The Ordway new era., 1907-06-07

wusSo unvo auVocateu above, the Law
snouid be amended SO that railroads
may be permitted and encouraged tc
make tramc agreements when these
are In the interest Of the general public
as wen as oi the railroad corporations
making them. These agreements
should. OF course. be made public In
the minutest detail. and should be sub
)ect TO securing the previous assent OF
the interstate Commerce Commission
The movement 10 regulate railway
ny law mas come to stay. The people
OF this country have made up their
minds-and wisely made up theIr
minds-tO exercise "a closer contro
over all kinds OF ;iublic.seryice corpor
atoms. including railways. Every hon.
estiy managed railway will gain and
not lose by this policy.
THE men more anxious to manipu
late stocks than to make the manaae
ment OF their roads efficient and hon
est are the only ones who have cause
to oppose II.
we who believe In STEADY aps
healthy progress stand unalterably foi
the new era Of the widest publicity
and of fair dealing on the part OF rail
roads with stockholders. passengers
and shippers. We ask the consent OF
no man In carrying out this policy; but,
we gladly welcome q e aid of every
man in perfecting the law in its details
and In securing its enactment and the
faithful observance OF its wise proyis
ions. We seek nothing revolutionary
We ask for such laws as In their es.
sence now obtain In the staid old com
monwealth OF Massachusetts: such
laws as now obtain in England. The
purpose of those of us who so reso
lutely believe In the new policy, in itg
thorough carrying out and In its pro
sressive development. is In no sense
punitive or vlndictiyc. We would be
the first to protest against any form
of coniiscation OF property. and
whether We protested or not, may add
that the Supreme Court can be trusted
in any event to see that there should be
nothing done under the guise OF regu
lating roads 10 destroy property with
out just compensation or without due
process OF law.
'As matter OF course. we shall pun
ish any criminal whom we can convict
under the law. but we have no inten
ton of confounding the innocent
many and the guilty few by any III
judged and sweeping scheme OF ven
seance. Our aim is primarily TO pre-
vent these abuses In the future. Wher
ever evil doers can be. they shall be
brought TO Justice; and no criminal
high or low, whom We can reach will
receive immunity. But the rights OF
innocent investors should not be Jeop
ardized by legislation or executive nc
ton: we sanction no legislation which
would fall heavily on them. instead OF
on the original wrongdoers or beneiici
aries of the wrong.
"There must be no such rigid laws
as will prevent the development Of the
country, and such development car
only be had II investors are offered an
ample reward for the risk they take"
THE experience OF the past winter
proves how great Is our dependence on
the railroads and how serious the re
sponsibility of those who undertake to
care for the public in the matter OF
transportation. believe that there lie
sufficient ingenuity and executive gen
ius in the operating officials OF the
roads greatly to diminish the troubles
complained Of.
"The most effective way to lessen
demands for unreasonable legislation
is for the railroads acting individually
and collectively to remedy as many as
possible Of the abuses and shortcom.
ings for which there are remedies. and
for which remedial laws are demanded
by the shipping public.
"The admirable national legislation
of recent years. in taking away from
the railroads the power of giving ille-
gal favor. has taken away from them
one of the illegitimate methods by
which they used to protect themselves
from improper attack: and 1t Is there
fore necessary that upright public ser.
wants should be as vigilant to protect
them against harm as to prevent them
from doing harm.
What we have to demand in our.
selves and in our public servants is
honesty-honesty to all men; ana II
we condone dishonesty because we
think 1t is exercised in the interests q
the people, we may rest assured tnat
the man thus showing it lacks only the
opportunity to exercise It against the
interests of the people. The man VINO
on occasion will corruptly do what is
wrong in the interest OF a big corpora
tion is the very man eager to piack-
mail that corporation as the opportun-
ity arises.
1.-THE man who is on occasion cor
ruptionist, is apt, when the gust OF
popular feeling blows hard against the
corporations he has corruptly served.
to be the loudest, most reckless ana
most violent among those VINO DE.
nounce them. Hunt such man ont OF
public life. Hunt him out as remorse-
iessly IL he is a blackmailer as II he
stands corruptly for special privilege.
'.Demand honesty-absolute, un-
flincbing honesty-together with cour-
age and common sense, in public SER
want and in business man alike.