The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-22
DON'T FORGET PULLMAN.
Senator Sherman's Hint Good One
for Congress.
Iowa State Register.

Iowa State Register.
The present Pullman troubles should not
be allowed to pass without changing the
whole sleeping-car system, and as Senator
Sherman has pointed out in Washington
work. The present strike is largely sus-
tanned by public prejudice which exists
none i3tl'9 TO sneak n good word for that ex-
torting monopoly. Next to the Sugar
Trust, Senator Sherman said. the Pull
man monopoly is one of the most vicious
in the country. The grievance that the
public has against the strikers is that the
whole country has been made to suffer in
the Pullman company and few thousand
The grievance of the public against the
Pullman company is quite as serious.
Senator Sherman pointed out that the peo-
pie who ride in sleeping cars not only pay
extraordinary charges, but they are COM
PEELED to support the porters in addition.
And then there is a third charge The rail-
roads pay the Pullman company a cent
mile for every car they haul over their
lines. This in itself constitutes a fair earn
ing on the cars. This, while paid by the
railroads, comes ultimately out of the pub
lie. Senator Sherman is of the opinion that
have given better service and made money.
Think of the millions that have been ex-
torted from the public, and then no longer
Pullman company iii the controversy.
In addition to the eXtortionate charges
there has been an utter disregard for the
conveniences of the travelling public: The
berths little dusty boxes in which no
man can sleep with comfort or safety to
his health. These little boxes are piled up
one above another, and even If the upper
berth is unoccupied the company has in
sisted on lowering the shelf above yirtu-
ally coftining the sleeper, unless he was
willing TO pay another eXtortionate price.
In this way the Pullman company has
been aggravating the public until it is as
thoroughly aroused as the strikers at Pull
man.
man power? How have they been able
to refuse all reductions in rates during the
worlds fair? When the railroads reduced
rates more than One-half the Pullman
company increased its charges. II has
been done first by maintaining lobbyists in
every State legislature, The Pullman
company has had its paid lobbyists right
here in Des Moines during every Legisia-
ture; IN the second place it has hypno-
some OF the officials of the great railways
with stock, upon which il has been pay
ing great dividends. This. accounts for the
extraordinary devotion of the railways to
the Pullman monopoly in the present
strike.
The stock was distributed in the first
officials TO obtain the sleeping and dining
car monopolies. The railroads are not as
much concerned about the abstract right
of debating their own affairs as they have
been concerned about the stock in the
Pullman company that is held by various
railway potentate. The Pullman company
has been a sort of wheel within wheel
and that is why the public has been feecei
and outraged. IL is ike the side show that
travels with the big circus and is allowed
10 rob and deceive the people by sharing
| the profits witk the big concern.
The place for these outTages TO be rem
| edied is in Congress. State laws are inef-
fectual They have been passed in various
States, but the company always avoids
| them by pleading interstate commerce
| they have even pleaded that to escape the
| payment of taxes. Congress can regulate
| sleeping-car rates and break down this
monopoly, and we are glad that a man OF
so much standing in the country and so
much influence III Congress as Senator