Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1908-03-20
Railroad Strife.

Although as things now stand tnere
is little hope that the people can be
quickly aroused to the dangers of a
situation that has been the steady
growth and development Of years, it
nevertheless behooves the general pub
lie to give more serious consideration
to the railroad question than it has
yet been disposed to do.
That the railroads, or most Of them,
by reason of their conduct in times
past, are largely responsible for exist
ing conditions, it would be a waste Of
time for anybody to try to deny. Take
the old Richmond and Danville for
instance, as a familiar example. Dur
ing many years previous to its failure
it was run on the well known princi-
next to the impossible to secure the
settlement of the most just claims,
overcharges, delays, shortages or dam
ages Of any kind, and iGs business gen.
orally was conducted on lines hat full
ly justified its being considered pub
lie enemy 1t was probably the worst
sinner of wslich We have any recollec-
ton: but the railroad that sought to
deal fairly and squarely with the pub
lie was an exception.
Things have changed very much
during the past few years. Practically
all of the railroads have been brought
around to the policy of showing the
public greater consideration. Their
attitude has been effected in part by
laws more or less just and wholesome;
but more largely, it is fair to say by a
general recognition on the part Of the
railroad management that the public
is not only the real master of any sit
uation; but when aroused by injus-
tice or unfairness it is all powerful to
get all that is coming to it.
But Notwithstanding the fact that
the attitude of the railroads to the
public has changed to one of the most
careful consideration, it would hardly
be correct to say that the public is yet
fully Modified. The railroads are still
being made to suffer for past offenses,
and there are not infrequent cases
where the retributive justice admin
istered is rather more severe than some
of the original offenses. This, of
course, is very natural, and may be
very satisfactorily illustrated in the
old story of the farm hand who, when
expOStuated with for meeting an at
tack of the farmers bull dog with the
sharp end Of pitchfork, instead of
the handle, argued that the dog should
have come at him with the other end.
The railroads have been catching it
heavy and they are still catching it
heavy. AS to whether they will be
able to hold out until the public real
ICES that they have been sufficiently
punished as matter Of guess work.
AS we see it there is no safe premise
on which it is possible to base an ac-
curate prediction.
But there is another feature of the
troubles Of the railroad, the event Of
which is not likely to be so uncertain,
between the management and the la
Dor organizations. AS yet the public
has not realized that it is interested;
but that it will come to a realization
of the fact that it is vitally interested
is a conclusion that cannot be escaped
by those who undertake to reason the
thing out to the end.
That the laborer should have fair
pay for his work is right. and the pub
lie stands ready To back him up in it.
But when the laborer gets good pay
and short hours, he must give good
service. 1t is Il fact that the service
on many of the railroads has sadly de-
Perforated with more pay and shorter
hours. 1t is Il fact that hundreds and
thousands of labOrers have not shown
proper appreciation of the substantial
concessions that they have won from
the railroads. II is a fact that much
delayed freight and freight shortages.
as well as freight and passenger
wrecks in which lives are lost is due
to dishonest service on the part of well
paid employees. and here is where the
interest of the public begins to come
in.
1t is all right for the employe to de-
mand such wages as will enable him to
keep his family in comfort and edu-
cate his children. If he is not getting
such wages, he is entitled to them. OF
course. the public pays the bill. If
there is an increase of 10 or 20 per
cent in wages. where the employe de-
mandS it and the railroad grants 1t,
the public pays the bill. The public
will stand a great deal in this direc-
ton: but let the public once begin to
realize that the service being rendered
by the emplOye is not reasonably in
proportion to the wages paid and the
time put in. and the employe will be-
gin to catch the pitch fork with the