The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-02-26

1t is unfortunate that a bill which has
attracted so much attention and been the
object OF so much defamation as the So
have been explained 1t is called a railroad
consolidation bill when it is nothing of the
sort. So far from that, the bill prohibits
the consolidation of parallel lines. If con-
soldation is all that the railroad corpora
tions seek. they have law nearly as old
as the Constitution Of 1851, which affords
every facility for the consolidation of rail-
roads in Indiana, parallel lines and other
wise. This may be surprising piece of in
formation TO some of those who call them
selves lawyers who have been bowling
themselves hoarse over the Joss bill. There
are well-meaning men who have what can
be called corporation-phobia AT the men,
ton of the word corporation they fgur-
atively foam at the mouth in imprecation.
Such men are deserving of pity. Another
class is composed of demagogues. who
imagine that it is good politics to assail
combinations of capital, without which not
a railroad could have been built or large
factory been established. Unlike the former
class, these demagogues merit the con-
tempt of all honorable men.
Why do certain railroads desire the en-
actment of the Joss bill? What hidden and
wicked design is behind the measure? 1t
seems that the Pennsylvania, the Bait
more & Ohio. and perhaps other COM
panies hold lines in Indiana by lease, which
they control as If they owned them. Prob
ably, in most Instances. these foreign COM
panies do own the leased roads. They are
not parallel lines, but links in a system
which facilitate nterstate-commerce. 1t is
asked, If these companies control these
leased lines under separate charters. why
do they wish to put them under the for
eign charters under which thes Pennsyl-
vania and like lines operate? The answer
is that the leased lines are weak links in
the system, upon which, as independent
properties, bonds cannot be so favorably
negotiated as in the name of the whole
system, which can command an abundance
of capital on the best terms
The objection to the pending bill is that
without provision to the contrary. the sale
of lines under Indiana charters would be
taken out of the sole jurisdiction of the
State courts, in which event a suit by a
citizen of Indiana against the corporation
in which the amount claimed should ex-
coed 5000 must go to the United States
courts. This would be a hardship and an
injustice to the poor claimant. If this pro-
vision of law could not be changed its ex-
istence in the bill would be valid reason
for its rejection; but the last section of the
bill provides that in the event of the pur-
chase OF lines chartered by Indiana the
State courts shall have jurisdiction in all
cases of damage. and the lines. for the pur-
poses of taxation and general control, re-
main subject to the laws of Indiana. In
other words, the relations of these roads to
Indiana by sale to foreign corporations will
not be changed by the proposed legislation.
The foregoing seem to be the plain facts
about the provisions of the bill which has
created such tempest. They are so COM
monplace facts that they seem very tame
in comparison with the vehement denuncia-
tions which the bill has called forth from
several contempOraries