The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-03-06
GOuld,s lIonopoly Doomed.

The control of the Union Pacific Rail
road and the Pacific Mail Steamship Com
pany makes, in connection with the Cen
trail Pacific Railroad, IL monopoly of the
travel ana traffic across the continent, and
of our trade with China aud Japan.
This power is in effect in the hands of JAY
GOULD. He controls the commerce of the
nation between the Missouri river and the
Pacific coast over region extending from
the thirty-second parallel of north latitude
to the forty-pmth. 1t is a dominion with
out precedent in the history of commerce,
aud swayed in the midst of de-
moc'acy by a single man. A comparison
will facilitate the appreciation of the stu
pendous fact.
The State OF Illinois is about $50 mile.
long from north to south. 1t is traversed
by over thirty railroads running in an
easterly and westerly direction. JAY
GoULD's monopoly is in the centre of IA re-
gion over 1880 miles long from north to
south. aud 2,9iG miles from east TO west. A
single-track railroad traverscs this empire
aud the whole nation is tributary to it..
JAY GOULD has a toll gate nj Omaha, and
every man, woman. ana Child in America
Pacific coast, or TO Japan, or China,
must pass through il and pay the taxes he
demands. In like manner, all the traillc
and travel from eastern Asia and our
| western coast must pass through GOULD 5
gate. 1t is no wonder that his road, run
ming but one passenger train a day each
| way, aud not on an average three freight
| trains day, earned last year over Sl2 000,-
900. lie charges what he pleascs, and he
| has Il monopoly which enables him to
| ccOHOmZe his road service ut the expense
| of the convenience aud comfort of the
| public.
Had GOULD projected and built the
| Union Pacific road, had he bravcly put his
money into it, imperlled his fortune in it,
| struggled with II, carried it with bent
shoulders but unluching heart till he
| conquered, thenatiou would have crowned
/ him as hero and benefactor, and would
| not have been FESTIVE under IN admiuis-
tration of the highway which richly re-
Enumerated him for his toll and risks. But
| he never lifted finger to build the road.
| He watched other men constructing it,
aud saw them stngger under their load,
| and some Of them die of vexa-
tions, WEAKNESS, and bankruptcy. lie lay
like panther gathered for a spring ana
when the road was flushed and promised
financial success, he noiseIessly lenped on
it, cheap stock and captured the enter
prise. As soon as he had got possession of
| it, aud completed his arrangements for
using the property, he doubled Its travel
and traffic rates in order TO create an in
come on which to force up the value of his
shares in the stock market. He gobbled
the road to gamble with. 1t is simply his
| loaded dice
Inevitably the man thus perverted the
| property. The charters of each aud all
the Pacific rail in terms express tho
| object OF Congress In creating the corpora
tons and granting their privileges. Ii is
ito promote the public interest and well
fare" GOULD has ever been insensible to
that consideration. Every act of his lifo
has pointed TO his personal interest. Tho
pubiie Interest To Linn Is 2 agYre Of senn