Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-06-10
Our San Francisco Letter.

SAN Francisco, May II. 1871.
Ed. STANDARD: The principal topic Of
interest just now is the recent decision of
the Supreme Court Of California, 10 what
is known as the
RAILROAD SUBSIDY CASE.
AS to the merits of this decision the
community appears to be about equally di.
vided, the disciples of strict construction
ofthe Fundamental law dcnounciny the dc.
cision as an encroachment Of private rights,
and those favoring the growth of railroad
corporations laudins it as the very pink Of
judicial ability. Hence VIC see history re.
peating itself and the old war inauguratcd
by Gen. jackson against moDopolics, is
breaking out afresh. by this decision,
any county or city can, by a majority vote,
extend aid to any set of men who may de-
sire to build q railroad, the franchise and
road being entirely the private property of
the stockholders. It is difficult to see
why, if this can be done. similar vote may
not compel county or city to incur debt
for private mandatory, or even print.
ing office. The judges, in declaring their
decision, arc careful to say that were the
question a new one, they would hold the
other way, and declare all such laws uncon-
stitutional, being in fact taking one mans
property and giving it to another. This
is confession of the enormity of the de.
cision and will much weaken its force.
1t is difficult to see why wrong becomes
a right by mere accumulation of Judicial
decision, and the men composing the Su-
preme Bench would surely have earned a
more enviable name, had they struck down
an acknowledged wrong instead of sustain.
ing it. The principal disappointment
arises from the fact that four out of five of
the judges were Democrats, and were OK
pected to entertain the views entertained
by that party ever since the days of vii.
liam Leggett. You we'll recollect the bat.
tie fought and won by that able soldier of
equal rights as far back as 1882. when he
met and overthrow the cohorts of monopo-
lies and special privileges in New York.
The truth is, the struggle between the
people and the gigantic railway corpora
tons OF the country cannot be much longer
postponed. They are even now making
Governors, Senators, and even judges on
the Supreme Bench Of the United States,
as is evidenced by the recent decision in
the legal tender cases. 1t will be we'll for
the men who make the constitution Of the
coming State Of Washington to sec TO il,
that ample checks be put upon the power
of corporations, and that the State in the
aggregate, as we'll as in its inferior mnnic-
ipal organization. is absolutely prohibited
from granting subsidies or owning stock in
any corporation.
1t is pretty we'll conceded that neither
Of the judy who made this decision will
be rcpominated by the Democracy. They
must 20 to their friends hereafter for such
favors.-The prospects of the
SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD
Are not so bright as they were a month
ago. 10 truth il is difficult to see where
the money is to be got to build the road.
The grant of land is nearly WORTHLESS, all
the way from San Diego tothc Rio Grandc,
vast stretch Of desert country with no
capacity to sustain population. Something
can be done in the way Of irrigation in the
valleys of the ella and its tributaries, but
these spots are very limited in extent. A
prominent railroad man in speaking of this
road remarked that If it were completed to.
day from San Diego to Memphis the re.
ceipts would hardly pay for the axle. grease
expended in running its trains. This
seems an extravagant statement, but when
we know that the four great competing
lines between the Atlantic and the old
Northwest are only sustained by way traf
fic, we can conclude that no railway will
pay which does not run through country
susceptible Of dense population. Then,
too, when We consider that San Diego is
some 1900 miles further from the East
Indies than the Straits ofFuca, we can also
conclude that the Southern road will get
but small portion of that trade.
THE DRoUTH
Is very general throughout the State, the
most severe 10 the Southern counties.
The whole face Of the country is a sombrc
brown, the scant grasses thoroughly dried
up. and the Aocks and herds are being
driven to Nevada and Arizona. One good
result, however, is apparent in increased
efforts towards exterior systems Of irriga.
ton. Through these means alone can
California ensure her crops. NIX
He COULDN'T TELL A LIE.-Alf Bur
nett, in one of his letters to the The People,
of Indianapolis, relates the following ancc.
dote: BY the bye, good story is told Of