New-York tribune., 1871-01-19
UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD.
rur orifFe sIpr.

uniied states Government TIn TRIBUNE adnits@ gfeal
deal II admits that the ey construction OF thoPoau
from the Missouri the Pac,Gc has snabied the Govot
ment 10 very large Tsount in the cost OF traH|
porting s matt and pIoysiO,ing its military posts;
that the road pTa-tcaly doubles the eicsucy OF our
military forces In Se Overland coUniry" and vas there
fore created cay too soOn tbatthe subi es gwen
by the 1ovgrnmCt aid OF tho construction OF tse road
were essential and should not he "grudgeo| aud
that Oh. git Of unhlis ands has effect been simply
compensated f0r by tbe greater. accessibility ana
greater value impaired 70 remaining portions Of 3he
public domain. Thece admissions are not made f'r
They cxprc s the uuiyersaf continent ~ tho American
sfrctos ana owners Of the road 10 expect airer iudg
Jneut than they have received from large portion Of the
press IL the discussion Of c'Ea and eoGnier-c.is 20
which recent procecGinssO The Secretary OF the Treasury
have given rise.
PIClnr Company De bcte9 indicated tuan in tho
lar gusCe 0f TE TRIBUNE. which bbus qualities aAd N
some degree neutrazes the tnouHB pays 10 tho value
f-r non The Manager, Of the sssenary,' eGr
hcii t,- ose r1--rs arrc3e @ 7ecs 10 th o,seH'us
f , .fra.ea.. Of lie uaou Pasae - he n Of ss,a.
rp- and directed b- ear,,ruo Of their h'i &c e'l
& & ae zee i o ;S'e .s i ,i ~ ~ i Tsj s,es
These bard words. Aso they Just Are the ana
arefsoi the Union PciAc Attempting to ezade tle Q-
management Of the road chargeable with gguuc p0c-
neapacues am ts,ts.lea h,ng4 Or lg lIso knoy
r5 s'ion ef ia mainly Ieez. question:
aud which IN It, legal asnects lawyers must decide
Upon to-, point 10 IS not proper here 20 say more tElh
t.at T'nie ioua opinion i dlyiIed Tth decaeI pre-
Ir Iot0e5 vi.yg in the matter Of interest upon the
Guvrrum. M bonds issued IN all Of the work. The Oppo-
lite yieg however has been sustained by Judgc Cnrs
and ryA tiomeyGener Hoar IA arguments Wmch nave
The Company are charged ny TIE TRIBUNE and by
6n irG Gi,I1nesty anu Dad fifth Tho interest ques-
ton l. referred 10 here only IN respect 70 these charges
whore il bepng---to Congress the Supreme Court.
But h- may be said with the most perfect conflienee-
that the Company accepted their charters ana DuJ On
road n tie l belief that they not "a be called on
70 nay interest the Government subsidy, excepting
with hat their transport ton account %nd nte per cnS
of the ret earnings after the line had been COM
Iatsl lAey were W3riahei ~ IN ms nstteI nor Op - ~
Tho terms ~ 'he Law, Dn 10y me circumstances ana con
.ou- under which 10 ruacted, and by the unvary-
inl praoce of tAe Government ITSELF In the Set'eHoN'
The claim urged by Secretary Boutwell,, with the
he Company than 20 senators and Members OF Congress
who took pit n the legislation oi lsi ana wnoSe utter
Iany Iul.ed, u should le enough that the demand
winch the Company required TO meet was never
nor py bir BoatweA himself, ant very recently Ilat
Mr Bout. III Is f % 9nn 9y ms si3e @ 81 @ T te is nGue
,,-t Of interest That they take 10 themselves in
- Sir as obligation" ia concerned then, the man.
