The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-06-20
WHY THIS TRANQUILITY.

WHY THIS TRANQUILITY:
It is three days since the news columns
of the Minneapolis Times announced the
purchase of the Chicago, Milwaukee &
st. Paul railroad by the Union Pacific
and the observation-disclosures no philippe
against the ''crime" of consolidation
and conspiracy against the public inter
est has been Numbered forth on the
Times editorial page yet
1t is two days since the Times news
columns announced the consolidation Of
four Chicago roads, all Of the Pacific
roads, the two Northern roads with the
Missouri Pacific and Wabash thrown in,
ell into one great Hartmann Gould Nor
gan-Hil- Rockefeller consolidation-and
yet from the editorial page of our would
be arch enemy Of railway consolidation
has come no whisper of warning.
And so we rise to ask-Why this tran
guilty?
Is consolidation" bad when only two
roads cooperate; but good thing when
three or more combine?
Is joint management a conspiracy" If
the roads run from the Twin Cities north;
and harmless if they go from the Twin
Cities south?
Is community of interest a crime"
to be assaulted by a mile of double-lead-
cd editorial leaders and double-colurnn
spreads, if only the two Northern roads
cooperate; but such an Indifferent mat
ter as to warrant no editorial comment
whatever, if the Chicago and Pacific
roads to the number of three to eleven
unite?
Little doubt is entertained" quoth our
contemporary in tranquil news space
''but that the syndicate GIarriman) has
acquired the Milwaukee & St. Paul on
practically the same lines as those upon
which J. J. Hill secured control of the
Burlington" But if the Hill deal. ac-
cOrding to Times parlance, is a felony, is
not the Hartman deal even a INSIDE
meanor2
z Mention Of the Chicago & North West
eTn in connection with the negotiations"
says our contemporary in tranquil news
tone, lis suggestive Of a lease Of the
St. Paul by the Union Pacific and the
North Western after the fashion of the
Burlington case by the Great Northern
and the Northern Pacific" But if union
Of the Northern roads in handling the
traffic of northern and western Mime
sCta was the criminal conspiracy" de-
scTibed in hundred lurid editorial at
taclls, is the union of the two Chicago
roads in handling the traffic of southern
Minnesota so inconsequentiaI as to es-
cape all editorial comment whatever?
Again we rise to inquire-Why this
tranquility?
Why did it require a hundred editorial
leaders and a ton of exclama ion points
to attack railroad "communit. Of inter
est in the one case. and not an exclama-
ton point, a sigh, a tear an extra drop
OF ink, or even a pensive query in re-
gard to unity of control in the other?
one case transportation for ye editor was
provided. and in the other case refused?
Was it that in enc case the company de-
clines to use the Times columns for it's
time cards and advertising and in the
other case the Times columns are used
literally?
Does that explain the difference be-
tween railroad conspiracy and traffic
co-operation?"
Is that what gives us the thunders of
Jove today, and the cooling of the dove
tomorrow?
Is that the difference between crime,
and business enterprise" in transporta-
ton?
And again we rise to ask-Why this
tranquility?