Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-01-10
Eai.Cway Monopolics.

Within the brief period oftwenty
years The railway has become /;
power in America that makes its
influence felt in every domain of the
national life. 1t represents at the
present time n capital of about 3d.
OOO,OO0,000. In its service are en-
listed some of the ablest and most
ambitious minds. In one way or
another it exercises control over
hundreds and thousands Of DEEPEN
dents and employees in almost every
county and State of the Union. 1t
conditions, either directly or in
directly, the industry of millions,
and cntcnds like network frcm the
Atlantic to the Pacific. Its mana
gers belong to the most active, wide
awake, skilltul, and perscvering
class of men, many of whom, as
recent developments show, are ut
terly reckless in regard to the
means they employ to gain their
ends. Such are, in brief, the sail
cnt traits Of the power which, even
in its infancy, may be said not only
to shape to certain extent the
political and commercial policy of
a number of State Governments,
but so largely to influence Congress
sional Legislation that all other in
tercsts bid fair, sooner or later, to
become subordinate to it if it 90 I'M
checked.
This may seem, at the first glance
IN exaggerated fear of the future,
but it is nothing more than the SIM
pie truth. Can we conceive more
impressive warning against these
gigantic monoplies than the humil-
iating spectacle presented by New
York when Jim Fisk, the Great
Mogul Of Erie, owned its whole
bench, or by California when San
Francisco was threatened by the
triumviratc Of the Central Pacific
to be stripped Gifts rank as the COM
merclal metropolis of the Golden
State? The dis@racciul story of the
former episode is unfortunately too
well known to need recapitulation;
but the latter has perhaps not at
tracted quite the notoriety it deser
YES, and will therefore bear a brief
resume. After the porprietors of
the Central Pacific had received a
bonus of s650,0O0 in cash and sew
eral millions in land, on the express
condition that San Francisco should
always remain the western terminus
of the transcontinental line, they
proposed to transfer the terminus to
Goat Island, in the middle Of the
lay. Finding themselves opposed
in this breach of good faith, the
managers of the Central Pacific
had the audac:ty to threaten the
foundation of a new city, to which
the trade of San Francisco would
be diverted. With a view to attain
ing ats ends the railroad tried to
secure from the State Legislature
the requisite authority and from
Congress the half Of Goat Island;
and so formidable was its influence,
so layish!y did it Gpend its wealth
both at the State and the Federal
capitals, that the people Of san
Francisco were perhaps glad enough
to accept . compromise. Scenes
similar in import to these are trans
piring almost daily, while the pro-
ducing classes are being taxed to
furnish the sinews Of war by which
these railway giants carry on their
colossal schemes to u point where
forbearancc has almost ceased to be
a virtue, \ feeling is developing
the country which will
turn and overturn until Justice shall
usurp the place where extortion
seems now to be cnthroned. The
people need emily to know
the danger to meet and overthrow
it. They have the history Of the
Old World monoi olies to warn
them, and there are not wanting
out-spolen journal, and powerful
public men who refuse to bow the !
knee to the Railway Belial. The
people may have 4 long and bitter
fight, but the victory is assured
from the onset. The great necessity |
is to be fully aroused to the magni |
tude of the encounter. - Inter-
O""an.