The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-12-29
TIE GIGANTIC RAILROAD JOBS.

WASHINGTON, Dec. Is, 1868.
The somerset turned by the New York radical
organ the oath inst In its double loaded despatch
and editorial endorsing General Grants alleged de-
claratiOn OF opposition to additional railroad SUBJ
sidies would be amusing 1t not so very suggest
i've Of lobby jobbery. Az general rule the radical
organ aids and champions the Treasury ring and all
jobbing raids upon our national Treasury, while the
HERALD always opposes Them Take, for example.
the job now before Congress lbl 570) granting the
Leavenworth. Pawnee and Western Railroad Com
pany, now known as the Union Pacific Eastern d.
vision, about 100000 additional subsidy. The
HERALD steadily opposed the whole Job from the
first. while the radical organ just steadily aided
It, until General Grants opposition became apparent,
when 1t Topped quite over. and will doubtless claim
henceforth to have opposed 1t from the first. The
history OF this particular Job extends back some
thirteen years and Is quite interesting. Among the
LAT acts OF Incorporation passed by the far famed
border rufan Territorial Legislature OF Kansas In
1855 was one granting charter to the Leavenworth
Pawnee and Western Railroad Company, copy OF
which Is now before Statutes Kansas Territory,
1855, page 914) 1t makes several members OF the
border rufian Legislature, their friends corpora
tors constitutes five OF them board of directors
and gives them extraordinary powers-among others
that OF determining how many OF their board
shall constitute q quorum. In 1851 this CON-
pany managed to secure by "treatyr with
the Delaware Indians q large portion OF
that TRIBES reservaton-the finest lands In the coun-
try. In 1852 Senator Lane, Of Kansas managed to
put "rider'' on the Pacific Railroad bill granting
this wildcat border Legislative company United
States bond subsidy Of s63oo,0 900, land subsidy
estimated to be worth 100000 and the privilege
OF floating first mortgage under that of the govern
ment OF s6.300000, making the total government
aid direct and Indirect, about S32, 600 900 to mere
local Territorial company.
One very important fact In regard to this business
seems, strangely enough, to have been kept pretty
much from public knowledge during the past five or
six years. Certain lobbyists have carried on a very
profitable business for themselves by fishing
up ola wildcat charters granted by the Kan
Territorial Legislature OF 1885, and getting them
subsidized by the national government on thessamc
terms are exacted OF the Pacific Railroad Com
pany chartered by Congress expressly for che pur-
pose and guarded by every possible rest ytcAon ami
wholesome regulation Incorporated into the charter
The act OF Congress- approved July /, 1867 creat ng
chartering and Substituting tho Union Pacific Iiail-
road Company contains eghty-one stringent, aud
carefully framed provisions governing and regulating
every act OF the company's officers and names 100 OF
the soundest business men In the United States as
corporators. Provision Is made for the ap continent
by the President OF the United States OF
TO represent the national government In. the Board,
and every possible precautionary prov sion against
the abuse OF the government trust by the conpanys
officers Is made part and parcel OF the. charter.
The company thus organized Is, Doubtless. safe
and proper custodian OF the ma aonal subsidy con-
aded to It. Not go the compaili operating under
wildcat charters granted BY tie Kansas Territorial
Legislature OF 1866 yetwe observe that these local
border corporations have been subsidized from our
public treasury upou the same terms as the com
pany OF national origin, and that they lind in the
radical organ lusty champion. A three column
letter and an editorial IN the radical organ OF June
represents In glowing terms the Leavenworth
Pawnee and Western Railroad, now known as the
Union Pacific EoAtcrn Division. as great national
road, aud strtsc,y recommends additional aid TO
enable its ocrtsr protege to extend an independent