The morning call., 1892-10-07

The United States Circuit Court of New
York has granted a restraining order against
discrimination In railroad rates practiced by
the Southern Pacific Company. With the
cooperation of the Texas and Pacific, rates
from Europe to Western points have been
given grossly and outrageously below the
rates accorded Eastern shippers who do not
need to cross the sea and therefore ought
to be accommodated with lower rates. But
the rule has prevailed that the farther off
you are the better are you accommodated
by great railroads which have been built up
and owe their being to Government gener-
osity. Under the system the European has
been favored. restraining order has now
been granted against these special rates
faYOring European commerce against Amer
can. The Southern Pacific hints that it is
compelled 10 take low rates from abroad in
order to sustain traffic This is a lame eX-
cuse Why is it compelled? Why has 1t so
many irons in the fire? Why should all
those irons be in the fire at the expense Of
San Francisco and California? Why should
It engage in ocean commerce at all directly?
TIE whole story about the Southern Pacific
is that il is too universal.
The trial of Hattie Graham has resulted
as most people of average citizen sense saw
it would. She has been acquitted. The
reasoning why is much more involved than
the straight process of logic with which
jury concerns itself. Juries are always to
be pitied. Why every man who follows the
calling Of a grocer, blacksmith. car
penteT, a Shoeblack does not first become
lawyer or physician, State Senator or
Congressman In order to get himself ex-
cused from the torments Of jury service, is
question which may be left to the ventral
region of every mans conscience. The
staring fact about this case is that murder
OF prevalent practice was committed The
chief criminal, according to accusation has
escaped from the clutches OF the law, il the
law has any clutches. One woman, asso-
clated with the chief criminal, is now ac-
quilted. The other woman can hardly be
convicted of anything Bail gudgeonism
gave the chief criminal his liberty. Why
should the scOundrel have had liberty at
all? Meanwhile a woman is dead-mur-
dered. Let the people of San Francisco
reflect on this phase OF social life and The
infamous anger of crime who minister
to 1t. There are numerous examples.
TenDyson's death will raise a fierce COM
motion among the literary circles of Britain
as to his successor. 1t is only a question of
the laureateship. which neither makes nor
mars poet ten years after his deaih bat
does contribute a halo of eclat to him dur
ing his life, especially among the nine
teDtbs of humanity who take things for
granted ana estimate poetry by the head
lines and cursory reviews of critics who
have conned a few stanzas at the commence
ment and end, and judge OF the rest out Of
a parched Imagination, possibly CALLED
to increase its interest. SwinbuTne should
get the honor if merit counts. But the
Queen, who acts on the recommendation of
the Prime Minister, who is Gladstone at
this moment, is believed to have personal
opinion about Swinburne, apart from
his poetry, and. perhaps, in assoca
tion with it, for the poet has
penned some calorific erotic verses and
somehow these are unforgivable in the
land of fogs. Gladst will hardly fall in
with Swinburne. There is William Morris,
another impossbility. Hardly another can
didate is in sight. Englishmen should there
fore grow up 10 the dignity. Grow up TO
the art of penpng a sonnet on the birth of
a royal baby or a tear-stained poem on the
loneliness Of a royal widow; song of re-
ioicing on the marriage OF a princess you
have met once in your life and handed her a
peach or accepted from her plum; a spirit
stirring theme at command on a subject of
politics, such as war or iniqnity you dis
agree with, but must celebrate in measured
hollowness. These are the rewards OF the
poet laureate for the scene-shifts of royal
smiles, and the wonder is that any man Of
brains or genius takes the post. The post
should be declared vacant Salary Is no
temptation.