The sun., 1907-08-21
TEE SOUTH AND TINE RAILWAYS.

priety In the South being nrst to cast up the
account Of its experiments after q full gener-
alton Of trial. The measures heretofore ad-
vanced by the Federal Government against
similar creations Of law bear TO the outsider
little evidence Of logical process: they seem
sporadic. saltatory. sometimes Vindictive.
always empirical. The Southern States that
have so far acted against such Frankensteins
OF their own making. or OF their own assured
consenting. appear to be inspired by sem
blanoe .. least Of legislative consistency In
holding that the creature is under the con-
tlnuing tutelage and control OF the creator,
and to the latter alone pertain the pains OF
discipline. While wiser heads argue out this
tanxle between parent and stepfather, little
light may be cast on the problem by adding to
Mr.. Richard II. Edmonds's clear out letter In
last Fridays Sun the testimony OF q survivor
Of the primary railway trust below Mason and
Dixon's line.
President Roosevelt (uncls OF the nations
present Chief Executivel In addressing his
maiden report to the shareholders OF the
Southern Railway Security Company In June.
1873. announced the control" by that COM
pany OF a majority OF the total railway nile
age OF the Southern States east OF the Missls-
sippi and south OF the Ohio and Potomac
rivers. This control covered the lines now
forming the backbones Of the Southern Rail
way. Atlantic Coast and Louisville and Mash
vile systems. 1t reached from Washington
to Richmond. Wilmington. Charleston. Mo-
bile. Memphis. and was about to add Savannah
and New Orleans to Its termini. Its process
was constructive, not destructive: its pro-
claimed intention TO commend the Southern
Railway Security Company TO the people OF
the South The total cost OF this patriarchal
ownership OF railways In the generous terri
tory named was as OF May, 1878. -. 2s9, ,osA eS.
This included the major part Of the cost Of
building the Piedmont Air line between
Danville. Va. and Atlanta, Ca. planned to
be las IL long since has become) the middle
link Of the shortest route between New York
and New Orleans" The cost Of that domi-
mating line. through q rough country. was
about So, 900 q mile which was more ridio-
ulous In the eyes OF present day readers
the total cost Of thus controlling the railways
of those States. or the opportunity thrown
away for cspitalising Che most important
link In that territory's development-each
reader must determine. Anyhow. the di-
rectors OF the company published the plain
facts in black type.
The list OF those directors has to do with much
that is now asitsting our two national capi-
tails. Besides President James Roosevelt
there were M. X. Jesup. II. b. Plant, ID. Willis
James. q. W. Cass. r. T. Wilson. Thomas A.
Scott, W. T. Walters, b. y. Newcomer and
J. Donald Cameron. Excepting two. | be-
lieve, all these strong men have died. The
many works they initiated and In most cases
carried to success remain In the three great
railway systems OF the South Southern
Railway, Atlantic Coast Line. Louisville and
Nashville In the upbuilding OF the Northwest
and Of the Southwest. and in the existing rela-
tions between all competitive trunk lines the
continent over. None who knew them will
accuse these men Of either verbose altruism
or lack Of courage in their convictions. They
we're fighters by temperament and by the
bitter experiences borne Of the only war
worth mentioning to Americans since the
Revolution. Among their convictions were
these: I. That what Is called the South had
few people in relation to its contents. ?. That
the Mississippi River was a streak on q ma p
with little to do with limiting the commercial
and industrial supremacy OF the United States.
g. That any men who we're willing to furnish
money and transportation to the South. the
Northwest and the Southwest had good
chance Of recoupins. with profit.
These men bought up lot OF Southern
railway stocks at the then extrsvsgsnt cost
Of 80 per cent OF the proprietary Companies
infantiie capitalization. and leased vor were
contra ing to operate most Of the rest. In
their irst report they admitted in cold print
that the year 1873 would show rs per cent. in
crease in earnings over 1872: that they were
buying stocks and bonds Of competing lines
right and left; that their purpose was TO
prevent competition In any uhwholssoHss
form: that they aimed TO concentrate busi-
ness over their lines" and that they sought
a recognized control over all such lines pres
ent and future.
1t was all frank enough. and no hint came
from State or Federal capital. or from the
people Of any community, that any crime
was doing or contemplated. Each railway.
however controlled. had it's particular State
charter with specified obligations and fran
chises; the parent security company had like
| charter from Pennsylvania. They all seemed
to fit in. and nobody invoked the Man at
washin gton although the world Of those days
thought him no weakling. The South that
year was producing almost 100000 bales OF
cotton. selling at as high as TX cents pound.
IL was getting rich fast. so fast that there
was much talk Of building cotton mills down
there on the strength Of improving railroad
| facilities. II the Northerners chose to build
and operate the railroads. why shouidn Z
they? As to the several States. their attitude
was quite fairly defined. When a farmer
shooed a tuberculous screw horn in front
Of twenty mile express and collected the
price Of q blooded Alderney from Jury OF
had been or would-bs emulators. the trust "
paid the bill. When larger questions were at
issue the trust" went into the State courts.
Sometimes it won; often IL didn't. Nobody
bothered Grant.
Moreover. this was no Northern scheme Of
mystery and sin. Everybody old enough
must remember the condition Of the Southern
railways after the close Of the war. In 1873