The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-11
.rHE Pa c1F1c RA1LROAD QUESTION

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10.-It is now pretty
clear that II the Southern managers of the
schomc for Government aid to a Pacific railway
on the thirty-second parallel had. during tho
summer eliminated Col. Tom Scott and his
Northern spectators from the plan. the bill
would have stood a good chance OF passing.
The reasoning OF many members runs thus:
The existing monopoly Is too heavy to be
borne. and It will probably b. worse instoad Of
better when the same men have completed the
Southern Pacific. and thus seized the lower
gate to the Pacific Ocean. and insured them
selves forever against competition In that quar-
ter. The South is entitled TO at least small
portion Of the sum laid out to build the Union
and Central Yet 1t asks for no subsidy. The
interest to be guaranteed on the bonds Of the
company will be paid by tho company. and the
Government never asked for n penny"
This Is the whole argument. and II is not with
out forcc. The grasping disposition. tho arbi-
trary conduct and the huge scandals Of the
Union and Central give additional strength TO
this argument every day. II is seen and known
Of all men that they maintain great lobby here
TO fight every form " Government encourage
ment to competing lines; and to their bOast that
they are building n Southern rOnd without sub
sidy il is most Justly answered that they are
building it with Government money, ana That
with the plumber Of Il gigantic national swindle
they are laying a new line To- intrench the old
n genuine southern enterprise. designed TO dis
tribute its traffic to southern ports and cities.
instead of drawing II OF over the Pennsylvania
lines, II might, in the present temper OF Con-
gross and the country. be mnde 70 20. But
there can be no guarantee Of this while the con-
troll Of the enterprise remains in the hands OF
Pcnnsyvanp railrOud men, whose regulations
are. to. say tho least, IN offence at home ana
abroad.
II was said few woobs 400 that nm alliance
had been effected bei~een the Texas Pacific.
the Norlhcrn Pacific and the Western ernngers
S,Se Commerc rec B ana that these measures
were to be log-rolled through. But the two
latter parties m2st positively denied ne I'M m
clements were too homogeneous TO be united by
any amount OF tartical skin.
The prayer Of the Northern Pacific IL wholly
different from that OF the Texas Pacific. They
want 20 be lei alone. In the language OF Presi-
~ the corporation were the victims OF Jay
Cooke X Cot spcculators. They bought
the lands in open market and put t2OOOn,O0O
in hard cash into the enterprise They
ask now only TO be permitted to complete n COM
psting line To- ne Paciile ACCORDING TO INC terms
OF their original Investments, which were made
on the faith Of Government encouragement.
They ask no subsidy. and have recently lot tho
contract to build one hundred miles Of road. at
u total cost Of about $4,000 pcr mile. while the
Texas Pacific Is here ask ing the United States
10 guarantee interest on bonds To- tho amount Of
s2u.ODu aud $4,000 per mile. There seems to
be nothing ~ common between the two meas
urcs. The Northern Pacific passed tho SEN
shown "a majority In the House whenever a
vote was obtained. 1t Is safe To say that any Mt
tempt at combination would efIectually kill
both measures.
But when the Northern measure comes 10 a
square vote on us own merits. and the southern
measure Is made southern. aud asks for no
more credit than Just enough TO build the road.
with no margin for stealings. there may be n
chance for them.
II Is undoubtedly true that some Of the anti
subsidy politicians have been discouraged by
recent elections. and are less disposed to stake
their fortunes on that issue than they were a
year ago. Some mcn-and they are certainly q
very bad order Of public mcn-abandon princi-
pies the moment IL ceases to pay to advocate
them. and these politicians aro OF that class.
They have seen men like Holman aud Eden
retired. and they now ses well-knOwn subsidy
Democrats leading in Senate and House. and
controlling the party machinery in great North
ern States. and they draw their own conclusions.
That the anti-subsidy sentiment in Congress is
weakening Is AN observation easily verified. |
verify believe that the odious names connected
with the management. and the heavy Northern
interest that would take tue profits alone pre-
vent the passage of the Texas Pacific bill.