The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1893-10-26
THE CURTAIN RISES.
what the New Vanderbilt Coal Deal
Means.

The Star recently commented upon the
management Of the Reading Railway Com
pany as the falling of the curtain" 1t was
the final scene in a drama deeply concerning
the honor and welfare Of Philadelphia, the
passing away Of great system, the consum.
nation Of the deadliest assault ever made
upon the material interests Of the city and
state
The curtain rises. We now see what we
anticipated, that the assault upon Reading
was upon the Commonwealth, and that the
men who broke it down under the pretext
that it was monopoly" "crushing the
poor" have now re.established it. The
Reading system meant the greatest good to
Philadelphia That is over and done
The features of the Mcleod management
which excited so much criticism at the time
are repeated and intensified in this new deal.
The one difference is that the plans Of
Mcleod contemplated the good of Philadel-
phia. Now everything goes to New York.
The control of the coal trade passes into
the hands Of tho Nanderbilt9. The New York
World anticipates as a result Of this the ad
vance Of coal to seven dollars per ton But
there is no reason why it should not be raised
to ten dollars. The Vandorbilts' way of
handling railway is to add eighty per cent.
to its capital This was done with the Cen
| tral. Every bushel Of wheat coming from the
West bears a burden which might with his
torical accuracy he called the vanderbilt
bread tax" 1t has been paid for twenty
years. 1t will be paid for all the time. After
the bread tax why not the Vanderbilt coal
tax2" One New York Journal already an.
nounces the doubling of the capital of the
| Delaware and Lackawanna. If bread was
taxed to meet theadditions to the New York
Central capital, coal must bear the new bur
den We should be content to know that
we may escape with $40 a ton.
We note various things in connection with
this new deal.
In the first place it is accepted with COM
pacency by the New York press. When the
Reading threatened a trunk line from Phila-
delphia to the West its management was
anonymous with highway robbery. Only a
pirate would think Of such an enormity
|
| @Napoleonic," "stroke of genius" "wonder-
full forethought' - nerve" and so on. It helps
New York And New York, believing in
herself accepts as her bounden right what.
ever contributes to her again. What would
be piracy in Philadelphia becomes public
spirit ia New York.
In the second place, we bear of no law
suits springiug 1p along the line to divert it.
revenues into the pockets Of lawyers Of
masters and receivers basking in iudicia
favor. No iniunctions in tho weird, mys
terious name Of Gummere pronounced az
Jersey Judges sitting in chambers and de
Gliding vast interests upon ex parte state
ments. There will be no such scan5a ais
The Vanderbilss are as a rule free FROM thi
inhiction.
Likewise, it will be noted that the Goa
trade Of this state, which was developed b.
the enterprise and capital of Philadelphia
passes irrevocably to New York. Time viii
show the magnitude Of this loss. The Van
derbilts are not to blame for seizing the trade
We threw it at their feet.
When the Reading succumbed to the mos
( unscrupulous financial combination eve
e formed to rob great property, our hope wa
that those who robbed it would be aonten
with their pickings and stsaliugs, and tina
what was left when they were through woul
: pass under the control of the Pennsylvania
If not a competing line, it would have re
y 1t is for every reason to lie regretted that tn
o Pennsylvania people did not sec their way t
! this combination. The public spirit of tina
q corporation and its Identification with tn
a interests of the state would have been a
assurance Of good management in the Read
ing, and care for the special interests of tn
city. 1t would have been a control respons
: BILE to the Commonwealth. Now it passC
p. into a control irresponsible, selfish, dominan
e caring only for the interests of New York
r. Many reflections, sad enough in their wa!
i are suggested by this turn in affairs. Phili
u delphia suffers an irreparable loss, and fl
this Philadelphians are largely to blame.
is not pleasant to say this, but it is true. Hi
.e tory will show it in cold, revolving detail. "
y had the chance. Through jealousy, or bus
d ness rivalry, or from some petty cause "
!. threw it away.
"a These inpatient rapacious and unrestrictt
.g combinations rapidly advance the time whC
the Government must intervene. There is
graver question than this of the railway
There is no problem more menacing than til
y control by merciless corporations of cur lig
.. and fire, our bread and means Of trans
Va People are weary of systems built up by the
ly bounty and devoted to the manufacturing
D. millionaires; of systems so managed tn
every year as many lives are given over
cruel death as were lost in the battle of GC
IN tysburg.
Of We can never cease to regret the series
It, events which have wantonly robbed Phil
ST. delphia of what was her own. There may
IL a blessing in that some day, if itawakens t
re public conscience to the faults of the railw
systems, and compels the reforms which W
mako them the servants and not the mast'
m of the people.
al II, 7, KEPESER,