation so powerful. Perhaps,
indeed, it may be said with truth that
it is readiness of the patrons OF rail
roads not only to avail themselves OF
the dishonest practices OF the past,
but to render such practices indispen.
sable on the part OF every official who
wished to get his share OF the business,
which has been the most potent agent
for the accomplishment OF all real
railroad reform which has taken place.
Let us hope, however, the upright rail
road administrators OF the country
may be able, through consolidation,
as we'll as through the other factors
which are constantly entering into the
solution of this great question. soon
to extend and perfect the movement
toward cheaper and better railroad
transportation until no reasonable
man can be found who will give ear to
the complaints of the fools, knayes
and enthusiasts whose outcries have
hpan heard an 1oro O II oxyor tbo lo,l