The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-08-16
PUBLIC OPIN ION

J
RERA IINe.
Philadelphia, Record.
Various Natures 81 railrbai MN.
segment lead e the. re -enac nent of
the Interatate Commerce Law hat
the prinsipas PIE ives ;tta: 'sfta q
lower rates to the big shippers tnan
to the small ones TIE 1pailpoa.l CON.
psnies were operating the eogtpsseiRl
highways Of the country. The !. aess
and rolling stock Nsre,privats bltp.
ssty, but the railroads were perform
jng ssnipublic function; they were
uaquey ,icnsbly compon capgleps ard
bstops tlers were Enslish writes sat
rss common car;tas were Jrsaalrsd
!, render impartial sssslces % the
community. z 3Nt.sl
The Interstate cpelmeree law pro
albited pretereSl,Hl ra.ns. and We pre,
SUI . that there ts MI !awysr in :he
tltntry who eaie.,ains any aai'btEt
tic right Of the community 10 impose
81 .hla pro6ibltlil: YET the groat
shlspersl and the railroad companies
-Ta.i hbIattentiop; to,i. Amer tliat l:gw..
eaa bsdq in fierce IS years it was Fe,
in.orced By the' Elkins law, which
j. re specifically aimed at tie: ais.
{. ;ninatlous rail ~ companies allow.
ed to great shippers; sometimes be.
cause they honestlNfeared that some
other railroad would get the business,
and sometimes because Of arrange.
ments- betwaen-tha carrier and the
shipper that have never been dis,
closed, but that are open to grave Sqts1
pIcion. The shoppers and the railroad
Icpmpaptes4p9ld no MORE attention TO
Ike Elkihns la* law than they did to
the cullom law. Now that penalties of
,sgo. 900 for each ottepse are being in;
posed the pFactiye will beepqe rare
We believe that carriers and great
shippers viii now take notice that this
method Of crushing the small ship
pers must be abandoned instantly
The PHILOSOPHY d cOwaFdiee.
New York World. ! t.4.5. t3'.. NJ. !.
It is safe to assume that r.. 40 brave
man, would be a coward II He could.
| II is equally safe to assume that there
lives .. no J. coward who would not Se |.
brave ii il ii were. possible to exchange
the one, quality fol. the; other. Coward Cove
Ice per sl' Sc is not a voluntary condition,
Its requirement, is not sought, Its
possession, is desptsed BY those. n
whom who il is inborp, for it Is as surely
/ a part Of the psychological equipment
, cf. some natures as courage Is t the
equipment Of other natures.
The ancient Creeks stoned their
towards to death. The North Ameri:
can Indians tortured them by fire. The
early Romans dashed them through the
streets, The women Of Brittany 5eer
ed them and spat upon them as they
writhed and trembled in the pillor,y.
But the,stoning, the, tortpres, the lash ash
ings and the infliction, Of indlgnltle4
never made brave man, out Of COW GOV
ard. AS civilization advanced, scorn,
disdain and humillattng penalties to 9,f
The place Of capital punishment and htl
nhysical chastisement, ani this BE-
came a greater agony to the coward
than death itself, To be stripped o.
his uniform and drupmed out OF the he
army with his comrades as witnesses wines Is
vas a more poignant torture for the he
coward soldier than to, sit on his o E%l
coffin 5nd have his heart torn with
l,ullets-because he was a coward.
Neither environment nor education
can alter a mental condition which
does not exist from choice and whose p, i
existence. Is hated by him in whom u
exists. The physical coward Is 90
serving OF pity rather than coqld L: fr1l
t:on, but even while We PITY we sh tfll
debarnlmt from any place in tne army Y
the navy or the constabulary' where e :
bravery Is the essential quality o.
nemhersAip, :ust as We would GepaF
the 81 mless, man from participation IN
a boat. race or the leglessmFatn ~ from I! 9
Contest Of speed against men WIN
!sgs. te-g%.s,
5i y;G'# NJ