The Ocala evening star., 1915-02-01
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP
OF RAILROADS


The following from the Miami Me-
tropolis will be of special interest,
both as setting forth the real feel
ing of the people of the East Coast
toward their good friend and sincere
helper, Henry M. Flagler, and some
of the real evils of corporate owner
ship of railroads as opposed to the
fancied ones of government owner
ship:
Mr.. Riddle Incorrectly Informed
In his address to the Northside I'M
provement Association Tuesday night,
Morton Riddle, general manager of
the Florida East Coast railroad, gave
another instance of the changed atti-.
tude of the Company" toward the
people il. served, and strengthened the
opinion of Miami citizens that the
new management of the railroad COM
pany is desiring to run its affairs on
strictly business basis, with the take
and give" policy that all legitimately
successful business must observe.
But the Metropolis is sorry that Mr..
Riddle shows signs of having fallen
into the hands of the camp-followers
and Of being piled with some false in
formation regarding the feeling of the
people toward the railroad company.
ssWhy in the name of God does this
feeling against Mr.. Flagler exist !"
he asked his audience. And any man
there, If he had wished to be discour-
teous enough to have interrupted the
address, would have been able to tell
him that no unfriendly feeling existed
here against Mr.. Flagler; on the corr
trary the people Of Dade county held
him in loving esteem and will ever
hold his memory honored.
Had the t'camp-followers" been hon-
est in their information to Mr.. Riddle,
they would have told him that it was
the methods of the 'eompany's" hire
lings that created the lack of conf
dence in the Florida East Coast rail-
road, and forced the people to be on
guard at every turn to protect their
interests against its unfair tactics. 1t
was the methods of the little fellows,
acting under orders of the men higher
up, who in representing Mr.. Flagler's
interests" neglected utterly to repre-
sent his honor or his justice, that
gave the Florida East Coast railroad
the unsavory reputation that Mr.. Rid
die wonders at today.
For years the s.company'so hired
men sought to control the politics OF
the east coast; the hirelings mixed in
every political issue, and had their
money (from the big purse) in use IN
every election whether it was that OF
a United States senator or some
petty officer who might be useful in
getting things for the company
For years the ''company's' hired
men walked ruthlessly over the rights
of the everyday people, getting fav-
ors and privileges and property fol
their masters (and themselves)-bu
Mr.. Riddle must understand that Mr.
Flagler was never blamed for this. He
was unquestionably ignorant of the
tactics of the underlings and woule
have been grieved, indeed, to know
that his pensioners were entirely re
sponsible for the lack of friendlines'
that was felt toward the railroad
corporation.
Almost a total stranger to affair:
and conditions on the lower east coast
Mr.. Riddle cannot be expected to un
derstand the situation; it is to be as
sumed, too, that his knowledge of tn
relations between the company AM
the people has been CLEANED from tn