The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-14
CINOHING THE RAILROAD.

One of the greatest securities enjoyed by
the Southern Pacific Company is the con-
tempt entertained by very large number
of good citizens for that form of political
degeneracy which thrives upon promises
to ''cinch'' the railroad. Take, for in
stance, the pledges given by the Demo
cratic candidates for the Railroad Commits
sion in the last State election. They
solemnly promised that they would reduce
freight charges at least % per cent; that
they would reduce freight classifcations at
least half; that they would permit no pri-
vate business ''or other avocation" (what-
ever that may mean to interfere with their
duties to the public, and that they would
make such other reforms as were needed
to bring about adjustment of transporta-
ton to the necessities of the State.
When interviewed to learn what these
gentlemen had done or propose to do in
carrying out pledges upon which indu-
bitably they were elected, these gentlemen
coolly informed the public that they are
giving the matter careful study, and they
propose to do what is right in the premises
between the people and the railroad, and
that if they find upon complete investiga-
ton that the freight charges may be re-
duced without working an undue hardship
to the railroad they will reduce by the
amount which they deem proper, and that
if they find that no reductions should be
made they will make none.
In all the political history of California
hardly anything SO full of the elements of
opera bouffe has ever occurred before. It
sweeps the pledge entirely out of the field,
laughs at the credulity which accepted it
in earnest, practically stigmatizes as fools
all who voted on the strength of it, pro-
claims the meanness and insincerity OF the
party pledging itself, and is a confession of
duplicity on the part of the men who took
it. We have been waiting to see if the GEN.
tralized authority of the California Democ-
racy would disavow DIR. Stanton's position
and repudiate him as a betrayer of the
party's faith and integrity, and as this has
not been done and as the party has taken
no notice whatever of the disgraceful posi-
ton in which it has been placed we are
forced to the conclusion that it approves
his course and cheerfully accepts the
stigma which he placed upon it.
1T is just such betrayals as this that con-
stitute one of the railroads strongest Sc
curities. 1t must have known long time
that such pledges are not made in good
faith, but only for the purpose of winning
votes, and that the pledges will be ignored
as soon as the election is secured. 1t is
aware that the majority vote which elects
candidates under such circumstances is to
be distinguished from that calm, shrewd
understanding which measures the intelli-
gence of thoughtful men, and that what
ever may be the desire of such men to see
the proper adjustment for which the heed
less strive it is measurably paralyzed by an
unwillingness to form an alliance to that
end with less discriminating and less reli-
able intelligence.
In voting for these Democratic candi-
dates for the Railroad Commission the
people were not animated by desire to
''cinch the railroad" They had felt the
burdens which they blindly tried to throw
off and they placed reliance upon promises
intended only to fool them and use them
as tools for the meanest ends. 1t is i'm
possible for the par ty to claim any sort of
exemption from responsibility and con-
nivance in this shameful betrayal. 1t can
not make the defense of its Commissioners
that keeping of the pledge would work
an unjust hardship on the railroad. If it
exacted the pledge without a full under
standing of the necessity for keeping it
and of the vital conclusions which it
should affect it is just as culpable as
though it deliberately intended fraud and
deception.