Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-07-13

among The people aEhnss sn.h s'Hnut /
Prejudice Is sometime lu-' anu sol me
Just. its origin 4 with the maladministra-
! tiou ~ these properties. And their
| owner. and managers must learn the les
| son thaf tbcy must obey the law. act
! honestly, and treat others respectfully
before they can escape the bad effect
Of that public prejudice which ihsir own
The railroads have been wonderful
ngenrr In prom8ting the prosperity,
growth and wealth Of the country. and
! Ia the advancement Of its civilization.
And there can be no reason why there
should be prejudice against them u they
were properly managed Ana DO hot
believe there would be.
The railroad corporations sometimes
Justly complain Of excessive verdicts Of
jnries against them. II the railroad com
uanies wonld deal justly with the people
by promptly and fairly settling with them
for properly injured or destroyed, IN
stead OF attempting TO deter them. as the
officers Of some VI the roads do, from ap-
penling 10 the courts to secure damages
for such injuries. and instead of vexing
them with prolonged and expensive htira-
ton for the purpose Of making them
afraid 10 sue. we should no doubt hear
less Of excessive claims for damages and
OF excessive yeriicis OF 1nries. Rail-
roads properly managed are blessing to
the people. and they know 1t; and, when
go conducted all their sympathies would
be with the roads When dishonesty
managed or when their officers act aI'bi-
trarily aud unjustly with them they resent
II. This il human nature. People gen
orally have not yet reached the sublime
height Of loving their enemies, especially
II their enemies have the power and will
10 Cypress them They would no doubt
do good for good done them. but they
are not likely to do good for evil done
them. Railroad officers like other peO-
pie should understand that they must be
just If they would secure justice at the
hands Of others
Subordinate officers and clerks of rail-
road corporations, in very many cases,
by their discourteous and offensive COLI
duct towards citizens seeking Informs
tlOn. do much to create prejudice against
the roads they serve.
am persuaded that, If the arrange
ments OF rates and charges and the
practical management Of the railroads
could he dcyOlyed On the owners of the
property, instead Of being entrusted to
q class Of men having but little or no
interest IN the property Of the roads,
there would be much less Of conflict be-
tween the roads and their patrons than
there Is now. Because the owners Of the
property would be Interested In the devel-
and enterprises along the lines Of their
roads as the best means Of increasing
their business and revenues.
While many traffic managers and
freight agents direct their policy to OBJ
tanning all the business aud revenue pos
slble for the current year, In 81 doing
they often cripple or destroy industries
and enterprises along the lines Of their
roads, by the exoction Of such rates rs
10 prevent production. Their character
as railroad mon and their chances Of pro-
motion they may think depend ON the
amount of earnings for their roads each
year. And they have less reason to look
to the future welfare of the corporations
they serve than the owners VI The prop
cry have, and less reason 10 look to the
future than TO the present az Il means of
securing higher salaries or promotion.
!. ! will call attention to one 9TH
er feature Of the management Of rail
lie; aud upon which | think there should
be restrictive legislation. | allude to the
allowance of free passes.
On TINS subject l cannot perhaps do
better than 10 quote from pages XNNI
10 NNNlll Of the annual report of the
railron1 commission of Texas for the
year 1892.
One OF the evils connected with the
railroad service of this state Is the al
lowancc by them of free passes 10 per
sons carried by them
"On this subject we quote with APPROX
al from the first annual report of tn. in
tcsiaic commerce commission as fol |
lows
=" The evils of free transportation of |
persons We're not less conspicuous than |
those which have beel mentioned. This, |
where II extended beyond the persons |
cngngcd in railroad service, was com |
monty tlyuriiism In most unjust and |
saNft q ~.
given not only to secure business but 10 |
oQncilinte the favor of localities and |
Of public bodies; and while il was Of |
ten demanded by persons who had, or |
clllm 10 have influence, which was ca |
Ilhie OF bong made use of to the preju- |
dicos of tue railroads, Il was also ac- |
ccptod 10y public officers Of all grades |
and Of all varieties of service. In these |
last cases th, pass system was particular |
~ obnoxious and bancful. for ii any re- |
turn was 10 be made or was expected of |
public officers. it was of something which |
was not theirs to give, but which belong |
ed TO the public or to constituents. A |
ticket emitting one TO free passage By |
rail was often more effective IN enlisting !
lhe assistance AMI support Of the holder |
than It's value In money would have been,
ana m great many cases II would he |
received and availed Of when the offer |
OF money. made 10 accomplish the same |
bride, Much suspicion of public men
brlhe. Much slisplsiOu Of public mon
resulted, which was sometimes Just, but |
also sometimes unjust and cruel: and |
some deterioration of the moral. sense |
ct the community uaceablc TO this cause |
was unavoidable while the abuse CON
uhued, The parties most frequently and |
most largely favored we're those posses
sing large means and having large bust |
ness interests
''rhe general fact came TO be that in