Evening star., 1932-03-06
Fifty Years Ago
In The Star

Public opinion in favor Of the regula-
ton Of railroad rates was beginning to
r-... be expressed so years
interstate ago, though it was not
Commarc. effective in terms Of
ooHlnieioe' congressional legislation
for Q long time afterward. The Star
Of March /, 1882 says:
THE question Of regulating railroad
charges and prohibiting determinations
by national legislation has received q
large share Of attention in Congress for
several years, and Is no nearer solution
now than when 1t was first introduced.
The power of Congress to regulate in
terstate commerce Is conceded, but how
far this power should be employed in
justice to the railroad corporations on
the one hand and the masses of the
people who must patronize the railroads
on the other is the difficult problem.
The House Committee on Commerce
listens to arguments pro and con from
men Of recognized ability, but all that
Is said does not seem to alter the opinion
Of either side Of the controversy. The
people complained Of excessive charges
by the railroads and Of determinations
for and against different localities in the
transportation Of freight. They insist
upon q law requiring a uniform system
and the representatives Of the railroads
reply that they cannot afford to haul
the same quantity Of freight short dis
tance at proportionately the same price
that they receive for long distance"
On the second of March, 1882, man
attempted to take the life of Queen
--.,, Victoria by firing
Attempt to Kill at her at the
Queen Victoria. WaaeSoF ssasion' 3 She eWsy ssy
caped unhurt. The man, named Mac
Lean, was arrested. The Star Of March
3, 1882 seys:
where she Is most deservedly loved and
honored, is the feeling Of qualification
ut Queen Victoria's escape more sin
cere or general than In the United
States. The Queen has endeared her
self to the people Of this country by her
many acts Of true wornanly grace, and
especially by the solicitude she mani
tested In the fate of our late murdered
President and the kind consideration
she exhibited for his bereaved family.
Another gratifying fact connected with
the attempt upon the Queens life Is
that 1t was inspired by q diseased mind
and was not prompted by any political
purpose: for 1t would be blot upon the
civilization of this century should one
of the most advanced and enlightened
of all the nations produce conspiracy
against the life Of this legitimate ruler
and that ruler a woman. But happily
there is nothing Of this kind to deplore.
Notwithstanding the Queens pop
ularity and the beneficence Of her rule,
her life has been put in jeopardy by
would-be assaSsins q number of times
and on several previous occasions she
was actually fired at In May. 1899,
man was taken in custody for threaten
ing the Queens life. He was caught
stealing up the steps Of Buckingham
Palace apparently with murderous in
tent. Shortly afterward, two other
suspicious looking characters were de-
tected skulking around the palace, but
whether they had any connection with
the crank Of the steps was never dis
covered. On the 11th OF June, 1640,
youth named oxford attempted to shoot |
the Queen and Prince Albert, her hus-
band. who were together. oxford was
shown to be insane and was confined
for life.
"The next occurrence which had the
appearance Of evil design upon the life |
of the Queen was in the same year,
Indigo Jones' was found secreted IN |
buckingham Palace on the second Of |
December He was punished with few |
months Imprisonment as a rogue; but |
in March following he was again caught !
in the place and that time sent aboard |
a man of war, which managed to leave |
him somewhere outside of England |
There has always been considerable |
doubt as to whether he had plunder or |
murder in view.
"On the 2oth Of May, 1842, as the
Queen was driving down Constitution |
Hill one John Francis fired at but |
missed her. He was sentenced to death,
but the sentence was subsequently COM
nnuted to imprisonment for life. Not |
long after another murderous attempt |
Ipon the Queen was made, and Parlia-
ment then passed an act for the better
protection Of the Queen. Whether due
TO the bill or not, the fact remains that
It was not until May 10, 1849, that an
other attempt to kill the Queen was
made. Then q person named Hamilton
shot at, but luckily missed her; he was
transported for life. In May, 1880, an
ex-lieutenant named Pale threw q stone
at the Queen and struck her on the
head, innicting. however, but slight in
fury. In 1874 crazy boy jumped upon
the step Of the queens carriage and