Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-07
THE PACIFIC RaILRO4Ds.

There is very evident purpose on the
part of the advocates of the Texas Pacific
railroad subsidy to use the proposition to ex-
tend the time for the completion of the
Northern Pacific to assist in securing the pas
sage Of that bill. This purpose was made
manifest at the subsidy convention held in
Chicago last month, and is again made prom
inent in the resolutions adopted by the New
Orleans commercial convention, in session
at the present time. Approaching the rea-
sonableness of the request of the Northern
Pacific company, and the fact that Congress
cannot in fairness refuse to grant it, the
friends of the Texas Pacific measure propose
to strengthen their own cause by combining
the two.
This endeavor is unfair, and decidedly
prejudicial to the public interests. There is
no similarity whatever between the two
measures, and they should not be joined to-
gether either in Congress or in public dis
cussion. The Northern Pacific does not ask
that subsidy be granted it. It simply asks
that, in view of the interruption of business
and the interference with railroad construc-
ton caused by the panic of 1873, the time
for the completion of the road to the Pacific
be extended for a few years, that it may be
able to claim the land grant originally al
lowed to the enterprise. It does not ask
guarantee of its bonds or the interest there.
'on. Its managers are willing to construct
the road without other government aid than
the share of wild lands heretofore granted to
it. The Texas Pacific, on the other hand,
asks an immense subsidy, consisting not only
of large land grant, but government
guarantee of the interest on whatever
bonds it may choose to issue. The
lowest amount for which the govern
ment will be held responsible under
the bill now before Congress is two millions
of dollars annually in cash. Congress
is in measure pledged to refuse such sub
sides, and we are firmly of the belief that
the public at large will not approve of such
use of the public moneys.
1t is a matter of certainty that the very
reasonable request of the Northern Pacific
railroad will be granted, provided the bill for
that purpose is not laden with an obnoxious
"rider.' The Texas Pacific people perceive
this, and propose to take advantage of the
situation by making rider of their scheme,
hoping to secure its passage by that means
or to defeat both measures. They will re-
refuse to vote for the extension of time to
the Northern Pacific, unless the friends of
that route vote for the subsidy to the Texas
Pacific, and by this means hope to carry
tneir point. This will, it is hoped, defeat
both measures, and the country will suffer
greatly thereby.
There is, to our mind, no sense in COM
bining the two enterprises. They are en-
tirely distinct from each other, not single
point of similarity being apparent. It is for
the advantage of the whole northwest that
the Northern Pacific railroad be completed
at as early day as possible. It has been
found to be practical route to the Pacific,
traversing country unequalled on the CON
tinent in agricultural and mineral wealth.
The cost of it's construction is not great, and
when completed it will be comparatively IN
mountain passes in which the SHOWS of
winter are likely to accumulate and cause an
interruption of traffic, and almost from the
day of its completion it will be profitable
investment. Such is not the case with the
Texas Pacific. Between it's two termini the
traffic will be large, but it passes through
hundreds of miles of arid waste which can
never be developed into a country habitable
by civilized man. It will be many
years before it can be made
profitable, and in the meantime the people
of the whole country will be taxed to pay the
interest on its bonds. It will cost the coun-
try nothing to grant the request of the
Northern Pacific company; Tom Scott's
scheme will involve us in endless expense.
The Northern Pacific is a great public en-
terprise, nearly half completed; the Texas
Pacific is a private speculation, sectional in
its character and promising no public bene-
fit. One is demanded by large section of
the country, we'll settled by industrious, fru-
gal people, farmers, herdsmen and miners;
the other is merely designed to build up .