The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1910-06-10
THE SWING OF THE PEEDUL UR

HE , WIN UT JHE FE'ACLC"
Nothing more forcefully represents
the disposition of the American peo-
pie to resent all tendencies to inter
fere with their reasonable rights than
does their present attitude towards
railroads and other public service
corporations.
A few years ago the giants heel
rested so cruelty on its victim neck
that it was looked upon as the
sovereign and its patrons as so many
vassals. 1t seemed to be worse than
useless to attempt to maintain in
dividual rights and the railroad
dominated its territory with a high
hand, conhscatory or unequal rates,
rebates, arbitrary train service and
warranted acquisition OF property
being every day history. Gradually
friendly decisions Of the courts re-
minded the public that they too had
rights, and, following the steps Of
the general government in the pas
sage of the Interstate Commerce
law, one by one the states have IN
acted legislation relating torailroads
until today it is an open question
whether or not these children are
receiving fair treatment from the
parent which gave them birth. An
arbitrary rate fixed by law for a
given service always seemed to US to
be unreasonable because what is
profitable in one section under certain
conditions is conhscation in another
section under widely different con-
ditions. 1t would seem that Justice
could be guaranteed only by fixing a
maximum and minimum rate, a
general utilities commission to de
eide what amount should apply
under the given circumstances.
But the drive against public service
corporations has not stopped in the
enactment of hostile laws; in courts
OF justice juries have learned to lean
so hard towards the individual that
in the trial OF cases against common
carriers they seem to frequently for.
get that the latter have any rights
at all. In fact it has become almost
a byword that if case against a
railroad ever gets into a Iury's hands
a verdict in the int ividual's favor is
bound to follow, and that damages
are often fixed at fictitious figures.
We are frank to express the opin'
ion that this tendency has gone too
far.
First, corporations can stand this
only up to a certain point, after
which they cannot continue to con
duct an Improbable business.
Second, it is unfair to the holders
of the securities of these companies
for when apparently hitting at thu
company we are really hitting thu
holders Of the company's stock OF
bonds.
Third, a hostile spirit reacts direc Il,
on all private individuals, as no rail
road can afford to enter new htld
unless possibly for through trait
where an unfriendly spirit exists. 70
to succeed it must have the loca
traffic and must not lose large pro
portion of its income in paying Judg
ments resulting from damage suits
As evidence of this the disposition t,
enter territory in this county RICH
now for local purposes is crushed b,
line OF recent verdicts against rail
roads which have been extremcl
liberal in their measure of damages
None can doubt the Justice OF tn
rule OF law that the common carrie
in virtue of the powers with which i
is clothed and the privileges which
alone enjoys should be held up to til
full measure of its obligations, bu
when this point is passed, injustic
is done not only to the Offending COT
poration but to the general publ
directly or indirectly interested in il