The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-05-31

way facilities should be so increased
as to nee the imperative demands of
our internal commerce. The want can
be met only by private capital, and
the vast expenditure necessary for
such purpose will not be incurred un-
less private capital is Afforded reason
able incentive and protection. 1t is
therefore a prime necessity to allow
investments in railway properties to
earn a liberal return, a return suf-
ficiently liberal to cover all risks. We
can not get an improved service un-
less the carriers of the country can
sell their securities; and therefore no
thing should be done unwarra1tedly
to impair their credit nor to decrease
the value IF their outstanding obi
cations.
l emphatically believe that positive
restraint should be imposed upon rail
way corporations, and that they should
be required to meet positive obliga-
lions in the interest of the general
public. 1 no less emphatically be
lieve that in thus regulating and con-
trolling the affairs of the railways it
is necessary to recognize the reed of
an immense outlay of money from pri-
waite sources, and the certainty that
this will not be met without the as
Surance of sufficient reward t o induce
the necessary investment. 1t is plain
ly iladvisable for the Government to
undertake to direct the physical opera
ton of the railways, save in wholly
exceptional cases.; n the supervision
and control it exercises should be both
entirely adequate to secure it's ends,
and yet no more h~arassilg than is
necessary to secure these end
l believe that the railroad men of
the United States are coming to a
Dire perfect of the responsible
lily of the relation which they bear
to the public, and of the dignity of
that relation. They r public serv-
ants in the highest and fullest sense.
Indeed, there is not a brakeman nor
a switchman upon a most remote
road in h land VINO does not fill a
public function and render a service
of large public usefulness. We be-
grudge neither honor nor reward to
these men to whom we entrust our
lives and our property. Behind these
active workers in the railroad field
are those who have the determination
of railroad policies. These men are
entitled to great rewards; and in re
turn public opinion is right in hold
ing them to a rigid accountability for
the way they perform their public du-
ties. For several months past some,
II IOI dll, vi oVI 1OddS ldNC OCCu III
a condition of extreme congestion.
Doubtless this is mainly due to the
fact that the country has outgrown its
railroads, that our prosperity has ia
creased at such a rate that the most
sanguine and optimistic railroads have
been unable to keep pace with it's
growth. But it is also true that ordi-
nary methods of operation, which hold
good in a placid time of steady and
regular movement, should at a time
of crisis yield to. the imperative &C.
essities of public need.
The experience OF the past winter
proves how great is our dependence
on the railroads and how serious h
responsibility of those who undertake
to care for the public in the matter of
transportation. 1 believe that there is
sufficient ingenuity and executive gen.
ius in the operating officials of the
roads greatly to diminish the troubles
complained of. The most effective
way to lessen demands for
able legislation is for the railroads
acting individually and collectively
to remedy as many as possible of the
abuses and shortcomings for which
there really are remedies, and for
which remedial laws are demanded
by the shipping public.
The admirable national legislation
of recent years, in taking away from
the railroads the power of giving lille
gal favor. has taken AWAY from them
one of the Legitimate methods by
which they S to protect themselv-
es from improper attack; and it is
therefore necessary that upright pub
lie servants should be as vigilant to
protect them against harm as to pre-
vent them from doing harm. I'm
doubtedly many high officers among
the railroad men nave followed the
extremely unwiSe course of e~ndeavor-
ing to defeat he enactment of proper
avs for their own control, n of en-
deavoring to thwart, obstruct, and
bring into discredit the administration
of the laws. But the folly of some of
their number in no way alters our
duty nor the wisdom of performing
this duty is a spirit of absolute JUS
'tice alike to the railroad the shipper
inc the general public.
Finally friends let us never forget
THAT this is not merely a matter of
business but also a matter of morals.
success of our whole system of
government depends upon our discri-
minating between men, not with re-
ference to whether they are rich OIL
poor, whether they follow one occu-
poIAoA1 " oAOtAISA, UdL ~ V1SC
solely to whether they act as honest
and upright citizens should act. Let
the local attorneys of the big roads
keep out of politics; and when they
have to appear before the National or
any State legislature let their names
be put on a special register, and let
their business be aboveboard and
open. There are blackmailers in pub
lie life. and the citizen who is honest
will war against the man who tries
to blackmail a railroad or a big cor
poration with the same stern determi-
nation to punish him Is against the
man who ~corruptly favors such cor
poration. But let the railroad man re
member that to purchase immunity
in wrongdoing or to defeat blackmail
by bribery is the worst and most short
sighted of policies Let the plain
people insist Or the one land on gov
themselves and on the other
hand on doing exact justice to the
railways. Let the big railroad man
refrain from any effort
to influence politics IT government
save as it is the duty of every good
in legitimate ways to try to in
fluence politics and government: let