The times., 1899-10-25
Lines to a Rusrhodr.

is. according TO his fall custom offensively
poIang his nose into other peoples business
again.
His is dual authority, exercising a
unified impertiuence. As president Of
self-organized and self-elected Board of
Trade, he is credited with influence with
our Congressional rulers.
Having also free use of the editorial col
umns of the Star" he is able by itera-
tion to attract some attention to his no.
tions, regardless of their inaneness. 1t has
also become apparent that he possesses
at times the power of inducing-we do not
like to say compeling-the Board Of Com
missioners to adopt and enforce some of
them. He is, therefore, not as harmless as
a dove, even though he be denied the wis
dom of the serpent. Some mischief he has
already accomplished, and the ability TO
do more may still reside with him
This time he is looking after the health
of those who ride in street cars. The days
have come when the morning and the even
ing hours are chill, and he has therefore
evolved the conclusion that there must be
no more open cars run on any of the city
lines "Closed cars only" declares the sub
editor of the Star" 80 that my people
may not contract pneumonia" The Com
missioners have the power to put this con-
ceit of his into the shape of formal or
der, and as nearly as the direction can be
given in an editorial paragraph, they are
commanded to do so.
If it were at all profitable to argue with
a busybody of this sort, we might
be able to show him that, on almost
every train where an open and closed
car are run, or at least in nine cases of
ten, the open car is full and the closed car
nearly empty This is the observation of
railroad men, whose business it is to find
out what best suits the convenience of the
public
IN law and common estimation they
would be considered better witnesses than
the aenemic subeditor of the Star" but,
even If this view of the case were fully sus-
tained it would neither disconcert him
nor diminish his fussy activity. He is
just determined to be the guardian
of the people-rich or poor-and not
one of them viii be permitted, if he
can help it, to escape typhoid fever OF
any cutaneous disorder at the risk OF catch
ing a bad cold.
It was General Jackson, we believe, who
to a very impertinent critic of his. cited
the well-known case of a Tennessee man
who amassed fortune-by the simple pro-
cess Of minding his own business. Just
such road is open to the Star" nuisance,
but we are sure he will never take it. He
is fortified " his self-conceit. Inane as
are some of his suggestions and ridiculous
as are some of his commands-he has
found altogether too much support from
the constituted authorities. Ii we are not
mistaken the order that all street cars
shall stop on the near side of the cross
street emanated from him. He conceived
it, and the Commissioners gave it the force
of an ordinance by adopting il. To almost
everybody who has observed the custom
in other cities it appears to be quite if
not wholly senseless Stopping on the near
side permits traffic to congest Immediately
in front OF the cars and seriously impedes
it. Stopping on the far side removes this
difficulty at once and is in every way as
convenient to the passenger. We shall look
with some interest to the action of the
Board OF Commissioners with reference
to this last whispered ukase of the Stars
busybody. II they follow it we shall
know just to whom we need to direct our
petitions-the magnate We shall hereafter
be required to placate. In some cases
one-man power has its advantages. But
q proper condition precedent is that the
man should know something-or be at
least one or two removes above fussy
milksop or petty intermeddler.