The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-06-10


Mississippi to the Pacific. and they conscicn-
tiously believe they are entitled to II. But they
can see without being told that the Texas Pat
ciilc Is u mere continuation of the pcnnsy lvania
system. intended to draw the traffic North and
not South. Senator who has long been
conspicuously identified with this abor-
tive scheme. says that Tom Scott was
"a fraud upon the South" from the be-
ginning. with neither tho will nor the
means to build southern Pacific road"
In fact. he is now looked upon as the very body
OF dcath-a huge incubus, mere obstacle in the
way Of genuine Southern road. There stands
tho Southern Pacific. ready to build the line
without subsidy and to stake any amount of
security rs n guarantee Of compliance with the
same conditions proposed by the Texas Pacific
in return for a subsidy OF $4,000 per mile. But
Mr.. Scott will not allow the work TO be done for
nothing. There. again. is the Johnston bill.
upon which Southern sentiment is rapidly
crystallizing. II appropriates 10000 per mile
in greenbacks, and requires interest to be
paid TO the Government instead Of being paid
by il. But Col. Scott will not accept this himself
or allow anybody else to do so. He opposes any
bill which does not give him twenty-five thou
sand dollars per mile. when his own engineers
have reported to him that the outside cost OF the
work would be from ten to flfteeh. When you
add to this that he doggedly refuses TO permit
the proper committee Of Congress to pass upon
the validity Of the title upon which he nsks to
borrow all this money. you see that Col Scott
develops into an obstacle Of the first magnitude.
The Southern people perceive that their best in
tcrests will he served by Kidding themselves of
the sick man Of Pennsylvania. and they will
shed no tears over his inevitable defeat for tho
fourth or nfth time.
Undoubtedly the sentiment of this Congress
is strongly against subsidies. II has been
| shown in every vote in both Houses where the
question was fairly one 81 subsidy Of any kind.
| or for any purpose. 1t ia true that the Northern
| Pacific bill passed the Scnatc-passcd unani-
| mou-ly and with theactiye aid Of the leaders Of
both political parties. But that. 1t was argued
was not a question Of subsidy. II was more like
question Of connscation. The proposal was
not to make a grant. but declaration that a
| grant already made should not be resumed
| within "a certain time II was peculiar also in
this. that it involved the fortunes OF thousands
| Of people Of all classes who. having bought the
bonds Of the Northern Pacific under the stimu-
lation of Cookies extraordinary advertising.
were compelled to take the property for their
debt. and are now its solo owners. They have
asked only for time in which to complete the
roads, and thereby save these private invest
mcuts and AZ the same time effect the public
purpose Of the original act Of Congress.
| namely another road to the Pacific No
| civilized Government ever resumed grant
under similar circumstances. and it is safe
| to say that none ever will. The pre-
ferrcd stock for which the lands were OK
changed. is held in almost every Congress
sional district, and it is not strange that MEM
| bcrs who personally know the worthy and
| needy NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Of the Cooke re-
gime-are inclined TO favor their prayer for
time. New York has i92 Of these preferred
stockholders who hold s4.jG9,6O0 Of the stock.
Pennsylvania has 2.4s2 stockholders and 3d.
92s. 700 Of the stock. The New England States
are heavy holders In the South the sales OF
the bonds were small only because the region
ravaged 10y war offered little temptation TO tho
| mutitudinous agents OF Mr.. Cooke and his rs
soca;cs. They went for the savings banks nm,
the trust funds. the little piles OF the preachers
the widows and the industrious mechanics Mr.
Conklin. expressed the general feeling in Con
gross in regard TO this bill in the following eX
tract from his speech:
Then seem. to me hi. hnl senators have insisted
Gole prevail, in the senaie ,et our faces ike nm
aF1n,t Subsidies or r9ilf9Ad, AGAINST dTs,h grant,
which wonid he an eNeepiion ! spcak OF the srneT'
i,., moi uci 10 retrieve thc iortunps Of nnmnn
J.. within my knowloi-e That in the state Sew lor
si,.. N"r, induc'l hv irorer mean. ~ bv others
not know invest 900 these houds nearly the whole.
uotansoluic TIE mhot 81 thr 'arnns M9t,h t.,l A
tie interest II those Ier,un-. saying nothing about t
term. Tor tl,m owotk out uc orliu,l destiny 90 a.
grant, let them du it aud iaru'u nrly say Dot Ntu
| u under il which has already ns ~ inl. ii'
orilnaIN iouId ln tic act .nA,r WA.-A Mey or-inA
, | proc,ed,t
, The Senate bin for the relief Of the Northor
, Pacific Is On the Speakers table. and the Hou-
bill. prepared by Me-srs. Hewitt and Rice, is "a
: down on the calendar of the Committee of III
Whole. Either bill II brought to a vote woul
} | Doubtless receive the support Of moro tina
two-thirls Of the House. but the chances
{ rearhing either are growing very slender
5 Whether the House shall investigate the tit
y Of the TcXas-Pacilc or not the fact that such a
: investigation has been proposed and desperate
e IS res istod 10y the company, must seriously in
a pair its little remaining credit predict ia
1 Col. Scott will never again appear a. the powe
- full and hectorng subsidy beSgar he has hc,
r for the last five years. At tho next session q
e South will ask tho passage If the Johnston 10
L or something like il. with a unanimity never a
n tainahle while Scott was in the fold. and q
n contest 10 keep the Treasury against these d
r mands will take new form. The danger Is
: a combination of interests rs widespread ui
n powerful as those represented annually In q
II tho River and llarAor hil-of which Speak
q Randall has said that all the savings ciIertad
II the economical pariugs of the Appropriati,
:. Committee. are taken by the Commerce { 1mm
IS tee and pitched into the rivers and the sea.