The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1910-06-18
The Railroads and the People

For The Last quarter Of . esuszry 5r more the people Of the
United SeaSes have been at the mercy 1t The great r21hroad eorPorA
ions, and they have been aasEriag. rzpaeous and ruthless a sner
exploitation IT The public In no ether counsrT ! me world nave
these great agencies been permitted 10 have such free sway A. they
have had here Egsryvhers ske they have been sssr1y re-
strained By the Is~. Ia this country they have been above the law
Usually, ssgs the san Frsncisco Chrou5cie, shey hive made the "a"
aud controlled Ia interpretation When they haVe not na1e TIE
law they have defed it. Bas BY their own szsssses they have
finally aroused "a outraged people into what's almost af1ry, ~hleh,
Il not moderated Or restrained, may Inlzrs not only the raliroad4s
but the people whom they serve The enormous private i"r'anes
which have resulted from uncontrolled nanrPuLaIon u 0snef
peoples PROPERTY BY railroads nagnases, and the profss which non
managing stockholders have also been permitted 10 get have g
tsesed capital IN great quantities from al older countries, And our
railroads have been built and extended o. a scale not seen an7 Fhere
Else In spite Of The LswIess1ess AID oppression ct these CAPTAINS
Of trzuportasioa, the general public has Pro6ssd By the great N
crease Of these Eseaaess and probably woad continue to Prods Il u
vouH permit exploitation 10 % On
But the people viii not have IL They are determined that the
railroads shall no longer either enact or interpret the laws and
moreover, that they shall implicitly obey such laws a are snasted
with the general assens Of the people And they are also de-
sernined that henceforth and forever capital invested IN trsnspor-
sssion agencies shall earn only interest On capital, plus such reason
able profs . Al Offset 10 risk a may be proper and Just II each m
dfvdaal case The day Of making miIionarss over night by re
organizing" a railroad system has gone forever But capital honest
Iy Invested, add honestly administered, "a not safer anywhere than
IN the United States Of America
The discrimination that ezorbisans profits hom transportation
.bal esase. shat the snoshering Of water competition shall stop.
that rates for transportation shall be only sash a shall give ra-
sonabIs returns TO actual investment, and that che people, through
their authorities. shall have a voice IN all bargains by which they
are to be bound, comes az a ride shock 70 those who have for years
been accustomed TO BE- a law not only INTO themselves but TO all
others It will doubtless, AZ we re seeing reduce the value Of
railroad stocks. Fora time il will impair the credit Of the carriers,
Who will be unable TO borrow for needed extensions and better
menss = freely ~ they have hitherto done Some work will be
stopped from nscessity-some, presumably, for its effect on public
opinion Money in the future may not be az readily available for
railroad extension a. it has been, a. better speculative opportunities
a attract much Of It to Asia, Africa and South America, where
sxolossasion mar be shoaght easier. We may not for a time PRO
grsss" 30 rapidly.
But we shall be q soberer, soldier and better people Capital
uav not Yield s1ch speculative returns a. it has hitherto given here,
tus a will be absolutely safe in the hands Of q reasonable and law
abiding people and yield saeh reasonable returns a. capital IS en-
titled 70 get And when that ia understood there will be no further
srouble about money.