The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1897-04-16
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..

the p6Opl6 ct1uuOt rely ukSOn S0u
petition 70 protect them from
the exactions ofa monopoly. The
very existence of q road between
the points within certain limits
prohibits another road from
building, because until the rates
charged by the existing roads
are sufficient to pay operating
expenses and q reasonable income
upon the total value OF the roads
a new road Is almost absolutely
prohibited. because If the new
road is built the traffic must be
taxed 10 pay operating expenses
and a reasonable income upon
two investments, each equal to
the cost of the road.n We thus
admit the ability of a railroad
company or of any monopoly to
disregard the desires of the pub
lie, but our admission stops with
ability" and does not concede
the right to do so. The word
right" is often misapplied and
substituted for power" No one
ever has a "right'' to do a wrong,
but the power to do SO may pass
unquestioned. The railroad COM
pany in this instance has the
power to move its station to any
point that it may fancy, but we
assert that it has no right to do
so. That act will bankrupt a
numbered honest. worthy men,
who have invested their means
in property at the east end of
town, on faith in the promise
held out to them by the railroad
company in its solemn. recorded
obligation. thus giving the whole
world legal notice of its under.
taking. To maintain that the
company now has the right to
change that location, and to i'm.
poverish those people, is to dis
regard every obligation of
plighted faith, and every inter-
est save the supposed vantage of
the corporation. Let me quote
further from Mr.. Bryan's speech;
''The court in trying to do JUS
tice between railroads and the
State must remember that the
obligation upon the court to Sc
cure reasonable rates to the man
who hauls goods. who uses the
road, is as binding an obligation
as the obligation to protect the
man who invests his money in a
railroad" The principle laid
down in this proposition, is that
between tine corporation and the
public there exists mutual obi
cations. That railroad company
is under obligation to give con.
sideration to the rights of its
patrons as we'll as those of its
stockholders. Nothing could be
more just and equitable. And
adopting that rule of action how
can we justify the B. & o. COM
pany in doing an act that will
directly and serious injure the
best patrons that it has in the
county.
The vested interests near the
present depot furnish more bust
ness to the company than it re-
ceives at the four stations nearest
Clarksburg combined, and it
keeps an agent at each of them.
Now while it is true that it will
not lose this business no matter
how greatly it may damage these
gentlemen, because it is as Mr..
Bryan stated, in its. very nature
a monopoly, yet even partial
consideration of the rights of
others, and the faintest applica
ton Of the Golden Rule, would
suggest a different course. 1t
may be argued that the late Of
hcers of the company made a
contract with Judge Golf to
change the location of the sta
ton to point on his farm, so
they did. But it must be remem-
bered that the company also
made solemn contract with a
gentleman Mr.. Jackson, to for
ever keep that station on the
jackson farm. In consideration
of that promise Mr.. Jackson gave