Arizona citizen. [volume] (Tucson, Pima County, A.T. [i.e. Ariz.]) 1870-1880, 1871-01-07
The Railroad QUESTIONABLE Sides.

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upon it except what is to the point
for our little paper will not likely turn
the scale for or against any of the
grand schemes. It is well known
that the bill to subsidize with lands
the 32d Parallel company, passed the
Senate near the close of the last seSs-
ion Of Congress, and was not reached
in the House, but will doubtless come
up during the present session. Now
the question is, will it finally pass and
become law? The President would
no doubt approve proper bill if en-
acted. So what is in the way of its
passage? Once it was understood
that the Northern and Southern Pa
cific companies would stand together
until both acts were perfected and
passed, but it happened that the for
mer got through and the latter stuck.
Now, will the Northern company at
least keep hands off! 1t is not the
rule Of corporations to favor each
other longer than it will pay. Now
comes the more serious phase of the
matter: will the Union and Contra
companies of the great and completed
b Id II
alone? Moreover, will the 35th and
32d Parallel companies get at logger
heads? dreaded feature just at this
critical moment. We hold it to be
critical, because a failure to get the bill
through on the second attempt and at
a separate session, would have damp
ening effect indeed, and possibly post
pone the whole work for several years.
We have much to fear from the Union
Pacific interests in the contest, though
they may seek a through route to the
Western Ocean via the Cheyenne-Den-
yer branch and the 35th Parallel,
while the Central undoubtedly prefers
a connection with the Atlantic sea-
board through via the 35th, and these
companies, whose roads unite, have
little love for each other, and as either
extends its line parallel with the other,
their interests must become more con-
ficting. The purpose of this article
is to recite some Of the adverse infu-
ences, wheels within wheels, that are
likely to bear on the question from
first to last, and let the reader be pre-
pared not to expect too much, or be
unprepared for disappointment.
Our great hopes in the premises are
that the Southern States are rapidly
becoming a power in the land again,
and that too for untold good in com
parison with their gloomy past. Their
weight in national legislation is already
something not to be slighted. We
hear they now stand united on the
Southern Trans Continental Road, and
if they are and will so continue, and
make their support of other measures
contingent upon aid for this one, the
law is assured in advance. Again,
the question hinges largely upon a
sentiment created within the past two
years Or less, and may be stated thus:
Will the people of the United States,
North, South, East or West, regard
less of party, give away any more
lands for railway or other purposes !?
The Democratic party used with effect
the negative OF this question as raj
lying cry in the late election cam
paigns, but we believe this policy of
ceasing to donate lands really origina-
ted with certain Republican papers, as
instance The Chicago Tribune and
Sacramento Union. However the
same arguments used by these and
other journals. III favor of land sub
sides for the Northern Pacific are
equally sound for the Southern. A
Central and an extreme Northern road
have been aided Military and postal
necessities demanded but one, or if
more, the Southern should have had
the preference. The Southern would
always be passable; the others have
not been aud will not be SO. 1t is
proposed to fix, at low figure, the
price at which the lands donated shall
be sold, and this should remove the
main objection in the minds of all SEN
sible people throughout the land, and