The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-05-10

lllllltu!lN 49,.
FRIDAY !. Va - - A-'s.
senator ,Johnston's Trans-C tinentM
Road.
we n.b,ish so.aay an authorized explana-
Hon Of Senator JoHssroS's trans ntinental.
bin. aud, considering the proposed measure
IN The light OF this explanation, we cannot
fora ,1lomen. favor 1t. IL that noted gem
tleman familiarly called g Tom SCOTT = were
TO agree to pass this bill we should con-
slider that no had combined with the only
existing trans-continental railway company
to defeat the grand object Of the country
to establish competing lines for transit OIL
commerce and travel between the two
oceans that mark our eastern and western
boundary.
How is this competition defeated? by
the scheme OF Senator JOHNSTON, which di.
yides the Texas-Pacific lire between the
generally styled great monopoiy--the Gen.
trail Pacific line (HuNrINGToN, JAY GOULD
& Col and the Texas-Paci6c (ToN scoTT).
Senator JOHNSTON proposes that HUNTING
TON shall come to FL Paso-the Southwest
Pass-and that Tow SCOTT shall meet him
there: and will not this put an end to In
dependent lines? But Senator JOHNSTON
saws that the Texas.Pacific part cToG
ScoTT,s) will be in the centre, and can thus
!. control the ends or the termini! HUNTINGTON
wonId control the Pacific terminus at q
point where the Central Pacific road terml-
mates, and from that point could give any
direction to trade and travel that suited MS
interests. and the middle part CIoM
ScoTT's) would be SO much at bis mercy
that his dictation would prevail. The mid
die part would be the belly, and would die
az hunger unless it made terms with the
mouth-HUSTINGToS's terminus. what
sort OF competition would that be'
The Senator's explanation speaks OF
the distance that would be between the
parallel lines east OF Ell Paso as frus"
tratine combination between them.
That is nothing. 1t is the terTnans that
are important-the tranS-continentdI COM
,nerce that the nation desires to protect
by competition. The very name OF Senator
JoHNsToS's proposed road shows that 1t IS
after this very trans-continentM commerce,
and the Senator would give to ROAD
already built the control OF the Texas Pacific
terminus, and thus give that road complete
control over the business that the nation
would preserve from monopoly by compete
tion-an object Of such Importance that II
is a question bearing upon national liberty
itself.
We have no intimation Of what the proml-
nent friends Of the TeXas-Paciic railway
have to say upon the question sprung at
this late period upon Congress, but we I'M
hesitatingly say that if they go for the pro-
posed plan we are against them; for 1t sac
rifices altogether that for which we have
most heartily contended-on Independent
line Of rail,ray betaoeen the too oceans-a
line that shall be forever prohibited from
alliance and combination with the present
trans-continental line, and which shall thus
be prohibited from bartering away the rights
OF the people and the freedom OF American
commerce.
one point in the "explanation de-
serves attention, because upon it is based
the alleged fairness Of dividing that trans
continental line, which is at least geographic
cally southern, between two companies. IL
is commended that the sO-called Southern
(HUNTlSGToN's)P Pacific line has progressed
700 miles from its western terminus. But
bear in mind that that western terminus IS
San Francisco, where the Central trans
continental Tine terminates. From that
point the road pursues the San Joaquin
valley parallel with the Pacific coast 500
miles or thereabouts. The Texas-Pacihc
line fixes its terminus at San Diego. What
right is there to assume that the HUNTING
TON scheme has any claim to part OF the
Te1as-P Pacific line?
The mere statement annihilates the ground
Of this claim.
But we designed not to say more than TO
indicate general reason or two for dlsap-
nroying Senator J0HNsToN's plan. Its
merits and dement's will be fully ventilated
in Congress. We regret its appearance at
a time whe n, from general report, it seemed
that the Te.xas-Pacitic scheme had become
more than ever popular, and when some OF
the ablest senators as well as distinguished
members OF the House OF Representatives
not formerly understood to be its friends
had shown an ardent desire for the success
of the measure the present session.