The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-05-31

a
man upon the most remote road in the
land who does not fill a public func-a
tton and render service Of large. pub
lie usefulness. -
We begrudge neither honor nor re-
ward to these men to whom we entrust
our lives and sour property. Behind
these active workers in the railroad
held are those who have the deter
mination of, railroad policies. These
men are entitled to great rewards; and
IN return public opinion is fright in
holding them to rigid accountability
for the way they perform their public
duties. For several months past some,
IL not all, of our roads have been in a
cYndition OF extreme congestion. Doubt
less this is mainly due to the fact
that our prosperity has increased at
such rate that the most sanguine and
optimistic railroads have been unable
70 keep pace with Its growth. But it
operation, which hold good In a placid
time of steady and regular movement,
should at a 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 how serious the re-
sponsibility Of those who undertake TO
transportation. / believe that there IS
sufficient ingenuity and executive ge-
MUS in the operating officials of the
complained of. The most effective way.
TO lessen demands for unreasonable
legislation Is for the railroads acting
individually and collectively to rem
edy as many as possible of the abuses
and shortcomings for which there real
ly are remedies, and for which RENEE
dial laws are demanded by the shipping
public.
The admirable national legislation of
recent years. In. taking away from the
railroads the power Of giving Illegal
favor, has taken away from them one
of the illegitimate methods by which
improper attack; and it is therefore
necessary that upright public servants
should be as vigilant to protect them
doing harm. Undoubtedly many high
officers among the railroad mon have
followed the extremely unwise course
OF endeavoring to defeat the enactment
or proper laws for their own control,
and of endeavoring to thwart, obstruct,
and bring into ldiscredit the adminis-
tration of the laws. But the folly of
some Of their number in no way alters
our DUTY, nor the wisdom of perform
ing this dnty in a spirit of absolute
justice alike to the railroad, the ship
per. and the general public.
Finally friends. let us never forget
that this Is not merely a matter of
business but also a matter of morals.
The success of our whole system of
government depends upon our discrim-
mating between men. not with refer
ence to whether they are rich or poor,
whether they follow one occupation or
another, but with reference solely to
whether they act as honest and upright
| torneys of the big roads keep out of
politics: and when they have to appear
before the National or any State Leg
islature let their names be put on q
special register, and let their business
be aboveboard and open.
Rlackmailers of Public.
There are blackmailers in public life,
and the citizen who is honest will war
mail a railroad or a big corporation
with the same stern determination to
punish him as against the man who
corruptly .fayors such corporation. But
purchase immunity In wrongdoing or
defeat b1ackmail by bribery Is the
worst and most shortsighted Of poll
cies. Let the plain people insist on the
on the other hand on doing exact JUS
tice to the railways. Let the big rail-
road man scrupuipusly refrain : FROM
any effort to influence politics or gov
eminent save as 1t is the duty of ev-
cry good citizen in legitimate ways
to try to influence politics and govern
ment; let the people as a whole, in
their turn, remember that IL Is their
way between the railway man who does
wen and the railway man who does Ill;
and, above all, to remember that the ir-
reparable moral harm done to the body
OF Matchmaking big corporation or
of corruptly doing its bidding. What
we have to demand in ourselves and in
our public servants is honesty-hon
esty to all men; and IL we condone dis
honesty because we think 1T is exer-
cised in the interests of the people,
we may rest assured that the man thus
showing 1t lacks only the opportunity
to exercise 1t against the interests of
the people. The man who on occasion
will corruptly do what is wrong in the
interests of big corporation is, the
very man eager to blackmail that cor
poration as the opportunity arises. The
man who is on occasion a corruption
list is apt, when the gust of popular
telling blows hard against the corpor-
ations he has corruptly served, to be
the loudest most reckless, and most
violent among those vino denounce
them. Hunt such man out of public
NE. Hunt him out as remorselessly as
If he was blackmailer as If he stands
corruptly for special privilege. De-
mand honesty--absolute, unfinching
honesty--together with courage and
in business man alike. Make 1t evil
dent that you will not tolerate in pub
lie life man who discriminates for
or against any other. save in your at
titude toward business men, toward
the men who are dealing with the
great financial interests of the country |
while you intend to secure a sharp |
reckoning for the wrongdoers, you also |
in legitimate, ways are doing good work |
in the business communicable rail-
way president, the traffic manager. or |
other official. high or low, who is do |
ing all in his power to handle his share |
in vast and complicated business to |
the profit alike of the stakeholder and |
the general public.
Let the man of great wealth remem-
Der that, while using and enjoying IL, !
he must nevertheless feel that he is in |
a sense a trustee, and that consistent |
misuse, whether in acquiring or spe:d-
ing his wealth. is ominous of evil to |
himself to others who have wealth,
and to the nation as whole AS for
the rest of us, let us guard ourselves
against envy as we ask that others |
guard themselves against arrogance,
and remember Lincoln's words of kind |
ly wisdom: Let not him who is house,
less pull down the house of another |
but let him work diligently and build
one for himself. thus by example as
surfing that his own shall be safe from
violence when built"