The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-01-26
FREE COAL AND THE PEOPLE,

What FREQ Coal VIII DO for tho Country.
A Monumental Biunder.
N'aShta9ton pOa (Indl
AS to what FREQ coal will do for tho
people OF tho country at large, tho Post
has already expressed Its opinion moro
than once. Thut It will lnjure ninety.
ninc whore 1t benefits one, sooms to us
"a clear Us tho MONDAY sun. Now comes
Mr.. John II. Inman, man OF affairs, a
leader In tho financial world, a profound
and II successful student OF the problems
Of economy, who has his doubts rs 10
tho remaining one after the ninety-nine
shall havo been disposed OF. ID
MIR. lnman Gays:
ut is highly problematical whether
free coal would benefit tho people OF
even q single southern seaport, but, on
the other hand, 1t would prove tax on
many thousands OF southern consumers
at. inland points. Take away the
through traffic OF railroad, and 1t is
inevitable that the loss will, as lar rs
possible, be recouped by the raising Of
local freight rates. The people in towns
between the mines and tho Hcaboard,
along lines OF rail having long hauls OF
either coal or iron. ought from stand
point OF self-protoction.. DO the most
vigorous resisters OF either FREQ coal or
orc, or tho cutting 20 224 per cent nd
valorem of the duty on pig iron"
We quote from an interview with Mr..
1nman published in recent issue of
tho Manufactured Record, in tho course
OF which he discusses tho significance
and probable operation OF tho Wilson
bill should that measure eventually be-
come q law. 1t may be said, OF course.
that Mr.. 1nman 10 railroad man, and
that he speaks in the railroad interest.
Friends Of tho bill may easily attempt
tho argument OF prejudice and in that
way seek to break the force OF Mr.. H.
mans proposition. In all likelihood
they will. But it seems TO US that his
warning is all tho more waighty in that
he knows whereof he speaks, and fore
casts the course OF the railroads in tho
light OF a perfect familiarity with their
methods and necessities. No one,
we imagine, will deny tho free
coal will cut down the through freight
business OF many of our great trunk rail
roads, and no one except poet or 4
dreamer expects tho railroads 10 be con-
Quoted at n loss. It is,only rational to
assume, therefore, that if legislation
should curtail their revenues in one
direction they must recruit them in an-
other or closo out entirely. II they
adopt the latter eypedient, untold mis-
cry will be entailed upon millions OF
people. If tho former, every patron OF
the railroads will have to contribute to
make good tho deficit. In eithor event,
free coal becomes coatly luxury to the
people. In either event it is q bluuder.
Only dupes and demagogues declare
that tho railroads arc curse and that
tho country would be better fl without
them. Honest aud intelligent mon know
that they are the most potent agents OF
civilization and tho largest factora in
our national prosperity. AlTthe blasher-
sixties that ever brayed to credulous
rapble are not worth as much in the
schema OF human progress rs tram
way from hero to Bladcnsburg. Rail
roads build up waste places ;'they popu-
late deserts: they make nations homo
geneous and therefore strong, they
furnish employment for whole COM
munities ofindustrious and frugal poo
pie. And legislation that strikes at
them strikes at everything useful and
wholcsomoand civiliziug in the entire
country.