Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-04-24
the True Railroad Policy.

xuo utAA OCbtstSsi Wv
day, In an exceedingly we'll written
article, reminds the Southern Pa
cific Railway managers that the
trade OF Arizona is already large
and Q source Of great revenue to
that corporation. 1t suggests that
= lowering of freights and fares isa
very desirable thing both for the
Territory and the corporation. 1t
does this in o sarcastic and acri-
monious vein which we have no
desire to emulate. We are q great
believer in the scriptural doctrine
that q soft answer turneth away
wrath, and we do not, therefore,
resort to o hostile and militant
style Of language-which is, by
the way, the easiest and most DIS
gushing form of demagoguery in
the world. eve say this for reflect
ing people.) II there were any en-
ginery ready to our hand for coerc-
ing the railway people-such, for
instance, as the old Scottish boot
we should turn the crank just
enough to make them listen to what
we regard as the counsels of wis
dom. We should not give it one
turn more, because we simply be-
lieve in the equities and not in VEN
geance.
What are the facts? For all pur.
poses OF our argument, the Central
and Southern Pacific Railways are
one corporation. In their bills Of
lading they create a confusion
which certainly leads to that opin-
Ion. This dual corporation has
been royalty lowered. 1t has re-
ceived largesses which would make
Cr@sus think that there were some
things in finance which the primi-
tive fiscal methods of his times rem
dered impossible. Crassus-the
rich man of the old Roman trium-
virate-would have foregone stand
ing around at a fire to speculate on
adjoining buildings to accept such
largesses as the men who compose
this twin corporation have re-
csived. These largesses have EN-.
brnced national subsidies in lands,
subsidies In bonds, which meant
money, State subsidies, county
subsidies, municipal subsidies.
The heart of q people only circum-
scribed by the almost limitless
boundaries of the United States,
the heart of commonwealth, of
counties, OF municipalities ana OF
individuals who have had lands to
be benefited, went out to them.
Men who have received such a
royal recognition are not justified
In thinking only of themselves.
As honorable men they have given
hostages to fortune OF generous
and Intelligent public attitude.
They should look upon them
selves as priests OF development to
q virgin section. They should not
calculate that dollar could be
made here and fifty cents there, by
. mean, parsimonious, repressive
policy. They should ask them
selves If they cannot make that
valley blossom as the rose, if they
cannot people this canon and that
mining gulch. IF they compre-
bend their mission, they are mark
ed out as the awakeners of q
nascent empire. They stand be-
fore the cavern of possibilities, the
mouth of which is closed by an
otherwise almost imponderable
rock, and it lies with them to speak
the magic words, "Open sesame"
All the while we must remember
that Southern California and Ari-
IONA will develop with these men
or without them. They can impede
but they cannot long obstruct our
progress. They can earn our graf
itude by facilitating a career which
is certain to realize the utmost
reach of the meaning of the word
"excelsior." Our course will be
onward and upward In any event;
but q bad policy on the part of the
railways which control California
and Arizona, root anu branch, will,
in the language of Hamlets solil-
oquy, "give us pause"
For our part, knowing that we
do not live in the Arcadia of Sir
Thomas More, we are ready to con-
cede much to this utilitarian,
modern world. The instinct to
make money is almost consecrat-
ed one, judging by the zealotry
with which men pursue money.
We are prepared to forgive many
transgressions which are owing to
this money making instinct,
aud man not trained to
the noble inspirations Of a fine
soul might easily prefer rather to
Increase his bank account than to
gain the applause of a growing
section. But of one thing we are
thoroughly persuaded, and that is
that there is more money to the
Railway in policy whieh en-
courages Development than in one
which represses it. The present
moment, even in the calculation of
H.