The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1908-02-04
vox POPULI.
Mr.. PORTER DISCUSSES
PASSENGER RATE MATTERS

-sA>o]A~J - -
Editor Pensacola Journal:
In your issue of even date, under
heavy head lines, "Will Not Accept
Liquor Shipments for Alabama" ap-
pears the announcement of the Louis
vile and Nashville railroad that ii
will no longer receive shipments of
liquor into Georgia Or Alabama, which
have recently passed prohibition acts.
1t may not be amiss to ask how this
voluntary expression of regard for
state laws COMFORTS with the oft re-
peated charges that railroads in gen.
eral. and this one in particular, openly
disregard both state and federal laws.
A chain Of charges Is no stronger
than the weakest link in 1t.
The Charleston earthquake, the
Youngstown flood, the Galveston horror,
the st. Louis cyclone, the Jacksonville
fire, the appalling and unparalleled
Frisco disaster, and PensacOla's ter
rible visitation Of fever, fire and flood
in such rapid succession, was each an
awful burden of calamity to be borns,
but each occurred at intervals, and
each was local in its nature, thereby
enabling the unaffected sections to ex-
tend the solace of sympathy and the
succor of contributions. wherever it
was anu dCCCpIdDie.
Those catastrophes, combined,
would have entailed an amount of
suffering that would have staggered
human conception to contemplate, had
they occurred simultaneously.
More recent brain storms have
wrought havoc among Industrial and
transportation enterprises, that in
point OF numbers affected, exceeds the
total or all those above enumerated
True, the present disaster has not
been attended with the loss of human
life accredited to any one of the abov.
mentioned group, but it has occasioned
imm easureably greater loss to human
labor, practically closing to a large
per centum of the working class, every
avenue of wage earning endeavor.
No, section of the country is just
now exempt from the menace of
cold, hungry populace forced into in
voluntary idieness. Such conditions
are horrible enough when they are
born OF famine. war or pestilence, but
they are simply unIbearable in times
of profound peace and prodigious
plenty.
What a Spectacle-'the land of the
free and the home of the brave" over
run with beggars, not of the ernacia-
ted kind asking aims, but robust and
willing manhood begging for work by
which they may earn a support for
them selves and their dSpendehts-
the product of the agitator. Isl mon
quaeris, circUmspice.'
PRO bono publico" is perhaps his
chosen motto, but granting to him
in his misguided action that modicum
of distinterestedness and sincerity To
which he may possibly be entitled, let
us pause for moment and consider
its application TO railroad regulation.
In attacking a three cent paSSenge-'
rate, does he not know that his attack
is delivered against the point of great
est resistance? Did it ever occur TO
him that a reasonable and general re-
ductiOn of freight rates would tighten
the burden that is borne by the con-
sumner, whose name is legion, and who
pays all the bills? If approached in
the proper manner, such a reduction
would have been conceded by trans
pOrtation companies through their
traffic managers and the honest, dis
interested efforts of real represe iiLa-
tiZes of the people to serve their con-
9fuents and their country would have
been crowned with success, without
the disaster that the peanut politician
has summoned.
The heads of, all the great railroad |
are disposed to listen to |
the demands for relief from excessive |
and oppressive freight rates but they !
fail to see anything oppressive in a |
three cent passenger fare.
When the matter IS considered by |
those unbiased by prejudice, and not |
actuated by selfish or sinister motives, |
it cannot be denied that three cent |
passenger rate is at most. only a fair !
for the comforts and |
with which the modern !
coaches are provided. In this connec- |
ton. il is proper to bear in mind that |
every item entering into the construc- |
ton of the modern coach has constantly |
advanced in price with no correspond |
ing advance in passenger rates. A |
railroad company viii transport a |
passenger one hundred miles and prod
vide heat and water for his comfort, |
and charge only three dollars. Go II |
any livery man and he would charge |
that much or more TO send you three |
miles, and furnish neither heat nor |
water, and yet no mention is made OF
any imitation statesman in miat'.Te |
getting busy along these lines, and
dedicating his time and talent, both |
valuable assets, TO DEFENDING the |
"deah peepuT' against this form OF op-
preston. 'fOh, consistency thou art
4 jewel, but, like unalloyed felicity, |
thy gardens are in the skies.
C. u. PORTER.