The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-02-25


Of the transferable mileage bill spoke
the people In attendance us we'll ~ to the
committee. When representatives with
strong endorsements for position on tho
railroad committee from hundreds Of
business men are curtly informed that
these endorsements do not amount to any
thing, and that to stand any chance their
or i've men oil Of them more or,less close
iy Identified with railroad corporations
it is not strange that feeling should
grow mp among the people that the rail-
roads were having altogether too much
OF pull" and that they should ap-
plaud a lawyer who attacked them as
Judge Foster did in his speech of Thurs
day night. In our opinion the manifest
approval by the crowd of Judge Fosters
speech was not so much due to sympa-
thy with the particular measure that he
was advocating, as to Misrepresentation at
what the railroads appeared to have been
doing TO control legislation at Augusta.
Many people may have suspected 1t be-
fore but this winter is the first time that
it has ever been authoritatively de-
clared that the railroads were all power
full In selecting in advance the men to
whom measures affecting them were TO
be referred, and that the general public
did not count for anything In their
choice. We do not believe the railroads
OF this state will ever be in danger Of
harsh treatment from the people IL they
show q disposition to treat the people
fairly themselves. But " they surrep-
titiously undertake. TO take possession Of
their legislature, CT If they keep Its mem
bers constantly surrounded with influence
the time Is coming when they will have
trouble and lot of 1t. A distinguished
judge speaking to us once of the perse-
cution of railroads In the West by legisla.
tures declared that the railroads them
selves were responsible for 1t all. Their
attempts to control legislation and their
arbitrary determinations in favor of GER
tain individuals and corporations had
exasperated the people beyond endurance.
Human nature in the East Is not differ
ent from that In the West. Similar causes
will produce similar effects In time
whether the place in which they are ut
work be Kansas or Maine. IL would lie
n calamity both fer the railroads and for
the people of Maine II any such condition
should grow up here rs existed for some
years In the. western states. " such an
one ever comes it will proceed largely
from attempts of the railroad companies
10 dictate TO tbs peoples legislature
openly or secretly.
ii tho railroads would withdraw all
| their professional IL bhyists from Augusta
and all their passes from the members OF
the legislature. and trust to the intelli-
geuce and justice of the people they would
not only save a great deal Of money but
would avoid the dangers that Turk in
their present practices. We know that
there is a good deal OF unjust and I'M
reasonable prejudice against corporations,
but If its origin were traced we are in
cined to think the most OF 1t would be
! found in attempts on their part to gain
unequal advantages by unfair means.
The character and sources of the testi-
mony the railroads got for their side of
the case at Augusta show there is dis
position on the part of the people to treat
legislation affecting them on its merits.
Let the railroads not display desire to
have it treated in any other way and the
good relations which now exist between
the people and the roads will be main.
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