The herald., 1897-10-25
~-MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 1897.
A HUMAN OCTOPUS

Inc Herald presents elSeW mere III tulS
mornings paper a list of twenty-one
railroads, having a total mileage of
1854 miles, which are now under the
control of J. Pierpont Morgan. To
these should be added the following
roads which Mr.. Morgan hopes to con-
troll in the near future: Union Pacific,
S021 miles; Wisconsin Central, S57; Bal
timore and Ohio, 2O65. and the Baltimore
and Ohio Southwestern, 1888; making a
total mileage of 50.550.
A Chicago telegram to the st. Louis
Post Dispatch explains the situation
more fully. Mr.. Morgan now controls
every line between Chicago and New
York, excepting the Pennsylvania rail-
road and the Baltimore and Ohio. The
Pennsylvania will be let alone as its
management is in entire accord with
Mr.. Morgan's plans. The Vanderbilt
roads have been controlled by Mr. Nor
gan ever since the death of William H.
Vanderbilt. Through the acquisition Of
the Lackawanna, Reading and Lehigh
Valley roads. Mr.. Morgan gains abso-
lutte control OF the Pennsylvania an
thracite coal mines. Not only can he
dictate what rates coal shall pay the
railroads, but he can fix absolutely the
price the people must pay for anthracite
COAL
The Wall street magnate is planning
to get control Of all the railroad and
steamship lines Of the southern states.
He has just secured the Central of
Georgia railroad, which controls the
Ocean and New England steamship
lines, that ply between Savannah and
New York, Boston and Philadelphia.
Its chief competitor has been the South
ern railway, which IS controlled abso-
lutely by j. Pierpont Morgan & Co.
Competition is thus killed. Morgan can
either wreck the Central of Georgia,
which has over 1900 miles Of track, or
permit 1t to live, as he chooses.
Turning to the middle west we find
Morgan writ all over its face. He is
today in absolute control of the Chicago,
Milwaukee and ST. Paul, and, by the
consent of the Vanderbilts, of the Chi
cago and Northwestern and the Chicago,
st. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha roads.
He even dictates terms to James J..
Hill of the Great Northern and name s
the officials Of the Northern Pacific.
Can 1t be safe that so much power
Is in the hands of one man? Mr.. Nor
gan dictates the price of anthracite coal.
He can make and unmake railroad rates
for almost the entire country. BY di-
rect alliance in some instances and
through a community Of interest in
others he is in league with the arch
monopolists Of the Countrywide Rookie
(fellers, the Huntingtons, the Goulds ana
all the rest.
When Mr.. Morgan's plans are fully
and successfully consummated he will
have far more power for good or evil
than is possessed by the president of
the United States. He can make presi-
dents, for that matter. Nobody with a
grain Of common sense expects or honas
that Mr. Morgan will exert this ire
mendous power for the public good
His influence must be exerted wholly in
the interest of capital and monopolv
and that influence must be frsught with
danger to the interest Of the masses.
Still the people who fear to see the
government in control Of railroad
have no objection whatever TO nlaciro
them under the monopolistic manage
ment Of J. Pierpont Morgan. And if