Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1907-03-17
sTAHD1No IN THEIR OWN LleHr.

STANDING IN THEIR OWN LiGHI'
Mr.. Hartman admits that most Of
the troubles OF the railroads have
come from their own mistaken policy
of leaving to lawyers and subordinates
the important questions arising be-
tween the railroads and the govern
ment and the people. Nowhere has
the truth of this assertion been so
strikingly exemplihed as here in Ne
braska.
The railroads have, doubtless, been
arbitrary and autocratic in other
states, but in no state have they been
80 narrow, so foolish and so reckless
Of consequences as they have been
here. Accustomed so long to have
their own way unimpeded, to defy
public sentiment with impunity and to
control subservient public officers,
these lawyers and subordinate" have
been unable to realize the changed
conditions. The most fragrant exam
pie of their short-sightedness was
their bat blind refusal to pay their
taxes for three successive years, end
ing with a decree of the United States
supreme court ordering them to pay
up in full, with interest and penalties,
aggregating thousands of dollars.
That foolhardy procedure cost the
railroads doing business in Nebraska
in loss of prestige many times the
amount of money at stake and many
times the cost of their disastrous It'll
cation.
II the men in control of the railroad
interests in Nebraska would profit by
the example set by Mr.. Hartman in
his endeavor to get closer to the presi-
dent and to the people they would re-
verse the tactics they are pursuing
before the IL gislature at Lincoln. In
stead of keeping a retinue of paid lob
byists at the capital and importing a
small army of pass favorites and re-
bate beneficiaries to manipulate the
members of the two houses, they
would take their hands off and come
out in the open. Instead of resorting
to doubtful persuasives in dark corri-
doris and back rooms to block and up
set the party's reform program, which
the governor and legislature are in
duty bound to see executed. they
would meet them half way and with
draw all distractions to measures
clearly demanded in the interest of
| the people. Instead of inviting re-
prisals they would ask for nothing
more than a square deal and rely on
the governor to protect them from
anything palpably unfair.
The men in control of the railroads
in Nebraska should not again make
the mistake of imagining a temporary
victory achieved by purchase or coer-
cion to be worth having at the cost OF
popular resentment. They should re-
member that the reform movement In
this state is only now coming into its
own. They should remember that
within two months the State Board OF
Assessment will be making another
assessment of the railroad property
the first since the United States su.
preme court declared that the judg'
ment of that body is final. They
should remember that within a very
few weeks a new state railway com
mission fully vested with plenary pow
ers will be ready to listen to com.
plants presented by the people. They
should take Mr.. Harriman's keynote
of harmony TO heart rather than ere
ate further antagonisms. In a word
they should wake up to the fact that
they have been standing in their owl
light and they should set themselve!
right with the public as fast as they