The union Democrat., 1870-04-02
Railroad Monopoly.

The Assembly, on the 18th inst. defeated
the bin allowing the people of the counties of
Stanislaus, Merced, Fresno and Tulare to vote
aid to the Stockton and Visalia Railroad
Company, thus compelling those counties to
accept tae offers Of the Pacific Railroad Com
pany or none. 1t was unfair on the part of
the Legislature to deprive these counties of
the privilege offered by competition, and re-
quire them to give Sc. 900 per mile when the
same benefit can be secured for 5000. This
action together with that in connection with
other railroad projects. which has transpired
during the session, plainly shows that in
some things, monopolizing corporation has
obtained the control of Legislation in this
State The San Joaquin Republican uses the
following language in regard to this legisla-
tive action:
ut is pleasant to know where one stands:
it saves Luch trouble and worry in looking
fos him. TIE last few days has placed u
number of Assemblymen on a record from
which there is no escape aud to which their
constituents can point with certainty, if not
with pride. 1t has been remarked on all sides,
that the Central Pacific Railroad Company
owned and controlled the Legislatures of &c
and '6S One of those bodies were Republi-
can and the other divided. When, however,
the Democrats were found to have a large ma
jority in both Houses of the session of 1870.
it was expected that the controlling power of
the great railroad monopoly had passed
away, and the will of the people would in
fiuence tie councils of the State. Let us see
if this hope has been verified. The telegraph
monopoly was investigated by committee
who could see no farther than dead negro
with eoppers uverhis eyes. They found moth
ing wrong. Railroad fares and freights were
next looked into, but had the dull eyes of the
committee been covered with twenty dollar
pieces, their vision could not have been more
effectually obstructed., There was nothing
FORD Il Co., wished bill passed authorizing
the counties lying between Stockton and Los
Angeles to vote them SIC, 900 per mile for o
railroad, but the exposures Of the scheme by
the Republican made the thing impossible.
and the great monopoly knocked off 50, 900
per mile, and introduced their bill for Sc, 900
per mile. The Legislature passed the bill. An
other railroad company-the Stockton and
'
bill enabling these same counties to appropri-
ate to their road the sum of S., 900 per mile.
The Legislature refused to pass the bill. The
Assembly passes bill in the interest of
STANFORD e Co. demanding the issuance of
bonds at the rate of $4,000 per mile, but re-
fuses to sanction the proposition of another
company to furnish the same locality with a
road for 81, 900 less per mile. What are the
l. &ko sc
our Assemblvmen in the premises? We will
not detail them here. The public has al
ready decided Is the Legislature body of
men acting in the interest of and governed by
the Central Railroad Company, or is it a Con-
veption of men delegated by the people with
power to enact such laws as will aid in the
advancement and prosperity of the whole
country? What must the people of Stanis-
ties think of Walden, Appling and Doss, gen.
tlmen who will deliberately vote to force on
their constituents the alternative cf giving 20
an odious monopoly, bonds at the rate of &c.
600 per mile or remain without railroad,
when another company composed of the citi-
zens of the valley. identified with its prosper
ity and anxious for its development, stand
ready to construct road for much lees sum
of money? Can these men justify their
course? Meme that the people will excuse.
None that the people will accept. They have
struck an assassin's blow at the interests of
the San Joaquin Valley and set it back in the
march of progress at least half a score of
years. Ifthe propositions of the two compa-
nies were precisely similar in point of terms,
even then the people should have the right
to choose between the two roads, and say
which should receive their aid; but when one
company offers a road on fairer and much
more reasonable terms than the other, and
their representatives force a choice on the
most Objectionable by denying the other tine
privilege of competition, what shall be said of
them? Can such Assemblvmen claim to
have acted in good faith. The people will
not believe it. and while we are confident the
motives of the above named Assemblymen
will be correctly understood by their constitu-
ents, and themselves consigned to that obliv-
ION which should envelop all such men, we
are firm in the belief that the partial and un-
fair course pursued by the Legislature toward
the Stockton and Visalia Railroad will gain
the Com pany hosts of friends, where before
it had none. and enable it to push forward
the road with more rapidity than could have
been done had not STANFORD & Co. refused
to give it an even chance with the people.
KILLING SrocK.-The MariposG Gazette of