Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-11-13
ATTITUDE OF RAILROADS
Prompt Assistance Rendered by Then
at Galveston.

Prompt Assistance Rendered by Them
at Galveston.
The popular belief that large cor
porations are relentless under all cir
cumstances where profits are at stake
has received gratifying "shock"
in SO far as the attitude of the rail-
roads since the Galveston storm, is
concerned, as the following will
show:
Morning Post, Raleigh, North Car
DINA: The Concord Tribune says:
I'VE have all heard great deal
about the corporations being soulless.
This may be true. They are at
least stern business institutions.
What we want to say is that when
a disaster of the Galveston nature
comes the people are absolutely at
the mercy of the corporations, and in
a measure look to them for relief.
Just now the railroad. express and
telegraph companies are doing no lit
tie toward the relief of the Galveston
sufferers, and deserve due credit for
what they are doing. It's true they
have large business interests there,
and suffer from a financial stand
point, but it is due these companies
soul or no soul, to say that they can
and do do great good when there is
suffering to be relieved"
This is true and just. But for the
prompt generosity Of these corpora
lions in such emergencies, the suffer
ing would be multiplied many fold.
And it is not only the promptness
with which they respond, but the free
transportation Of supplies and all
things necessary to alleviate the suf.
fering, whether provided by govern.
mental OF individual charity, that de.
serves commentator. 1t costs as
much to run trains for such occasions
as it does to run similar trains for
profit. Yet there is not a railroad
company or an express or telegraph
company in the land that would not
be and has not been prompt to render
every such service that the emergen
cy could call for without price. When
the Philadelphia Press intimated the
other day that it had nurses and med
ical supplies and trainload of pro
visions for Galveston, these things
had scarcely been gathered together
before the Southern had it's train o.
cars and comfortable coaches at the
Quaker City depot, and so soon as al
could be loaded and gotten aboard
was speeding thru thes outh. will
absolute right-of-way of trackage
on its mission of mercy. 1t is due t.
say that either of the other great sys
TENS reaching into the south woult
have cheerfu.ly performed the sam,
service to the extent of its system.
Yet these great instrumentalities o
charity. as well as of enterprise, ar
the objects of special assault and or
preston by the little souls who con
stitute the demagog elements of SC
ciety. When these corporations ar
not cut down in their traffic receipt
to the lowest limit, they are single,
out for burdensome, unusual and ur
equal taxation, thus cutting Their
i both ways. And if they object to be
! ing thus robbed, they are he'll
: up constantly as enemies of the pee
pie.
: Honest people are fast learning t
} place the proper estimate upon tn
vicious and ambitious demagog
and to appreciate and to protect /
: all things that are just. those gres
agencies Of good as well as of mat,
: rial development. - New Orlean
"Times-Democrat."