Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-25
RAILROAD PREJUDICE

hhlLhOhD fhEJUDlCE
1t Is announced from Chicago that oil
the large transportation companies are
combining to inaugurate an era Of econ
omy, for the reduction Of expenses and
for the cessation Of improvements. And
one of the chief reasons given for this
action is the prevailing sentiment of
hostility to the railroads on the part OF
the people.
Nobody knows better than the man
agement of the railroads that If an
anti-rallroad sentiment exists i'm this
country larger today than at other pc
riods in the past. that sentiment is not
against the legitimate business of rail-
reading. Every man. woman and child
in the United States is proud of the
railroads that pass through the cities.
towns, villages and country; proud of
the long strings of freight cars, the
beautifully built and nicely appointed
passenger cars and the great engines;
proud of the fact that the railroads are
prospering, even beyond the dreams of
the most avaricious; and proud of the
railway systems that span the whole
country, oerleaping mountain and des-
ert. hill, valley and stream to carry the
rich products of the earth to market.
There is absolutely no prejudice
against railroads.
On the contrary, there is everywhere
a universal demand for more railroads
and better ones.
There is, however, a strong, powerful
growing prejudice against the domina-
tion of the railroads in public affairs.
Here in Southern California, for in
stance. a political machine has been
created by railroad influence and direc-
from the people almost the last vestige
of their governmental powers and privi
leges. BY means of this machine the
railroads are enabled to fill all the offices
state, county and municipal-with
creatures of their own choosing, who do
their bidding regardless of popular will
or wish.
While the great Southern Pacific. the
Atchison, Topeka g. Santa Fe, and the
San Pedro, Los Angeles & Salt Lake
systems are attending to their legiti-
mate business of railroading every cit-
zen of Southern California points to
them with pride. They are business
institutions without which there would
be no development or progress, and If
suddenly removed would cause the bios
l,tf
back into desert waste.
But, while all this is true, the rail-
roads have sedulously and insidiously
crept into political affairs and by rea
son of their enormous financial strength |
and powers of combination have taken
upon themselves the management of
public affairs in their own interest.
I'VE do this in order to defend our
selves from assaults upon our rights"
declare the railroads. Which is not |
true at all. Such may have been the
original purpose of the railroad political
machine, but it has gone clear beyond
that point and now does it to control
the whole course of government, from
the state assembly to the town consta-
BILE. The railroads do not realize the |
fact that if they should now combine to
withdraw their pernicious political
activity, the prejudice which they claim
exists among the people would either |
cease entirely or diminish to a small |
and reasonable agitation of freight
rates.
The railroads, in fact, have created
for themselves their own Frankenstein
monster. Having bullied, .cajoled, driven
and deceived the people into permitting
the railroads to conduct public affairs,
to the detriment of the public generally
and for the sole benefit of the railroads,
they are now expressing apprehension
at the consequences of their own folly.
And no wonder! The feeling against
railroads in politics is bitter in some
sections and becoming universal The
railroad lobby and the railroad machine
are alone responsible for it.
UNFAIR TO THE NEGROES