The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-12-23

THURSDAY MORNING DEC. 20.
An Omen Pacine Highway.

try by the Central and Union Pacific
railroads, to pay profits on lines bond
ed for treble their actual cost and to
give a market value TO millions of wa
tered stock, Is far from being Justly APP
preciated by the nation. These lines
are the creation OF the government,
They were built wholly by government
bonds; the generosity of the govern
ment has been repaid by shameless in
gratitude and insatlate greed, and the
flavor of the jObber still fingers IN the
nostrils of the people ~ one Of the
many evil legacles Of the ill-advised
direction of the national highway
across the continent. Secure IN their
extraordinary privileges, and without
competition from rival lines, the COM
pleted Pacific roads fear nothing SO
M lch as the construction OF an open
highway from the Atlantic to the Pa-
fic, and they have left no efforts un-
employed TO defeat all such enterpris-
O, The failure of the Northern
Pacific, bearing down with it the Texas
Pacific, was most welcome intelligence
to the two powerful corporations, con-
trolled by less than hal u score of spec
ulators, which now commands the
whole travel and traffic across the con-
tment and now, when the Texas Pa
clfic line, borne greatly on Its way by
private capital and legitimate enter
PRISE has fair prospect of speedy
completion, we find Mr.. Coils Z. Hun
tingdon, practical owner of the Cen
trail Pacific, publishing deceitiul
proposition to complete the Texas Pa
cilic for the land grants given ii by
Congress. Having received u subsidy
of Government bonds to the amount OF
the cost of his line, and having been
allowed to issue first mortgage bonds
for about like sum to enrich himself
aud his associates, and still disputing
the interest on the Government bonds
issued to his company, he is suddenly
converted to the impolicy Of any Gov
eminent aid to Pacific railways, and
publicly protests against 1t.
Upon the face of Mr. Huntingdon's
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS it looks plausible;
but on several vital points he Is
strangely aud most incOnsistently
al mt. II new lines in the North or
South should be constructed without
aid from the government, is 1t not
about time that the monopoly line, that
has for years been extorting Mt least
double the fares and freights the Tex
as Pacific proposes to be bound to ac-
cept should begin to repay the govern
ment the million it has obtained, and
for which it has not even paid full
interest ? And would 1t not be in
good taste, putting it in the mildest
form, for Mr.. Huntingdon to reduce
his fares and freights to something APP
proXimating what new line would
be glad to bargain for? And he was
forgetful, also, to suggest that If one
Pacific line was wise enterprise, an
other line that woud develop n more
fruitful soil and better climate, reduce
transportation one-half, and save the
Government alone annually nearly or
quite the whole interest on its cost,
might be even more desirable thing
to encourage. He could, in addition,
have suggested that, ii the present Pa
cific lines are blessings with entire
freedom from Government direction
and control, another line, built for
actual cash cost, outside of individual
speculation, withholding no revenues
from the Government when in debt,
and protected as an open highway for
all sections by the Government itself,
might greatly multiply the blessings
to be enjoyed by the people. That Mr..
Huntingdon should overlook these inn
portant suggestions is not very sur
prising, for when we get down to the
animated purpose of his public letter,
it is intended solely to defeat rival
trans continental line, and prevent the
competition OF Il road built legitimate
ly for cash, under Government direc-
ton, and with the Government limit
ing its tariffs upon its trade, would
furnish to the speculative monopoly
that has written fraud and shame and
inordinate greed over every page of its
history.
We have frequently referred to the
national interest involved in the COM
pletion of our great highways across
the continent. They have the preju-
dices born of financial revulsion aud
of corruption in high places to mbar-
rass them. Because the generous aid
to the present line has been most
shamelessly abused and its helping
hand striped with ingratitude, many
shudder at the suggestion to aid addi-
tional highways. Many honest men
resist the proposition to hasten them
to completion, but the tireless agents
In fomenting dlstrust to arrest the con-
struction of new lines, are the gorged
plunderers who have stolen the mil
lions wasted on the Central line and
who extort remorselessly as the high.
wayman, from every passenger or ton
OF freight that seeks transit between
the eastern aud western seas. OF these
Mr.. Huntington is the leader, and his
deliverance cannot, by any ingenuity
In the use of language, be made |
even plausible when his an
tecedents and present rob-
berry are presented to the public view.
whether Congress should loan the
credit of the Government to the Texas
Pacific railway, under such restrictions
and control as will protect the Govern
ment to the utmost, Is n question that |
should be considered solely on its mer-
its. The people do not brighten and
founder into corner ON any such is
sue If it has truth and justice to sustain
It, LII the Government will save an
nually nearly or quite the amount of
the interesto the cost of the construc-
tion Of the line In transporting sup
plies and In protecting the remote set
Elements, there is nobody out of Con-
gress so stupid or so cowardly that he
would not construct the road. The
sooner those who claim to be our states
men appreciate the fact that the peo-
pie want just what is right, and neither
more or less, the sooner will specula-
ton in our national highways cease,
and the Government and lis frontier
settlers be protected from needless