The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-03-03
THE SUN

needed it was sold as the personal property of Pha
roah, who gathered in all the money of the people,
and then all their hocks and finally all their lands.
"No doubt this was in accordance with the highest
standards of philanthropy, political science and
craftsmanship of the period But it is interesting to
observe that young Mr.. Rockefeller's ethical ideas
show advance those of three four thousand
years ago. He is moved with admiration for Josephs
consideration in not taking the land away from the
people, but merely changing their status from that
of landlords to that of tenants. Any farmer who has
been fOrecosed out of his title and allowed to hire
what used to be his farm could understand this
transaction better than Mr. Rockefeller TO- and
the young millionaire ought to explain of what use
he thinks the land of Egypt would have been to
Pharoah if the population had been evicted and had
had to take its choice between the desert and the
Red Sea-"
William Il. Curtis, the weknown correspondent
of the Chicago Record Herald, who has been invest
eating the matter of reduction of railroad passenger
fare, finds that the railroad in New York "are
unanimous in the opinion that the legislation in
Ohio and other states limiting the railroads to
charge of cents per mile for earring passengers is
the direct penalty of abOlishing passes"
The bill in the Ohio legislature was passed without
delay showing the feeling of the members. A SINH
lar bill was introduced in the Virginia legislature
and has passed one House, while in West Virvinia
and Kentucky two-cent-a mile bills are before the
Legislatures with every prospect of becoming laws
Mr.. Curtis says:
"This is the punishment imposed upon the
railway companies for deprivng the members of the
legislatures and their friends and other politicians
of perquisites which they have enjoyed so long
From a pecunary point of view it would have been
much more economical for the railway companies
to have continued to carry them free rather than
have their revenue from passenger tariff cut down
almost 33 per cent, because the ruling rate, except
for excursions has been about three cents a mile
The Pennsylvania Railroad which started the anti
pass movement will lose millions of dollars because
of these 2-centsa-me laws"
The passing of the law in Ohio forced the rail
road magnates to vehement rage, causing them to
declare of reprisal by not granting any
cessOns below the legal rate and this leads the New
York Tribune to express the opinion that 'thc
Ohio railroads which threaten at once to revenge
themselves and reimburse themselves for the two
centa-mie law by cutting off all excursion tickets
will probably find that the expedent is as unproht-
able financially as killing the goose that lays the
golden egg, and painful revengefuy cutting
off ones to spite ones own face Rail
roads do not make excursion rates out of dsinterest
ed love and Affection but to stimulate travel They
find it pays to make special train rate il they
induce hundred persons to travel who would not
otherwise their cars.
ut is q matter of pure business enterprise, and,
in spite of irritation the two.cent rate, the rail
roads before long Will be Issuing communication tick
cts and telling the rentpayers of Cleveland and Gin
cnnati of the charms of the suburbs which they can
reach for 10 cents and have homes of their own
with grass for the children to play on So, too, they
will be Offering round trip tickets at reduced rates
to state fairs, remens conventions and church con-
crosses.
"Temper is all very well in its way, and injured
dignity is highly impressive, but business is bust
ness and the general passenger agent who can make
two passengers grow where grew before will
tinue to be honored in Ohio and elsewhere, even
though Congress and state legislatures dare to reg