Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1907-03-13
! OUTSIDE POINT OF VIEW

we read OF John %. Rockefeller pat
lting reporters on the shoulders and
! "sorry my boy have nothing to tell
YOU today" And j. p Morgan, the man
one reporter told If he was a rich man,
he would treat newspaper men decent
Ily. actually following the good advice.
But Hartman, the railroad magnate,
actually has the greatest change OF
heart. Lately not only has he allowed
himself to be interviewed, but volun-
tarily opens his mouth and talks Just
like other men. In some of the WASH
Iington correspondence we are told that
when Mr., Hartman paid his social
| visit to the interstate commerce com
mission, he is reported to have said IN
substance:
| 1--WE made UP my mind In future, to
give more attention to the interests OF
the public in railroad affairs It has
never been my idea to concern myself
much about the relations of the pub
lie Ito the railroads, but propose here
after to give public Information; to
take it. into my confidence as to mat
tiers it is entitled to know about.
think shall give the newspapers more
of the information they want about the
business of the roads am connected
with. The commission, In my opinion,
would be more useful to the community
lie it would cooperate with the rail-
road managers and with the public in
| ali these questions. It could be most
useful as a medium to secure smooth
and satisfactory relations among rail-
Iroads.'
TO- NON aCnnr60nnA
are informed that this same Hartman
lis waiting in Washington to see Pres
ident Roosevelt "and have talk"
A**
Equally suggestive are the remarks
of Vice President Byrnes at Danbury,
Conn. In explanation 1T should be mems
toned that President Mellen of the
New York and New Haven railroad,
has in the past a number Of times ap-
peared before the Connecticut legisla-
ture, made speeches, invited questions
and politely answered them. MT,
Byrnes said:
IT believe Mr.. MeIlen has adopted the
| right course when he goes to the leg
islature and tells what he wants, AMI
LIE IL is not granted, then we settle
down and accept that as the will of the
people. When your service is not sat-
lisfactory to you, do not Ngo to the club
| and order another Scotch highball and
damn the railroads; come to me Or to
| someother man in authority, and ask
for facilities, not as IA favor, for no
American citizen wants facilities as a
favor, but as right, and you will re-
| ceive them, There have been in the
past arbitrary acts on the part of the
railroads, but the ethics of Rob Roy
are not to be exercised on this prop
erty."
And a. few days ago the Nebraska
| legislature passed tWo-cent fare bill.
The governor signed it and it was to
take effect Immediately, At midnight
on that day the c., B. g. @. r. r. COM
menced selling tickets at two cents per
mile.
What does all of this mean? Simply
this. That finally, the officials of or
big corporations have absorbed the
idea, that the people have the power to
control the corporations. It's a long
while since Commodore Vanderbilt u--
| tered his famous "damn the public
1t has taken many years for his pro1o-
types to learn such language was moi
only impolite but unpolitic. Only with
in the last four years have there beer
signs OF sense governing the action Of
corporation officials. Slowly, but sure
ly has the fact been established thai
the same people that grant the fran
chise, have the power to control til'
corporation making under said fran
chise.
And now drunk with victory" WI
are more than liable to go to extrena'
of anti-corporation legislation. Presi,
dent Roosevelt is credited with ex'
pressing fear that he has stirred III
sentiment impossible to keep in CON