% of the Tuion Pacific insist that neither legally
l"r .t - c-aie any rcqrr5rsent OF the law uni
trtv cared at The period Of it, passage. If dispo
-t o any here exists tJ faten upon the law consruc-
~ wirh in equity Do II uO u9ctplbie the leslO,
fry cerr,inly does not rest with the Company lis
rusrael Tiev are actuated only By desire to abide
by the law tey ard their legal advisers interpret IT,
aud with TO inclination Whatever to avert from the Com
auv any possibility which they or their predecessors
- tue gigantic proaigauues which the
Company arraiened. Who prvhied by them anil OF
what 40 tfy me- y rsi was some Of the con-
tracts Judged ny present knowledge, We're exrayagant-
rl..Ig
bauedt OF experience might be finished for much less
money What theb Ihe clrCuhist5hces unie mn M
rg y ever c,nstruced under difculties great and
varied II was literally outside Of CIVILIZATION IL was
through "A country Yh.oh furnished no supplies. Ma
teria and labor were transported enormous Glstanees
Everything quircd for the men or Tor the work had 20
he ba led 10 The spot prices not regulated by the
ordinary law Of supply and demand. The country vas
infe ted with hostile Indians, and arms aha nun iIOhs'
and cars. constantly Necessary for the protection
OF the workIIen. When work was commenced god was
prem tn ~ 100 per cent ara sone or me htaFlsst
contracts for made With gold at about 250
making OF rails the Missouri from $50 20 $50
fes was 81 apiece aud hundreds Of thousands were Lud
t ~ n, uir was 30 eVtrava thar SIS O0 given
L. The Cedar Rapids and Mississippi Railroad merely 10
hasen it completion Ana 80 t-e money "eh' III e'eiy
The Government, regarding tho Pacific Road a. a
est possible rapidty Rivalry ia respect OF speed was
1ostered b. tle GOgernmeni rs between the Union
po,y on The Conveniently not now question
Ibe fact ana IT'S eonse are Al tha. DO"
po.t obyious Bonuses were paid contractors Prices
were made tionn upon Ihe ear IeES o one
srn' there may hi SesH PGSIlS ny GavsTnmen a s'
called Tor and encouraged and which implies no waste
or corruption iuecency on the part of The ClD piny
r. pc inst he allegation should be more specific. Where
yEs l6c1pcty shown Most certanly not in The con
stIrction of the road The GOyernment allowed Twelve
Vsars lor is cOmpetion it finished in about one
thrr OF that time That result was made possible only
y trees. energy and oonsumnate sk IN every depart
mont The Oad itrelf the best to lInputstlons
rnon The ability OF its builders. Indeed, II one were
asked what achievement in ali history would best Illus
iIit. the en- city am the force OF the human intellect
one could scarcely point 10 eny more
pe than the building II the Pacitc l=,ir0ad us history
i the not conclusive Testimony not only 10 the capaaiy
~ lis builders their public spirit their trials ana
.rierc we're "rasealties it is said Doubtless there
were enterprise like the Mon Paclhc eoli not oe
carried through without ah0rdng chances 10! Gsnohs'
er dshonorabe men, Bui the charge shOIid pe more eA
plioit can be made sooI ,J stie % . VI c,notcd q,
shoud be borne by the ndl yiduals VINO II
they eau discovered. IL il not right 10 inlet upon e
hdetes swtndng OF their agents FOR Ihe nos. par
the managers have worked without pay and even at Their
Ih i'm sty eptitle them to different and better reward
than they have yet received This remark eshs 70
s 10 show how lit gentlemen and the stockhold
ers FOR whom they acted have actually proed oy the
N h been freely represented, and IL now generally
believed that both directors and stockholders reaized
f he Government bonds alone and thai the proceeds Of
their own bonds have gone into their own pocketsth
inference being that men who nave pronIsu 50
should not resist the Government claim IL Is even l
Iot ON this account they entitled 10 scant cOnSlue
ton and that If the law u dubious in Ito lnesiillY
the benefit of the doubt should not be gwen to those
| w-Lo have been greatly enriched by otber pro
visions. Let ur see how this matter really stahds' Ino
nai whatever they WERE were realized In the con
strnc OF the road under eyD,raets Win te NreuiS eur
sdnc who built the remaining portions OF
the road and were represented by Trsteos beng AZ
sumed that the stockholders IN the crediI Mooei r
Rrosd and the principals under the iFmsIees w.
subj tantally the same persons Inc ioio"lhs 49,
show the entire financial results or building the ohlo
Pacific Railroad: - ca,
10 av.re Jan 1900. sZoc"
! Interest on same 70 jan ''''' l' l.. IlsO O0
| NJ iaf7