, 1874-12-25
"REgCuE THE NORTH PACIFIC !"

out for which, though great deal better, call net
pace.
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t'REgCuE THE NORTH PACIF1C p
Tho st. Paul Pioneer, the Democratic organ
of Minnesota, grows pathotic and poetical in
n leading editorial under tho caption VIC have
quoted. Tho Pioneer wants Congress to
rescue JAR CooKE'a subsidized failure by CIV
lug it S125, 1000 Of tho pcoplo's money
because it ''utilizes tho road already built;
opens mp stretoh Of country hcayy with
minerals aud rich with tho succulent grasses
which ara the delight Of tho herdsu,an and Of
hisdroves; peoples new wilderncsses; attracts
new communities of emigrantg; opens up
communication with remote sections Of o conf
mon country; makes our new Alnska pos
sessions Of somo practical valuo ID; reduces
the expenses Of tho Government in tie main-
tenonco Of troops mora than m equivalent
for the whole interest asked to bo guaranteed;
settles tho Indian question in tho interest of
civilization ona peace; and saves tic COM
merco OF tho Pacific from falling into the
hands Of tho Canadian road, which will surely
be built if this is abandoned"
This ia indeed q catalogue Of blessings.
The pionee1 ought to, bdsin to pay dividends
pretty soon, if it gets anything like tho
proper rate per line for such fine flights of
fancy. It lnay bo worth while, perhaps, to
look at the blessings from the standpoint Of
truth, and thus discover precisely what We
are likely to get for giving jag COOKE and the
rest Of tho lobbyists the right to talso S1aa,-
000,00o out Of our pockets. Tho bill now
before Congress provides fox tho guarantee
by the United States Of $50, 900 of per cent
bonds for each mila OF tho road. The tnan-
ayers may bc relied upon to follow tie prcc-
edent set by tho Union Pacific ring, ind
put seycrnl hundred miles Of track OIL the
routo by running oT-shoots hero and there,
and by making the road squir1n over tho level
prairio in senaicirclcs. The aggregate amount
Of bonds issued will be {2,5oox55o, ,ooo)
$125 5,o0o, 900. They are to run forty years.
Tho aggregate interest for this time will be
S240, 100000. This 1nakes total Of $685.
000,00 which tho people Of tho United
States will have to pay in order to give JAs
CooKE aud his ring fresh start in life.
And now for tho blessings!
First, it "atilizes the road already built"
Tho policy Of throwing AWAY good money
aftor bad has at last found champion. Tho
world usually regards this aa the acmo Of
folly, and the world is quite right. This ar-
g,mont would make the country dig tho
James River s. Kanewha Canal oyor and
| through few hundred miles Of mountains,
and would forco New York to prolong
indefinitely tho useless lateral canals
| which sho has just. roteil, most wisely,
to abandon. 1t would compel us, whenever
| a man rot rood chartered from podunl, in
Milne, to Bloody Hollow, in New Mexico,
and built fraction of track, to construct tho
rest Of it for linn and pny him huntlrel mill
| ions or 80 for tho privilege. Why is it, too,
il tho now road is to develop the country,
TINT tho 515 miles of it already built have
failed to do anything Of tho sort? Is it
worth while to spend c5,000,00o for tllo
salso Of utilizing something that will appar-
ently never bo Of any especial use?
| Second, i! opens up Htretcl. of country
heavy with minerals and rich with the succu-
lent grasses that aro the delight Of tho herds
nan and his lroycs." Nobody knows whetll-
er tho country ID heavy with minerals or not.
If it were h1,own 10 bo 60, it would swarm
with miners long before tho track could DO
laid. Wo aro not aware TINT tho men who
r,,shod to pisois Peak waitcd for palace-carss
to tako them there. It is a pity that tho
"a,,coulont grassca" OH which, according to
tho tipo pootical phrase Of the Pioneer, tho
hertlsrnan grazos, Nobuchcdnczzay-lik with
his 6roves, do not exist, bnt thoy don't. For
aeyon months in tho ycnr, tho storile wasto
through which tho Northern Pacific will pass
if Congress il foolish and knnyisll enough
to vote This subsidy is covered with snow.
1t is cold enough there thon to freezo the
horns or any wrctchoa OK canght III the
tlreary region. As for the imaginary herds
,na,., It is difficult to say whether Ao would
DO moro delighted or surprised to flnd any
thing il TINT section OH which ho or his herd
could food. II we should make this second
argument real, "Tho road would opon up a
country heavy with alkal and snow md rich
with eago-br,ah mud swamps," 1t woull OK
l,reas tho truth with fidelity which the st.
Paul Pioneer might copy with advantage.
Third, It "peoplos new wlldornossos; at-
tracts now communities Of onigrants; opens
up communication with romoto geotiona Of q
common country; a1ld nlakos our naw Alaslu
posaossions Of some practlcal value" While
wo hayo suoI, flnv assortment Of old wilder
noases on hand to people, there Is really nc
nooosaity Of providing a fresh lot. The sago
brush along the Union paoinc makes just d