Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1907-02-14

railroad legislation, also the pending
legislation 10 the North. Dakota leRis-
lature. as it is likely to concern the
interests of the people of the state,
as we'll as the railroads themselves.
"There is a wave, almost tidal
wave, of popular feeling against the
railroads.
It Is not the intent in this talk to
60 into the rights and wrongs of this
matter, except to say that while the
opposition started is not without
reason, undoubtedly 10 this, as we'll
as other such matters, there are two
sides to the question.
But history proves that public
opinion runs 10 waves. For months
or years people will remain quiet and
suffer and then all at once they will
rise 10 their might and 60 to ex-
tremes.
Just now We seem to BEGGING to
extremes in railroad legislation.
Congress and many of the state leg.
lslators, particularly the legislatures
of the northwestern states, and state
authorities are making general on
slaughts along railroad lines. Rate
legislation as 10 both passenger and
freight. legal actions in restraint and
regulation, the most caustic criti-
cisms of the public press, are some Of
the results of this popular feeling.
The wrong part of this popular sem
timent is that it results often in a
feeling and acts of retaliation. The
people awake to the fact that the
railway corporations have been TAX
ing advantage of their apathy, and
then seek to punish the railroads.
This is human but is not right.
First, because such punishment is al
most taking to lynch law. in that
the railroad corporations have no op-
rortunivy to defend themselves. If
they have done wrong then the case
should be taken to the courts. Sec
ond, because to cripple the railroads
is against the interests Of the people.
just now we know that in North Da-
kota and adjoining states the roads
are denso ed for some reason.
4 ssa VII Is 4 Jaia gr deIjt.4 u u
for the want of sufficient equipment,
want of terminal facilities, of double
tracking and. many more things chat
cost money.
Western North Dakota in.particu.
lar and all the northwest in general
needs additional railways, and will
until the time comes when.-no farmer
will have more than ten miles as the
maximum distance to haul to marx.
ct. Now, is it good policy, Just to
punish the railroads fol east deeds to
so cripple them as to make it impos-
sible to provide for those future
needs that are so apparent and neces-
sary to all?
We are not attempting to argue so
much for the RAILROADS.&C. a rule
they are..amply able to care TO: them
selves-but for our own interests.
For instance there is now before the
legislature of this state an arbitrary
statute reducing the passenger fare
to two cents a mile. We do not know
enough personally about railroad sta
tistics and affairs to be able to give
an opinion as to whether this i: too
little or to great. 1t may be possible
that one cent mile would be sutii-
cient, If so we should certainly favor
it, but on the other hand we should
not favor two cent rate unless we
we're satisfied that it gave the roads
sufficient remuneration.
In old times the punishment for
stealing was to cut off the right
hand, but we have learned better
now. Perhaps some of the roads
ought to have their hands cut off,
but they would not be of much use
to the public afterwards.
1t is the province Of the court to
punish for the past, but the legisla-
Jure should simply aim to regulate
on a conservative basis for the fu-
ture.
May Modify Order Through the
efforts of the states congressional del
egation, Senator McCumber, con-
gresham Gronna, and others. the