The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-01-11
FAIR MIDDLE GROUND"

Mr. W. +. Mates in a Letter to the Editor Of
the Scranton Truth.
beg a little Of your space for a word con-
concerning the street car controversy. 1t is not
my purpose to dip deeply to the merits of the
question at issue. These, however pungent,
are Of comparatively little importance l have
taken my full dose, along with the rest OF the
crowd in hanging upon straps; being bumped
over rotten tracks, upon fiat wheels hung up
at passing places and waiting at street corners
for that failed to keep appointments; and,
IL my heart did not thump very violently in sym.
pathy with the late strike, it was in part because
in several instances there was plain evidence that
conductors and motornen were no more solictous
to serve the public than were their employers.
In this controversy there is a fair middle
ground somewhere that should be sought for. The
railway people are rot wholly bad, and good
Scrantonians are not wholly good. We put
civic pride, the honor and good name OF our city,
and our consciences, in our pockets recently
when we encouraged the mobbing Of cars during
the strike. Our motto was "lct us do evil that
good may come" We encouraged, we educated
small boys in mobbery. We gave them kinder
garten lessons in disrespcct for law and order.
1t season. out of due season, for sowing
by Scranton Public Opinion; and sowed the
wind. Probably shall reap the twister.
Today it looks very much il we work.
"
to carry the mob spirit into the city councils
and give further deplorable evidence Of popular
hostility, or what will inevitably be construed
as such, to incorporated capital. cannot spare
the time, nor ask your space, for anything like
discussion of this subject; but will make two
or three brief suggestions
First-lt is passionately asserted that the city
made free gift Of its franchises to the Railway
company and has not itself prcfted by them.
That statement is a misleading and dangerous
half-truth. The city may not have prohted di-
| rectly, but indirectly it has prohted enormously.
Second-Those franchises were granted at a
time when the investment OF adequate capital in
construction under them uncertain--in fact,
very risky. They were granted to our own solid
| citizens; our "bravest and best" who were sup.
| posed to have the welfare OF the community at
| heart. But they, apparently, considered the risk
| t. be such that it was preferable to unload and
pocket an immediate profit, rather than take fur
| ther chances. II our street car system has been
turned over to strangers, it is because they had
more nerve than our local capitalists
Third-It Is asserted that the Railway COM
| pany has debauched our councils Would it not
| be equally Just to say that our councils "held
| up the Railway company
These suggestions offered merely for the
purpose OF reminding angry men that this case
| is like most others in that it has two sides to
it, and that our dignity and of justice de-
mand it be approached in judicial spirit.
| beg to further state that the issues involved
| are much more complicated and far.rcaching
than the average citizen or councilman imagines.
The legal tangle alone is that needs careful
| consideration before rash action Is taken. But
! the most serious phase, TO my mind is that this
city has reached turning point in its career,
when it can easily be seen that We are not to
be carried along bodily by the development OF
| the iron and steel works and the opening OF
| new mines, all done for us by the old.time com.
| panes, but IL is up to scrantons own citizens TO
| pull together hannoniously and make the place
attractive for the investment Of capital.
| II this statement be true, then let thoughtful
| men and women consider whether the course Of
so.caled public opinion in and about scran.
| ton for say the past two years has not been
such to alarm and repel capital. rather than
invite it, Is the lesson of granger railroad leg.
isation in the western states so ancient that we
| have forgotten it?