National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-02-19
THE PACIFIC MAIL CoFrRAcr

\ The readiness with which the House of
Representatives yields to popular clamor
is baneful to the best interests of the coun-
itry. We have had specimen of this in
the action of the House in the matter of
the so-called salary grab. q measure, the
theory of which was to remove needy
members from the temptations of Bill
Kings and Irwins. The repeal of the
moiety system is another instance notably
! in point. Since the House yielded to the
venal vociferation of an unprincipled New
York press, in the interests of VIM. E.
Dodge, the lead smuggler, and other con-
/! sentative merchants, smuggling in the port
1 of New York has increased to an unparal-
lcled degree, and theErecent revelations are
at once disgraceful and astounding. We
fear it is largely due to this cowardly finch
ing from responsibility that the House the
other day repealed the Pacific Mail Steam
ship Contract. 1t is a mistake, and one
often made maliciously, to call it a subsidy.
We know several members who admit
ted in conversation subsequently, that
although they saw the injustice of COM
hitting great wrong on the present stock
holders and directors on account of the
villainy perpetrated by Irwin in behalf aud
by order of the Stockwell board, yet the
power of misrepresentation vested in the
New York press, which is controlled
mainly by Jay Gould and other notorious
bears, that they dared not risk their repu-
tationS with their constituents. Slowly but
surely, day by day, the coil which Jay Gould
has wound around Wall street and Congress
begins to crush victims. He cornered
lard, and the Western pigs as well as the
New York "'bulls" squealed and roared
with pain. He bled Erie to the last gasp.
and is now quietly skinning that once mag
nifcent corporation at his leisure. He
captured Union Pacific, and then by the
aid Of vast lobby, powerful in wealth,
skill and silence, wiped out Tom SCOTS
Texas Pacific He fercely assaulted West
ern Union, but although the attacking
column was led by the redoubtable Butler
in person, spurred on by lively hatred of
the Associated Press, it has so far failed.
The whole campaign against the Pacific
Mail from the first has been a ''bear"
movement to put money in the pockets of
Gould under the guise of correcting pub
Lie scandal. There were other influences
at work, of which Gould dexterously
availed himself, notably the bitter hostility
of Irwin, who declared that he returned
from Europe for the purpose of "wrecking
the company" The 8 ccess of Jay Gould's
schemes means monopoly in its most tyran-
meal form. He would tear down the flag
from our war ships if by such a measure
he could "bull" gold. National honor or
public credit means no more to this self.
absorbed schemer than the Odic force.
The Ways and Means Committee should
now make a report and let the country
know whether it was robbery or bribery.
If the former, let Irwin, Stockwell, Bill
King and their confederates be held respon-
sible. If the latter, give US the names of
the guilty members. Don't make the Pa
ci6c Mail Company a scapegoat for every
body's sins at the prompting of that arch
plotter, Jay Gould. Fortunately, the
Senate is not so sensitive a body as the
House, and will be slow to repudiate con-
tract or to destroy, at the beck of the stock
gamblers, the last remaining line which
bears the American flag on the high seas.
We call attention to the testimony of Mr..
Rufus Hatch, given before the investigat-
ing committee, and which is for the first
time printed in full