The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-09-12

among themselves but the public have a
right TO demand that in the settlement of
their differences they force hardships
upon none outside their membership. AS
long as sharp rivalries exist between rail-
| roads for business bitter dissensions VIII
be fomented among them, and as they
! bring these sorrows upon themselves, they
have no right, in morals or law, to ask
that the public should be made to suffer
in their efforts to infict punishment upon
| recalcitrants under agreements or indie
pendent competitors.
IF railroads, Of their own free will and
accord, offer to serve the public a SO per
cent, or so per cent, or 80 per cent, of
/ any established rates, being their volun-
/ tary act the acceptance of the service by
/ the public is proper, but If this offer of
/ service at reduced compensation is partial
and the great masses. representing the
public, are excluded from participation in
/ this generosity on the part of railroads,
! then instead of a benefit, IT is really a
punishment to those who are so unfortu-
nate as to not be at competitive points,
as If those on the line of railroads had not
the same right to be respected and the
| obligation of railroads was not to
! render a like and uniform SER
vice to all. Upon this point the law is so
plain, both state and federal, creating the
interstate commerce commission and the
| railroad commissions of the various
pretations of its language, and it is this
phase of the question that 1 would press
upon your consideration to-day, that. II
in the struggles of these corporations the
benefits are to be partially distributed,
that the utmost powers possessed by your
body be eXerted to make them uniform,
reasonable and alike for all, at least with
in your jurisdiction.
But better than this, IL within your
power, formulate into a rule some regu-
lation of rates by which the business of
the merchant Is not to be startled from
time to time and its whole machinery
upset by such edicts as have recently
been hurled forth by managers of rail-
roads and railroad associations, In order
to enforce Their internal government
about which the public has no concern
as long as they keep within the law in
furnishing each other, and respect the
rights of others.
The health and stability of business
mas its very life involved in the stability
of transportation rates. The system of
favoring classes of shippers, which, a few
years ago, disgraced railroad manage
ment and brought such odium upon 1t,
forced upon the country for it's protec-
ton, the railroad commissions of states
and the freight bureaus of cities now
seeking, through various instrumental
ties, to protect the public by demanding
uniformity and stability of rates.
"A recent editorial in the New York
World, lay at the door of Wall street, re-
sponsibility for the causes leading up to
the silver agitation now dividing the
country. At the door of railroads, in the
same manner. can be laid entire respon-
sibility for all the offensive machinery of
commissions and bureaus by which
they claim to be trammelled and. that
moved a prominent railroad official re-
Gently, in the depths of his dispair to say
Sh4laN A.ar 4
which he named, he was daily between
the devil and the deep sea-" because ar
raigned by these bureaus for the reckless
determinations that honey-comb his sys-
tents tariffs against one, at least of the
cities whose bureau fell under the indict-
ment of being persistent and unrelenting
in demanding the removal Of discrimina-
tons.
But what better proof is needed than
that confronting us to-day in the show
of utter powerlessness on the part of the
Southern States Freight Association to
direct and control the railroad situation
than the failure that has attended it's
efforts to stop the suicidal war between
its members and the Seaboard Air Line
after resorting to hari kari by an so per
cent. reduction in rates, though careful
to replace their own with the abdomen of
the public when the crisis in the act is
ItdCHtu. TUT OiCe the eyes OF the pup
lie are open. They are tired of playing
the substitute act. Railroads must full
inmate their thunder bolts against each
other, for real or imaginary offenses, in
the domain of transportation hereafter
so that the guilty railroads, not the in
nocent public or any part of them. suffer
and this determination has al
ready been announced by the ac-
ton of the railroad commission OF
North Carolina. You will pass judgment
on same line to-day, / hope. in no I'M
certain language, and the South Carolina
commission will act on Saturday. If in
adequacy to cope with this burning issue,
so demoralizing to business interests, be
developed in the arguments to-day in
creased power should be sought from the
legislature of the state to make this body
full and complete bar to the rashness,
stupidity or avarice of railroad manage
ment in its relations to the public. whose
servants they are, and not masters, as
some in control of great systems pulled
up with brief authority, imagine them
selves to be-"
THE CYCLONE GOT THERE.