The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-11


were-they developed their property and
advanced 1t, until they have become among
the best roads in the country, earning honest
money and paying fair dividends, and con-
tributing to the strength and prosperity Of
New York and the nation. So they quietly
pushed their dominions West, uniting with
St. Louis and Chicago. Here they stood
still. There was Napoleon Scott, with his
bands of music and his newspaper reporters,
and his high ambition 10 be the very Presi-
dent of the United States. There was no
way to the Pacific. The road was closed, for
Scott was of course invincible, aud he held
the path. But our Dutch Napoleons
thought and said nothing, and looked
the whole matter over and made their
combinations. And one morning the world
heard that Vanderbilt had captured the road
and that one of his family sat in the seat
of Scott There was no noise about it, for
these Hollanders have the quietest possible
way of smoking and thinking and doing
great things in their drowsy way. The Pacific
road was made tributary to New York,
and the two oceans were bound together by
an enterprise which was commanded in Wall
street.
What will be the next step? The railway
kings are like feudal lords They have
armies of men and millions in their treasury,
and principalities under their command, and
they speak with authority in the Legislatures
and money markets Of the world. Any
change in the Pacific Railway will be for the
better, and we may hope from Vanderbilt
what we never had from Scott, that he
will at least shovel the snow from the tracks
The mind of the Pennsylvania monarch was,
perhaps, above these triaes. What had
he to do with the SHOWS that
would insist upon gathering on the
prairies of Nebraska and the Laramie
plains? While he was parading over the
South, with his music and his newspaper
reporters and his gorgeous palace cars, few
anxious travellers were shivering in the snow
drifts, imprisoned on the iron tracks of a rail-
way which had been built for them by the
bounty of paternal government. Such a
tr1e could not occupy the mind of man who
was candidate for the Presidency, and who,
instead Of developing the roads he had, was
striving for more. So Vanderbilt suddenly
fell upon him and conquered and If his
management of the Central is an augury,
we shall have a road to the Pacific that
will run all the year round, or at least with as
much certainty as we now run to Chicago.
Where the next battle will take place it would
be idle to fancy. Napoleon Scott has his
Southern Pacific route, which will carry him
over warmer latitude; but the road is not
built, aud Congress is not in the humor of en-
downing any more Pacific Railroad rings. As
to the Northern Pacific, we may hope to see
it built in ten years, and then it will become
an element in our calculations. AS 1t now
stands New York has won the day, and. there
is no competition.
Aproblem is rapidly developing itself of this
nature. Can we permit these gigantic cor
poratioas to grow up in the republic, welding
almost governmental powers, and at the same
time independent Of the governments May
they not in time menace the liberty of the
country, just as the feudal barons in the
medieval times menaced the authority of the
crown? And should not our wise men dis
cover way Of restraining their influence
within the limits of free and constitutional
authority. The time will come when this
question must be answered. Should it not be
determined now, when we are strong enough
to do it, and before the railway kings have
power TO enforce their will upon the nation?