The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-04

United States malls also. The freight and
expenses Of all this transportation Is To be
held by the United States as an indemnity
against the possibility Of loss re.
sulting from her endorsing those
bonds. II Is argued by one gen.
tleman that this proposition Of sub
sides should not be continued because,
be says, that the subsidy Of the Central
Pacific Railroad Is not IN TACT q sub.
sldy. He said It was q war measurei that
LIS building was q result OF q necessity
during the war 1iail TO see and the gen.
tleinal fails to tell Us how the building oil
the Central Pacific Railroad could be a
necessity during the war; there were no
rebels In that section; II there were they
we're so few that railroad would not be
necessary for their destruction. It was q
piece Of iayoritlsm, and Is It too much
now for the Southern States to ask Tor the
boon OF having her bonds secured? Every
thing being perfectly secured to the United
States. This bill provides on the face OF II
that II should 10 constructed from the
Mississippi river, at point not above
Memphis. Now. sirs, how can you get to
the Atlantic States without passing through
the Southern States? Without some SUI.
fiCient and valid reason Is offered shall
stand by the vote gave on former occa.
sion, let the consequence be what 1t may.
| hope this resolution will be voted down.
Mr.. rorNnSToSE
said: He voted for the resolution when
before the House some time ago. That
the resolution now before the House pro.
iessed merely 10 leave the matter Of this
bill TO the judgment aud discretion Of our
representatives in Congress, leaving L for
them to say how they would vote. That
they were In q position to learn moro
about this subject than the members Of
this House could possibly know He al.
ways cndeavored to keep his mind open
for conviction, and II he had acted improp.
erIy he was willing 10 take an opposite
course,
Mr.. ARNOLD
said; l do not expect to say much about
in reference to It but my friend from Bar.
bour Bradford on former day assailed
ME as arraignlng the whole Democratic
party because | opposed this railroad
scheme on the ground that II was in viola
ton OF Democratic platforms. Now, do
not want TO be understood as being op.
posed to the Democratic party in any re.
speCt. | followed in It's wake, whether
right or wrong, from my cradle TO this
day. When this subject was introduced l
was unprepared 10 give It any satisfactory
examination, but l happened to get hold
OF this bill, aud read enough Of it to
know it was the most infamous, unwar.
ranted demand upon the Government
ever heard oil.
In 1871 the Texas Pacific Railroad
Company obtained charter from Texas
and from the Government; Texas grant
ing to them 100000 acres Of her terri.
tory, and the Government granting to the
same Company %, QO0, 900 acres ofthatpor
ton OF country running through Arizona
and New Mexico. They were 10 build this
road in ten years, and il not built, the
Government was to lot it out to any other
person who would huildit Four years OF
that time have passed and for three yeara
this company has been imploring the Gov
eminent to build this road for them. They
ask for subsidy 10 build this road from
Fl. Worth to Sandiego, a distance OF 800
miles and under the provisions OF this bill
$4,000 mile is to be allowed for con.
structing 1t and In tho rugged and rough
portions $35,O00 milo, Surprising 1t
would DO worth 5000 mile, they get a
guarantee by putting their bonds on the
market, OF $50, 900 a mile, thus enabling
any person who could make it for S., 900 d
milo, to make $4,000 every mile, clear.
There IS another gigantic scheme in this
bill. They propose to put these bonds on
the market with the Governments guaran-
tee to be paid in gold at 5 per cent inter.
est, while tho United States Government
sells all OF her bonds bearing 4 per cent
payable In gold. Now take the difference
between the 1 and 5 per cent and look at
the enormous profit they make at one
bound. And they ask the United States
Government TO guarantee SIS, 5000 OF
bonds and fork over per cent interest on
that amount, payable every six months for
lfty years. Take the interest the first six
months and put interest on that and so on
and by the time these bonds become duo
tho Government would have lost S4lG, 0OO,-
900. | hope the House will take this op-
portunity 10 right themselves on this sub.
jeCt and vote for the resolution.
GOV. JACOB
said that he was opposed to subsidies by
the general government 10 railroads Of this
character. Did not believe in the general
policy. Of instructing our Senators; it
should only be done when some question
was before Congress In whiuhth peopIe
OF West Virginia has special or peculiar
interest. But the people OF the State had
no such interest In the Texas Pacific
Railroad. We have no seaboard market
which can be built up by increasing tho
facilities OF Western travel and transporta-
ton. The only possible advantage OF the
construction OF this. Foad to our peonIc
is the chance that some OF the travel and
freight might pass over one or the other
OF the great FGi!roat! thoroughfares OF the
State. On the other hand, the opening nm
OF new and undeveloped sections Of
country in the fur west tends TO drain our
population from our borders, and thus re-
tard and check her progress.
Again, tho bill hetoro Congress proposes
to guarantee bonds to the extent OF SO 600
pOr mile for q portion OF the road, and
$S5, 900 for the remainder. We had not
sufficient information to say that such
SUMS would be needed-and il not, any
excess over the amount required would
be Il donation to tho projectors Of the
scheme. He was not present when The
original vote was taken, and il he had
heon, he would have voted against the
original resolution.
AIR. HARVEY
said that as q Southern man ho tlecply
sympathized with the people Of the Sonti,
III their misfortune brought about by the
war. lie voted for this resolution Of in.
struction when II was before the House ON
q former day, believing that It was Tor tho
interest OF the people Of the South and DO.
lieving It was right that tho South should
have u road from the Atlantic seaboard to
the Pacific, he voted for. the resolution.
Since that time he has had time to look
into aud examine this matter, He lad
ascertained that instead OF a Southern
company, this proposed road was in the
interest Of the Pennsylvania Central Rail.
road Company. It's officers are composed