The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1872-05-09
THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD.

The 81. Louis Democrat, of Tuesday morn
ing, contained an editorial article on the un-
just discrimination being practiced by the
Union Pacific, against the Kansas Pacific
Railroad. The article, with two or three cor
rections Of the Democrats rather loose geogg-
raphy, will lbe found in the columns Of The
TINES this morning, and We commend it 10
the reading public of Kansas, because the
gross injustice prac,iced toward our branch
of the Pacific Road, by the main line, and
which is SO salscincily and truthfully set forth
therein, is n matter Of vital interest to the
people of this State, and more nearly con-
Germs them, than the people of s.. Louis, or
of any other point east of Kansas.
But the whole story Of the wrongs daily
perpetrated upon the rights and interests Of
the public by this gigantic wrong, the now
notorious Union Pacific Railroad Company,
is not told by the Democrat. The condition
Of affairs at the Omaha bridge furnishes
another striking instance Of the fragrant i'm
positions being rrac,iced upon the people Of
the nation, whose money built fhe road, by
the ring of sharpers who happen to have pos
session of it. Congress, through the procla-
nation of President Lincoln, fixed the east
ern terminus of the road on the western
boundary of the State Of Iowa, in order that
roads then being built across Iowa might be
enabled to make connection with il without
going into another State, and then, in order
to insure an unbroken highway across the
continent, granted to the U. p. Company all
necessary rights and powers to build ard
maintain bridges ''across the Missouri river
and all other rivers on its line" and under
the authority thus granted the U. P. c.,
has built, and owns, bridge across the Mis-
souri, at Omaha, but instead of running its
trains over its own bridge, to its legal termi-
nus, and operating its whole road "as one
continuous line" according to the require
ments of the law lit some time ago "resolved"
that its terminus was in Nebraska, and that
the roads fromthe east, If they desired:to con-
meet with it, would have to run over its
bridge, paying for the privilege whatever 1t
might please TO charge them, and then land
their freight and passengers in State where
they have no charter rights. This, OF course,
the eastern roads refused to do, but gave the
Pacific road notice that they could connect
with it only at its terminus, whereupon the
q. P. Company organized little "rins"
within itself, known as the ''transfer COM
papy," which takes charge of all the freight
and passengers delivered at the terminus Of
The road, and transfers" the same across the
bridge, making every passenger pay tax of
6fty cents, and every car of freight ten dol
Iarr, for three miles Transportation on the
Union Pacific road, thus treating with utter
the Law of Congress which declares
hat all charges on the road shall be uniform.
The people of the United State. have q
hundred and ten million dollars invested in
his Pacific railroad; they furnished every
dollar of the money that paid for the road.
and every dollar of the money out Of which
III the original managers Of the line stole
rich, and having reserved the
power, in the charter given, to correct
'uch irregularities as tho.e complained of,
hey have the clearest rights, both in Law
md justice, 10 be fairly treated by the COM |
psny, and Congress should see to it that these |
rights are respected, at once. The company
has, time and again, been guilty Of such acts
u the charter expressly stipulates, shall
,aase it TO forfeit all rights in the premises,
md We think the time has come when the
government should take possession Of the
road and dispose Of il in some way whereby
he Interests Of the public will Be protected.