The record-union., 1899-07-15
MISUNDERSTANDING THE RAIL-
ROADS.

MIsREPRESENTING THE RAIL-
ROADS.
The San Francisco Chronicle" refer
ring to the Newman accident said that
1t was such an accident as usually at
tends an attempt on the part Of the
Southern Pacific to handle a crowd of
travellers. This brings the Stockton
Independent" to it's feet on the solid
ground of simple justice. 1t protests
that such statement is untrue in fact
and that it is injurious to the State
and adds that it is no wonder that the
people of California lose faith in the
metropolitan press and that the public
of the East lose faith in California.
The protest of the Independent" is
Just and timely The fact is and the
statistics show it that no long distance
line in the world handles as large pas
senger traffic with fewer fatalities than
the Southern Pacific Company with it's
great mileage. To say that accidents
are usual with it, when it ATTEMPTS
to handle crowd" is therefore false
and unjust to the company and to the
State which it serves
As our contemporary points out, that
company carried the crowds the
chronicle" urged to attend the Mid
| winter Fair without an accident. 1t
transported $4,000 soldiers across the
continent mainly to San Francisco
without the loss of a life or any in
jury to single one of them. It car
ried the National Editorial Associa-
ton one way with no mishap. It
transported an enormous crowd OF
Christian Endeavorers from all over.
the Union to San Francisco without
an accident. It brought out the Ma
tional Encampment concourse of the
Grand Army with equal success While
1t transported to the San Francisco
rendezvous nearly all the troops there
assembled last year with no accident.
eastern roads in carrying troops had
| several accidents and a number of
hVes We're lost In consequence. And so
repeatedly the Southern Pacific lines
have transported vast crowds with per-
feet safety. where Eastern roads in
doing like business have met with
numerous mishaps.
The independent" is justified in ask
ing if such charge as the Chronicle"
! makes is not more injurious to the
State than to the company, and wheth-
er the same paper that throws out the
slur referred to, would not tomorrow,
to secure a great crowd in San Fran
cisco, point out that the California
railroad system is equal to handling all
the passenger traffic that may offer;
and If the Chronicle" itself did not
advocate the holding of the National
Republican Convention in San Fran
cisco with the stated and persistent as
.surance to the East that California
railroad facilities were ample and re-
markable and. noteworthy for care
taken, and for freedom from accidents
But the Independent wastes fits
ammunition in propounding questions
to journals that assail railroads re-
gandless Of the truth TO accomplish re-
venges. 1t however reaches the think
ing public with its protest against such
assaults. That public is fully aware
of the truth and knows what is here
asserted, that there is no long line in
the world that transports great crowds
with greater safety and care and fewer
mishaps than the Southern Pacific. That
fact stands firmly upon the statistical
record and there is no gainsaying II.
General Wood in Cuba is preparing
to prove what drastic remedies will do
in battle with yellow fever; not medi-
cal application, but strict quarantine,
orderly habits, cleanliness of towns,
persons and districts. and so on 1t is
perfectly safe to forecast that he will
win, and prove that yellow fever can
be, largely, put under control, If not
disciplinary regulations and observance
of sanitary laws. America has cleared
fCuba of the Spanish. We are of those
who believe that she can also remove
the greater threat of the yellow fever,
and prevent Cuba being. as it has been
these hundreds of years. a constant
menace to the health of the people of
the Atlantic and Gulf sea board of this
nation.
Aguinaldo declares that several
States of this nation have declared in
favor of Filipino independence. There
is nothing like going from home to get
the news.