Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-01-19

occasion to notice the violence with
which the report OF the State Board
ofTransportation was dumped" by
journals which regard themselves
as the champions Of the people, par
excellence, against the Railways.
The probability is extreme that
not one of these editorial gentle
men has read the report, and they
dsnounce it simply because 1t was
far easier to do that than to read
and weigh this voluminous "pub.
doc." which, We confess, has
"fazed' US, 1t is SO huge. And now
comes along the Sacramento Rec
ord Union, of January 18th, which
is a pronounced and recognized pro-
railway organ, and which, under
the caption of the Kearney Ele-
ment in legislation" acquits
itself, amongst other things. Of the
following:
At this moment we should be
troubled to find a more emphatic
and unm. stakable exhibition of the
Kearney element In legislation
than il furnished in the series of
bills drafted by the Transportation
Com missioners, and introduced to
the Senate OH Tuesday. In and
through these bills the Trausporta-
ton Commissioners coolly ask the
Legislature to deliver over the rail-
road companies of California to
their tender merciss, bound hand
and foot. They propose, In sober
fact, and without exaggerati0n, that
the practical ownership and control
Of all the railroad property in the
State shall be vested In them, and
that the present owners and man
ayers Of the property shall be strip
ped Of all authority but such as may
BE- delegated to them by the Board.
After having in their elaborate and
lengthy report given score of
valid objections to any restrictive
legislation whatever; and after ad-
hitting that they were not In pos.
session of the necessary informa-
ton to enable them to suggest ap-
propriats legislation, these Com
missionsrs have prepared u series
of bills designed to cover alike the
facts they know and those they
confess their ignorance of, and
which, II they should 60 into ope-
ration, would completely paralyze
the entire railroad interest. We
have here a striking manifestation
of the Kearney element in legisla-
ton. 1t is notorious that there Is
no complaint in any part Of the
State Of the present railroad man.
agement. 1t is notorious that the
Transportation Commission cast q
drag-nst circular over the State, in
the attempt to elicit complaints
against the corporations, and that
there was absolutely no response
to their suggestive invitation.
Nevertheless, without rhyme or
reason, they have proceeded to
frame series of bills, the effect II
not the aim Of which is to cripple
the railroad interest, and they in
troduce these measures with q
placid and self-satisfied air, as of
men who have done their whole
duty by the people, and conse-
quently have right to feel proud
Of themselves.
The truth is that it is probably
owing to the fact that Gen. Stone
man, the President of the Board, is
resident of Los Angeles county,
and Col. Smith is a brother of Sem
ator George H. Smith, that the &C.
ton Of the Board is SO thorough
and sweeping. But the gentlemen
who drew up these bills may quite
reasonably complain that it Is hard
to be thrown thus, as though shut
tle-cock and battle-dore were the
game, between the friends and enc
mics of the Railway company.