The Washington herald., 1907-03-04
REMOVE THE CAUSES.
Simple Remedy for the Hostility
Railroad Managers Lament.

From the New York Tribune.
Almost daily the newspapers quote some
railroad president as deploring the public
hostility to railways On Tuesday Presi-
dent Truesdale. Of the Delaware, Lacka-
wanna and Western. and President Stick
ney, Of the Great Western Railroad,
pointed out the peril ahead for railroads
IN what Mr. Stickney called railroad
batting" Mr. Stickney said il was bound
to bring on disaster to the country at
large, and Mr. Truesdale predicted that
It would work great wrong and injustice
TO the railroad interests Of the country
and in so doing injure is general business
interests" Mr. Truesdale confessed that
mo doubt there is some justification for
this feeling of hostility. AS If 20 give
force TO this acknowledgement, the same
days papers print the news of the in
dictment Of another railroad for rebating.
There is unquestionably some truth in
what these various railroad managers say
regarding the existence Of a hostile senti-
ment toward railroads. 1t is more fully
developed in the Western States than 1t IS
here in the East, for in the western
States agitation against certain OF the
evils Of railroad management now gem
orally admitted even by railroad men,
has been carried on longer than in the
East. \ number of primaries in States
In the Middle West last fall were carried
on the anti-railroad issue. and again the
same issue arose and proved a winning
one in the elections of those States But
Il does not seem to as that the feeling is
By any means 50 great as some railroad
presidents would have Us believe nor Is
it so crystallized a 20 be full of danger
either 10 the railroads or TO the indus
trial prosperity Of the country Most of
the so-called anti-railr0ad legislation in
various States proceeds not from d spirit
Of hostility toward the railroads, but from
an honest effort, if not always wise one,
TO do justice between the conflicting in
terests of the railroads and the public.
IL is the same effort at justice that in
spired the interstate commerce legislation
Of a year ago.
The real danger is in the growth OF
hostility toward railroads. 1t is easily
conceivable that the sentiment existing
now might be inhamed 70 a perilous
degree by demagogues on the one hand
and by iil-considered action of the rail-
roads on the other. We have examples in
Chicago and Cleveland within the last
two years Of the destructive effects on
public service corporations of a thorough
~ aroused hostile public opinion il
the railroads recognize, as their presi-
dents say they do, any Justification for
public antipathy they should make al
haste to end the justifying cause. Merely
TO deplore In annual reports, ia speeches
and IN public interviews the antagOnistic
sentiment and TO point out its dangers
can do no good. II is attempting TO sweeT
back the sea. To say. as Mr.. Truesdaie
does, that much of 1t is unjust, eXag-
I gerated, unreasonable, will not cure the
trouble; for though that statement is
+ perfectly true IL Is perfectly commonplace
Whenever just hostility exists prejudicC
and unreasOH inevitably multiply It, The
railroads should do their utmost TO re-
move this Justification for the hostility
I whose existence Mr.. Truesdale cOnfesses