The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-07-06
Florida Railroad Organ
Properly Answered.


stating a proposition in terms that can
seldom be misunderstood and in an
ably written editorial it takes occasion
to call the Jacksonville Times-Union
down in very complete and altogeth-
er satisfactory style. The Stars re-
buke was called forth by the following
characteristic utterance of the Jack
sonville railroad organ:
For years the railroads have been
bounded down, and now a lot Of
politicians seek to curry favor with
the people by a display of ennity to
corporations. They could not do
this If there we're not a widespread
prejudice against railroads. We be
lieve the greater part of this pre-
JUDGE has been created by the impo-
likeness or brusqueness of men in rail-
road positions small enough to bring
them in everyday contact with the
general public.
To this uncalled- for and altogether
gratuitous insult to the employees who
work for a living on the railroads of
Florida and elsewhere the Star re
plies:
It may be proper tactics for the
Times-Union to try and fool the pub
lie into the idea that railroad regula-
ton has been caused bv the bad man
ners of a few railroad men. but the
public has better sense than to allow
the wool to be pulled over it's eyes in
any such fashion.
It is true that some railroad men
are Doors, and II is also true that
some OF them. naturally courteous,
sometimes give way to the strain of
long hours and irving to satisfy the
demands Of unreasonable people. but
there are as a rule no more courteous
men than railway men, and the at
tempt of the T.-U. to saddle on them
the blame for hostile legislation is of
plutocrat toward the public.
For the railroad man is part Of the
public and one Of the reople. In the
course OF his work, day by day, he
meets many and all kinds Of people,
and for every time he is careless or
ill-nnannered toward the public, the
public Is rude or professionally exact
ing a hundred times toward him. He
knows what he is there for, and gen.
orally goes on caring for the interests
of the road, and the passengers and
property entrusted to his care. If he
is natural born boor he seldom stays
with the road long, but those who tenn
porarily give way to the strain on their
muscles and nerves are too few to
affect the general issue.
1t IS not with the engineers, con-
ductors and brakemen, trying with
skill. patience, tact and often bravery,
TO care for passengers and freight,
or the men at the stations who sell
the tickets and receive and forward
the goods. nor even the men higher up. |
the superintendent and freight and |
passenger agents doing the best they |
can to operate their trains and keep |
up their lines, that the public has its |
quarrel with. It's with the men who |
own the roads and demand every dol |
lar they can wiring out of them, and |
give as little service as possible in re- |
turn-it is that class that has made |
the heart of the American public hot |
against the corporations, and the real |
reason why state and federal govern
ments insist more and more on their |
regulation.
The people of Florida know
mighty well that the men they meet
every day, the ticket and freight |
the engineers and firemen are not |
responsible for the high rates they
have to pay, or the inferior accom-
modations given them; and 1t Is use
less for the T.-U. or any other agency
to try to deceive Them in this regard
All OF which Is very properly said.
The Star might have added also that
the habit of railroad managers of sell
ling bonds that are not worth any
thing, of looting property for their
personal benefit, and of corrupting
courts and legislators into railroad cor
poration tools and servitors has done
more than anything else to incite hos
tile feeling and promote restrictive |
legislation.
When 1t gets to a point where the
men who punch tickets, flag trains,
and handle baggage are to be blamed
for the shortcomings OF the railroad
NV Lob |
have about gone the limit. But that
is characteristic of the Jacksonville
mental calibre and
policy
|