Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1878-11-30

rnuE TEETH OF DEFIANCE.
suits have been commenced against tht
Central Pacific Railroad Company for VI :
issing the act Of June 10. 1878. which &c
auires all corporations that received su"
sidies in bonds or lands to make reports In
Conformity with rules to be prescribed BY
tbeA Auditor Of Railroad Accounts. and T.
sutmit their books and records to his In
s~pection whenever they are demanded.
This corporation Is one Of the richest and
rsost powerful in the world in the sphere OF
its operations.
The net income is reported at about nine
millions, but there is good reason to be-
lieve that II far exceeds thai amount; and
the recent refusal to show the books or to
report certain results, which would test
the trutbfulness Of their exhibits. j~ustifies
tho suspicion that they have been sys-
tematically cooked and falsifed for years
Az such reports could not have been made
without collision on the part OF the Gov
eminent Directors, investigation will prob
ABLY prove that they. too, or part OF them,
n least. connived at these frauds.
Congress dealt mildly with these great
corporations in the legislation OF the last
session, considering the causes that ex-
isted for severe measures. saws the New
York Sam, and the extraordinary action OF
the Supreme Court in holding that the
interest on the bonds loaned by the Gov
eminent to build the roads was not PAYABLE
until the expiration OF thirty years, when
che principal becomes due. There was no
disposition TO retaliate with harshness; but,
ON the contrary, the aim was to allow
them the benefit Of an equity TO which
their own transactions with the Treasury
gave them no claim whatever.
This moderation has been answered in
the spirit which has characterized The
whole conduct Of the Union Pacific, the
Central Pacific. and their branches, con-
stituting together monopoly which
clutches within its iron grasp the overland
trade between the Missouri and the Pacific,
and all the freight and passenger transport
tation Of the connecting lines. Immedi-
ately after the adjournment Of Congress.
the charges for freight. already exorbitant
and oppressive. we're pat up enormously.
in order to show their teeth Of defiance;
and nov they have followed with an open.
audacious and insulting refusal to obey the
Law.
No alternative Is left with Congress,
either in self-respect or in duty to the peo-
pie, but to enforce its authority in a way
that will make the owners, officers and di-
OF these corporations liable to
penal punishment for resisting the statute.
Hallway measures will not suit. Liberal
treatment has been tried and has failed.
The question simply is: Are these over
grown. p~urse-proud and selfish monopolies.
created by the generosity Of Congress.
stronger thar the law and the Govern
msnt?
Litigation in the courts would suit them
exactly. They are rich enough to court it
and pursue it indefinitely. If cast in one
case. they would pay the penalty Of 1000
or 5000. As prescribed by the statute, and
enc the contest Immediately on another.
Meantime their books, records. and ac-
counts would be comparatively sacred
sgainst intrusion, by appeals from n tri-
bunai TO another. aud tho whole machinery
organised by Congress would become ut
terly worthless and dead.
Jay Gould and his associated combins-
ton are either masters and may dictate
their v terms, a. they tried to do at tho
last session Of Congress. or they must re-
spect the law like other citizens. 1t would
be : scandalous mockery to keep up . bu-
reau Of accounts for these railroads at q
cost Of some hftcen thousand a year to
start on, and then depend upon the caprice
the interest Of the nor opolists for
material to carry it on. Mr.. Thurman.
who originated these measures. will be OK
pected to provide additional legislation for
their ful6lment to the last letter. There
must BE- no retreat or compromise. bnt .
square fight bstween Congress and the cor
p~oratiens for the mastery.