Los Angeles herald., 1906-02-23
RIPLEY ON PUBLIC SENTIMENT


president Of the Santa Fe Railroad
company, on the all-important subject
Of Railway Rate-making." Unfor-
tunately Mr. Ripley could not enter
deeply into the argument on an oc-
casion of that kind. But he said enough
to demonstrate the patriotic personal
spirit of the man and his supreme con-
fidence in the general righteousness of
all railroads. This was to be expected.
ME Ripley has made a success Of his
business which he could not have done
If he had not possessed the frmest
faith in its methods, it's manners and
its purposes.
Where Mr.. Ripley utterly fails is at
the point where he goes outside of the
railroad business to account for public
sentiment on the questions Of rate
making and of discrimination. He is
compelled to recognize that there is a
general demand for a change In the
system of discriminating rates, but he
does not believe that shippers are dis
satisfied with the existing rates to any
But he gives four reasons for the
condition of public sentiment on these
questions, and here they are:
81. The demand of the interstate
commerce commission, 1nstfuI for
power.
"2. The yellow papers and the still
yeIlOwcr cheap magazines, seeking
added circulation by sensational at-
iaci<s on .he railroads.
"3. One man from Milwaukee, in
sIstent and persevering, and with a real
grievance.
80. The powerful influence of the
president of the United states"
Read the above carefully and then
say whether they are not worthy of
being framed, and whether they are not
unworthy the intelligence of such far
seeing gentleman as Mr.. E. P. Ripley.
They do not read seriously. They look
and sound like a banqueter's joke
But, as a matter of fact, they are
decidedly serious. For they represent
the studied contempt of the trained and
thorough railroad man for the express
sion of public sentiment upon any vital
question that concerns the business of
railroading. Mr.. Ripley is too much of
a gentleman and too smart a railroad
man to say 1.-The public be id" as
did Vanderbilt; but he says, in effect,
that the public is mere mob and, not
knowing what it is talking about, is
being led around by the nose by
selfish and contemplate interests.
First he impeaches the honesty and
patriotism of the interstate commerce
commission because it dared to report
that under existing laws it could do
nothing for the people toward obtaining
reasonable or undiscriminating freight
rates. "Lustful for power" is the rea-
son he gives for their hoodwinking and
misleading the people.
Second, public sentiment has been
created by yellow newspapers and
yellower cheap magazines, in order to
increase their circulation" Mr.. Ripley
ought to know that almost every news
paper in the United States and almost
every magazine-yellow, non-yellow,
high-priced and cheap-has spoken long
and loudly for more reasonable freight
rates. Not last week or last month or
last year, but for ten years has this
steady stream of journalistic effort gone
forward. Does Mr.. Ripley imagine that
all the newspapers are edited by lot
of selfish fools, who are merely crying
o1,t ainct tho 10 ilroo dc in ordar +o q H.
vance the newspaper business? In fact,
there is scarcely a newspaper-certainly
not a respectable one-in the United
States that has not approached this
question of rate-making with the high
est appreciation of all that the rail-
roads have done for this country, and in
a spirit of perfect fairness and good
will. But they are all 'yellow" and
cheap" because they have presumed to
speak for the people on a subject of
public Importance to every section of
this country. For shame, Mr.. Ripley!
And the gentleman, lastly, says the
influence of the president has been pow
erful but mistaken. He kindly admits
the presidents honesty of purpose, but
thinks he has not given the subject
sufficient consideration. How long does
he think president ought to contem-
plate single question? Mr.. Roosevelt
has been hammering away at
this one for several years, and
we can only account for his
alleged ignorance of the subject
on the ground that he is not railroad
man and is therefore not competent to
know.
Mr. Ripley has not been fair to him
self in the address quoted. He is a
larger man than he represents himself
to be, and we would fain believe that,
like many another banquet speaker,
when he reads his speech in hard cold,
unfeeling type he will be "sorry he
spoke" At least, we hope So