New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-05-31

vestments in railway properties to earn a lib
eral return, a return sufficiently liberal TO cover
all risks. We cannot get an lmProvoo ne. .Sn;
unoss the carriers of the country can sell their
securities; and therefore nothing should be oone
unwarrantedly to impair their credit nor 10 de-
crease the value OF their outstanding oo"sa-
tons.
MUST ASSURE SUFFICIENT REWARD.
emphatically believe that positive restraint
should be imposed upon railway corporations
and that they should be required to meet posi-
tive obligations in the interest OF the genera
public. L no less emphatically believe that III
thus regulating and controlling the affairs Of the
railways it is necessary to recognize the heed
of immense outlay OF money from private
sources, and the certainty that this VIII not De
met without the assurance of sufficient reward
induce tho necessary investment. 1t is plainly
inadvisable for the government to undertake 10
direct the physical operation of the railways
save in wholly exceptional cases; and the super
vision and control It exercises should be both
entirely adequate to secure its ends, and yet no
more harassing than is necessary to secure these
ends
believe that the railroad men of the United
States are coming to a more perfect sense of
the responsibility OF the relation which they
bear TO the public, and of the dignity of that
relation. They public servants in the high
est and fullest sense Indeed. there is not
brakeman nor switChman upon the most re-
mote road In the land who does not fill public
function and render a service of large public
usefulness We begrudge neither honor
ward to these men TO whom we intrust our lives
and our property. Behind these active workers
in the railroad field those who have the
determination OF railroad policies These men
are entitled 10 great rewards: and in return
public opinion is right in holding them TO
rigid accountability for the way they perform
their public duties.
REMEDIES FOR CONGESTION.
For several months past some. if not all. OF
our roads have been IN condition OF extreme
congestion. Doubtless this is mainly due to
the fact that the country has outgrown its rail-
roads, that our prosperity has increased at such
a rate that the most sanguine and optimistic
railroads nave been unable to keep pace with
its growth. But 1t Is also true that ordinary
methods or operation, which hold good in a
placid time Of steady and regular movement,
should nj time of crisis yield to the imperative
necessities OF public need.
The experience Of the past winter proves how
great Is our dependence on the railroads and
now serious the responsibility OF those who un-
dertake 10 care for the public in the matter OF
transportation believe that there IS sufficient
ingenuity and executive genius in the operating
otnciaIs or the roads greatly TO diminish the
troubles complained OF. The most effective wav
10 lessen demands for unreasonable legislation
Is Tor the railroads acting Individually and COL
lectively 70 remedy as many as possible Of ,ha
abuses and shortcomings for which there really
are remedies. and for which remedial laws are
demanded by the shipping public
The admirable national legislation Of racen.
years, IN taking away from the railroads the
power or giving Illegal favor, has taken away
rom them one OF the illegitimate methods by
which they used 10 protect themselves from i'm
proper attack; and II is therefore necessary
mat upright public servants should be as vigil
liant to protect them against harm as To Drevent
mem from doing harm. Undoubtedly many
nigh officers among the railroad men have fol-
IoWed the extremely unwtse course or endeaVOr-
ing TO defeat tho enactment OF proper laws for
thelr own control and Of endeavoring to thwart
obstruct and bring into discredit the admlnIstra-
non ION OF tne laws. But the folly OF some OF
their number In no way alters our duty nor the
wisdom OF performing this duty in a spirit OF
absolute justice alike to the railroad the shin
per and the general public.
\ MATTER OF BUSINESS AND MORALS
Finally. friends. let us never forget that this
ls not merely matter OF business but also a
matter of morals. The success OF our whole
system OF government depends upon our dis
terminating between men, not with reference to
whether they are rich poor, whether they
loIIoW one occupation or another but with ref
erence solely to whether they act as honest and
upright citizens should act Let the local at
torneys OF the big roads keep out of polItics:
and when they have to appear before the ma
uonal or any state legislature let their names
be put on a special register, and let their busf-
ness be abOVeboard and open
Ihere are blackmailers In public life, and the
citizen who Is honest viii war against the mar
who tries TO blackmail railroad or a big cor
poratlon with the same stern determination 10
punish him as against the man who corr,lptIy
favors such corporation. But let the railroad
man remember that To purchase immunity in
wrongdong or to defeat blackmalI by bribery Is
the worst and most shorts GIFTED of policies
Let the plain people insist the one hand on
governing themselves and on the other hand on
Let the big railroad scrupuousiy refrain
from any effort TO influence politics or Govern
ment save as II is tho duty of every good citizen
in legitimate ways to try to influence ootics
and government let tho people as whole in
their turn, remember that il is their dutv 20
discriminate in the sharpest way between tho
railway man who does we'll and the railway
man who does ILL and, above all, to remember
that the irroParablo moral harm done to the
body Politio by corruption is Just as great
whether tho corruption takes tho form Of biaok
maIiInp big corporation or of corruptIy doino
its bidding.
HONESTY TO ALL MEN DEMANDED |
What we have to demand in ourselves and I'm
our public servants is honesty-honesty To all |
men; ana II We cOndone dishonesty because wa |
thnk 1t is exercised In the interests OF The nao
pie we may rest assured that the man thus |
showing 1t lacks only the opportunity 10 aver
else 1t against the interests of the peoDle The |
man who ON occasion will corruptIy do what "a |
wrong IN the interests of big corporation is the
Very man eager To blackmail that CORPORATION
as the opportunity arises
Inc man who Is on occasion a corruptionist L. |
apt when the gust of popular feeling blows |
hard against the corporations he has rorruDtI,
served. to be the loudest, most reckless and |
most violent among those who denounce them |
Huit sueh man out OF public life. Hunt |
nm out as remoTselessly If he is a backmailar |
as II he stands corruptly for snecial ,rii;iaaH
Demand honesty-absolute, unnnchtng honest,,
-tosether with courage and common sense In |
pubic servant ana In business man alike Make
II evident that you will not tolerate i'm nuhlic
life man who discriminates for or against am,
other save as Justice and reason demand n and
that in your attitude toward business mn
toward the men who are dealing with Tho aras|
lihahclal interests or the country, while Won in
TEND 10 secure sharp reckoning for the wrong /
doeFs, you also intend heartily to favor tha rDen
who in legitimate ways are doing good yvort -
The business communicable railway presidenr
me tratlc manager or other Official high or low
VINO IS doing all in his power To handle his Sbarl
In a vast and complicated business tn The 1proa.
ahke OF the stocKhoider and the general public