The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-05-02
RAILWAY UNPOPULARITY
CAUSES OF PREJUDICE AGAINST THE
TRANSPORTATION LINES.
Among Them Arc OvercapitaIfxation,
Vexatious Litigation and Unfair
ness-Remedy Suggested.

lore the students or PURDUE University, las
topic being "Prejudices Against Railways"
Judge Baldwin said there was much preju-
dice against railways, particularly among
farmers. The present prejudice" said the
speaker, against railways in Indiana is
largely hereditary, for to-day their tracks
are mostly fenced and their finances so far
settled that debts against them are fairly
collectible. Forty years ago this was d.
rectly the reverse. just as ii is to-day In the
farther West One of the most fruitful
sources of the existing prejudices against
railways Is the scandalous frauds connected
with their construction. the memory OF
which still rankles in the memories Of gray
headed men and women, and which preju-
dice they have religiously handed down to
their children and their children's children
Forty years ago, when the railway building
mania was upon Us. farmers exchanged land
for stock. True, they got big prices for
very poor acres, but the railways. when they
issued the stock, never intended 1t to have
any value. In early days, rights of way
were to be had for the asking. Towns,
townships and cities voted aid with prodigal
recklessness. Often these donations and
exchanges for stock were sufficient TO build
the road. All the same it was heavily
bonded and overstocked. The construction
contractors were often the directors them
selves, operating IN the name Of STOOL
pigeons. The road was built in the sham
miest possible manner; the bridges and
trestles were Of wood, and the rails of the
cheapest iron and intended to last only
couple of years. For the first two years all
the earnings went to pay big dividends on
the stock, which, in consequence rose rapid
ly above par. Meantime the ring inside UNI
loaded. Accidents begun to occur, debts
were unpaid the result was bankruptcy.
After enriching themselves the directors
turned the half-built, worthless property
over to their creditors and everybody was
defrauded. AS the road had never been
fenced. farmers stock was daily killed
Judgments for accidents were uncolectible.
In a word the new-fangled railroad was an
organized swindle from start TO finish. Now
a swindled creditor has Il most unreaS0na-
bic memory. He not only does not forget
himself. but his wife and children are built
in the same way and We all know that the
roots of prejudice are very long indeed.
The speaker then entered upon the Ques-
ton Of EQUALIZATION. saying that this
did not now prevail In Indiana. but citing
figures showing it's prevalence elsewhere.
particularly in the case of the street rail-
ways of Chicago and Indianapolis. This
overcapitalization, pooling and rebating
udice and railway wrecking and vexatious
litigation were prolific sources OF opposition
to railways: On the topic OF taxation Judge
Baldwin said:
'In our State railway taxes are admirably
handled. No county is allowed to levy them.
1t is all done by the State Board OF EQuali-
zation and the result is that upon the whole
railways pay upon just valuation. But in
the newer States railways scandalously
avoid their just taxes. Some years ago l
the great Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe
Railway in Arizona and New Mexico.
found that in neither of these great Terri
and resorted to all sorts Of shameful frauds
to avoid them.
And in the State Of Indiana the Pullman
Sleeping car Company has been guilty of the
like shameless MISUNDERSTANDING every pos
sible advantage and using every conceivable
loophole TO avoid just contributions to the
State and to that extent increase MI. Pull
mans millions. This same Pullman Sleeping
car Company has created a vast amoun, OF
prejudice against railroads by their policy
Of compelling the public to pay aneif %oS
be money in railroads pockets II the pay
ment of tips to sleeping car porters were
prohibited by rule OF the company.
UNMERITED PREJUDICES.
at gladly turn to the other branch OF the
question-unmerited prejudices. 1t Is queer
trait in human nature that there are two
or three occasions when public opinion JUS
titles theft One of these is avoiding United
States revenue laws and the other, railroad
transportation. Delicate ladies whose con-
science in everything else is as sensitive as
a rose leaf will unblushingly defraud the
United States, by smuggling in through the
custom house gloves, dresses, 1eWelry, etc,
bought abroad. and like wife and sister. like
husband and brother, they Will an lie when ,1,,
liable articles. And so In paying railroad
fares for transportation: The highest test
of human honesty that 1 know oil Is, VIII
YOU man or woman. voluntarily surrender
to a conductor a railroad ticket that he has
by oversight failed to take up! Or VIII they
say nothing and steal the ride? They all DO
it. even down to preachers, who JUSTIFY
themselves by saying, If the railroad don't
ask for my ticket am not bound TO surren-
der it. am To- Now, this disposition TO cneat
unevoluted communism which lies at the
bottom of every human heart, and when
is remnant of our animal ancestry
out of which perhaps the human
race originally sprang. The presence
of great masses of property always arouses
prejudices against its owners, which II must
be said that railway magnates are not care
ful to avoid A track hand working ten
hours day at 3 cents the hour is not likely
TO look with favor upon rallroad-pam-
nalace car: neither does he stop and take
out of his pocket these railway statistics
which tell him that they spend $iZo:Uo.oW
per year upon roadbeds in the United States'
nay forty million per year in taxes and en-
ploy 10000 men. of whom 10000 are these
same track hands.
Men of unimpeachable character, con-
scientious and correct in all their relations
in life. WILL as jurors, make railroads pay
double what other folks pay, merely be-
cause Ii is a railroad. They will decide
against a railroad all the time from no
other reason than they are able to pay II:
or in other words, because there exists
prejudice against great masses or property
and corporations generally.
COE~rFNING PREJUDICES.
This is the most important part OF my
subject. In a general way the answer Is,
BY fair treatment: by employing courteous
men: by a persistent policy of prompt and
fair settlements. / have prejudice against
the Wabash Railway Company which L
shall never be able to overcome. Once at
Washington 1 purchased a ticket home. I
did not take time TO examine it. for / was
late at the train. 1t turned out to be a for
ty-eight-hour limited ticket. In Pennsyl-
vania there was a wreck. so that when ar
rived ct Fort Wayne the limit had expired.
There was barely time TO change trains,
and the conductor on the wabash would
not hear my explanation of the facts but
compelled me to pay full fare and 10 cents
penalty in addition. i was too busy 10 re-
sist but should have let the company put
me off and then sued for damages. Worse
was called to the fact they failed TO refund
and still have my s.. as we'll as my lifelong
i'll will Now, railroads are not particular
in these small matters They say, Help
yourself If you can They invariably put a
lot of mean clauses in their through tickets
and few travellers have the courage, like
the late deceased Mr.. Justice Field. of the
Supreme Court, TO refuse to sign such con-