Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-12-01
Tho, Teeth of De Aanos.
[New York Sun, I


Suits have been commenced
against tie Central Pacific Rail-
r"ad COMPANY, for violet ing. the act
Of June 10. 1878, which requires all
corporations that received suh.i-
dies in bonds or lands to make
reports j. conformity with rules ia
be prescribed by The Auditor oi
Railroad Accounts, a,ui tn submit
their- books and Iecprtls To bis
ihsllectipn% wlitleYAr II ley b re de-
.iaa.aleA Tlri@ Gr,rt,oraiip.E II one
OF tho IiclIest AID most powerful in
the world in 'he sphere OF its opera
! Ions. = i j. owned ny five peisons,
awhn, wGh-the exception ia short
link of some foiiy miles. control Al /
the railruadJ aud ,h-ir connt tclinns
in California aud on the Pacific
Coast.
The ret INCOME is reported at
ahout nine -TTrrlion., hut there is
& 'od epsoh 10 helieve fiat G far
'txrperis' ttrafwtmnu mi and the re-
cent refusal 10 show the books or
to report certain resulis, which
would test ih4trughfulpess of th-ir
txhibi's, 1hstities file shsliciun
that they have been systematically
cuoked AMI fal7ift,i for years. As
such reports could not have been
made! wi; hout collusiollon the part
Of The Cove nment directors, in
vestigation will probably prove that
they, too, or part of them, at leasl,
connive,i ut these frauds.
- Congress has dealt mildly with
these great corporal ions In the leg
islatiOn of the last session, consider
singthe causes that existed for se.
we're m rhsures, and the ex,rfurdi-
nary action Of ihe Supreme Court
10 hnl.ftngs hat the interestp the
bond. toantd by the Government
to build the roads was not payable
until the expiration Of thirty years,
when the principal becomes due.
Tnel eEasf no dlslositiph to retail:
ate with harshness; but, on the
contrary, the aim was to II How them
the benefit of an equity to which
Iheir own transactions with the
Treasury gave thsrnlo clalmwhat-
ever. lss7s ~ = a's g
This moderation has been an.
swered in the spirit which has
characterized the whole conduct of
the Union Pacific, the Central Pa.
cific, aud their branches, cDnsti.
Hiting together a monppoiyswliieh
clutches within IT'S iron grasp the
overland trade between the Mis-
siilrE aud the Facafc, and all he
freight and passenger transports. :.
tion on the connecting lines. I'M
medistely after the adjournment Of
Congress, the charges for fleight,
already exorbitant and oppressive,
were put up enormously, In order
to show their teeth of defiance; and
now they have followed with an
open, audnciQus, and tusuiIiDgre-
/ flsal to.obey the laws A
4 No alternati vel jis left with Con-
grsss, either sin sself-respect Or in
dtity tostife people, bit to enforce
its authority In way that will
make the owners, officers and
directors Of these corporations
liablen 10. penal punishment rfuI
resttting the statute. Half way
mt asures will not suit. Liberal
treatment has been tried aud has
failed. The question simply is:
A te tl1ese fovei grover, puFse-pr0u'l
ahd1sel fish,. fff0nopoitrs, created BY
@fhe Eenerosity Of Caatgress and
Intended to promote the public
good. stronger than the law and
the Goyerpnent.y
Lit Cation In the Courts would
suit them exactly. They are rich
enough to court itand pursue 1t in.
EhetinIftly. IF castin one case, they
ssnu q pay the peitalty Of 81, ,O0D 0f
$4,000, aA pfescrtbeti by thesslatute,
and renew tile contest imniedIaie ely
on another. Meantime their book-,
-records and, Rcepunts,e would be
com parativefy sheresf against In
trusion, by appeals from one trihu.
nallto anoI her, and the whole ma
chimery organized by Congress
would become utterly worthless
and tiesd.,.i li'1i1I S'ls1i.f
Jay Gould and his associated
/ combination are either masters aud
may dictate their owp terms, as
| they tried TO do at the hast session
.nf Congress-, or they rIust respect
the law like other citizens. II
!, would, be scanJslnus mpckery Ia
keep up a bufAhu Of accounts fol
these railroads at . -costNf some
fifteen thousand year to stsrt on,