The morning journal-courier., 1908-04-06
MELLEN SARCASTIC


Ter IN this country, and am probably |
as familiar as any man In this COM
munity as to structures, equipment !
and service prevailing throughout this |
country upon its various railroads and
street railways, and | know ] am
within bounds when | tell You that
upon the average there is not better
or safer service anywhere or at cheap
er rates than enjoyed within this
state.
Not that there are not many Illngs
that should be improved that will be
improved, but ! mean take II all in
all there Is less 10 be complained Of
here In almost any equal extent OF
territory anywhere in this country.
All this has been accomplished with
a minimum of regulation, by an al
most absolute monopoly and despite
charges of exercise of political power
and the use of money, that almost ell,
so far as / can discover, result from
the anger and disappointment of those
who have sought the support of that
supposed power and money with un-
satisfactory results.
Were / to call names / could ex-
plain to your entire satisfaction tho
occasion for nearly all the opposition,
personal and political, that has come
to my attention during the little less
than five years have been connected
with this property.
Here again say the people of this
state will have as good a government
as they want, and / know they would
much prefer return to the good old
times of which we read about than
the gradual placement of the Third
House ana the liberal support It Is
missing so seriously just now and to
which the public service corporations
are reported to in the past have AIRED
for so satisfactorily.
II Is reported that for years money
has been used laylshly to procure leg
islation for tho company | am con-
nected with More legislation favor
able to the company has been OBJ
tanned during my connection with
IT than in ten years previously and
the most important was given me by
unanimous vote in the house of rep
rcsentatIvcs, and the hottest anti
corporation man In the state would
not have the hardihood TO claim u
result like that could have occurred
through use of unfair means.
After years of clamor and when
openly charged and not denied that
unfair influences have been eXerted
to secure favors from the state end
nothing was done,--now when such
charges have practically ceased; when
every effort TO rehabiltate the prop
erty, and make of II an efficient agent
| for your service, is being shown; when
rates have been reduced and service
and facilities UNNECESSARILY improved
now Is the time to show apprecia-
/ ton for the change and tie-up, ham
per. restrict and constrain because In
grandpa's time we have heard naugh-
ty things were done and they might
be done again, don't you know.
Connecticut has a solvent and sound
public scrvice corporation, an eiiic-
lent and safe service, facilities that
will compare favorably with hose
anywhere in the country, rates so low
as to cause embarrassment and re-
monstrance from similar companies
serving neighboring territory; a COM
pany mindng its own business, neith-
or interfering In local or national pol
itlcs, and divorced 70 n greater extent
from Third house methods than prob
ably any other similar company in
the country,
Under such circumstances we want
a commission composed of men who
know little or nothing of the business
to supervise and to protect the public
that is better and more cheaply served
than ever before that we may force
this corporation to again enter the
political field, to again employ the
Third house. TO again barter favor for
favor, to again pay for protection.
And who are asking for this? Is
there any widespread demand for the
rghting of wrongs? Listen to the
arguments-they nearly all refer to
conditions long since passed--to men
who offended and have long since
dIsappesrod--to the errors and omis-
sions of not serious, but annoying,
character that are bound to occur
with so many men who are encourag-
ed by the present political cult and
conditions to be lax In dis
cipline and insubordina'c not
only to the public but their officers as
we'll
For the man genuinely opposed &c
monopoly have no unfriendly feeling
lie has the right TO his opinion as
have to mine For the man who has 50
little business Of his own to attend t'
he can find time to watch ou
for the puhlics ana constitute himself
that publlcs guardian have a feel
ing of how much greater a success u
, life he might be If he concentrated
himself upon some business Of his owl
and allowed the public to do little o
its own thinking and discover 1t Is hur
before discussing the patent medicine
that should be used to effect cure,
For the dillitant Of the present dal
I and generation who has sought within
the past few years political prefermen
| with such astonishing success, both t.
himself and those who know him init
mately, ! have only encouragement t
offer It Is his only chance and It i
waning vlsibly Just now and he shoul
| make the most Of II while It Is passing
For the man with grievance | hay
, sympathy and at the same time Ger
tain amount of contempt, He, fgura
! lively, SHES his stone at what has an
r gered him, He Is like the dog that ha
! been stepped on Internationally by on
perhaps who is kindly disposed and 4
his pain and anger makes a bad mat
e ter worse by biting and likely suffer
G ing in consequence further.
For the CRATER ana the hypocrite