Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-12-30

THURSDAY EVENING, DEC. 80 1880.
Better Ask the Judge.
Messrs. Kidder, Peabody & Co., of
New York, give public notice that they
hold the proxies of Messrs. Mccall
mont Brothers & Co., and other large
holders of Reading stock. and they re-
quest such stockholders as desire to CO.
operate with them in securing a change
of management to send them authority
to vote for them at the coming elec-
tion. 1t is reliably stated that Mr..
Frank S. Bond, now vice president OF
the Texas Pacific railroad, is the candi-
date OF this party to take Mr.. Gowen's
place. The latter telegraphs his friends
from London not to be uneasy for the re-
suit OF the contest, as he expects fully
three-fifths of all the votes that will be
cast. Evidently there is going to be
very animated conflict, and a great deal
of hard work done and hard feeling en-
gendered. The funeral that is evidently
in prospect is none of ours, as we are not
among the noble army of donkeys who
propose to have this lively kicking match
about SO siladowy and unsubstantial
thing rs the Reading presidency at pres
eat is. 1t would, perhaps, be pleasant
thing, in this extremely cold weather,
to he Reading stOckhol'ler and
BE- afforded the excellent opportunity
of warm excitement which is being pre-
pared for them. We do not see that it
can hurt them very much. Their prop
erty is in such dilapidated condition that
if the result should he to Land the frag.
ments of it over to Bond and Jay Gould
and Tom Scott and the other Texas Pa
cific wreckers appointed for it, perhaps
the most of them would feel relief rather
than otherwise in the total disappear
ance that would surely follow such adOp-
tion of the wretched creature. Those
stockholders Of Reading who want to
make an end of it and get rid of it and
be no more bothered by hopes or disap-
pointments about it, had better vote to
hand it over to Mr.. Bond. If he gets it
they will never see it more.
But, as we have limited, we do not con-
slider that there is any great probability
of its being entrusted to his care even if
the stockholders should vote him into the
presidency. Their present bother over
this election seems to Us to be effort very
much wasted. The man who controls
the fortunes of Reading happens to be
Judge Mckennan. Until he says so,
there is no great probability that the
property of the corporation will pass out
of the hands of the receivers; nor will
they be changed unless he wills it. So
that it would seem to be very sensible, in
the people who propose to change the
management he has put in power, to ask
him what he intends to do about it if
they change the occupant of the para
lyzed presidency. Will lie put out Gowen
and pui i'm Bond as receiver?
Perhaps, SO perhaps, not. We rather
think not, on the case they will have to
present. Judge McKennan having ex.
pressed his confidence i'm Mr.. Gowen,
viii! not change his opinion without rca-
son. What will have happened since
his appointment US receiver to make
him less acceptable TO Judge McKennan
His removal from the presidency by
the stockh ollers, you will say. But by
what Stockholders And when the reply
is that firm OF Englislimen, owning
One-third of the stock, who have kept
Mr.. Gowen in the presidency of the
Reading t" lis undOing, now propose tO
chuck him oat t. its un,loins, is it not
reasonable to suppose that Judge Nc.
kennal will hesitate to be the ready
instrument o. these stupid foreigners,
especially if = majority of the American
owners of the road disagree with them
1t seems quite plain that Judge Nc.
kennan will Use the power in his hands
SO rs tosecure what are, in his Judgment,
the best interests of Reading; and that
his judgment will he influenced quite rs
much 10y the intelligent opinion of the
native owners us 10y the weight of stock
of the foreigners. If Mr.. GOwen secures
the voice of the majority-in number-oi
the stockholders in favor of his contin.
uance in his office of presi.
dent. he will not feel called upon
by any dc!icacy of sentiment to renounce
the receivership. 1t will rather he de-
mand upon him to continue in his Office
of power while the McCalmonts' man
occupies the empty presidency. The
c)ming election will not displacc him,
Since he can only go out by his own will
o: Judge Mckennan's. The mountain
might rs we'll postpone its labor, since
such an insignificant result is promised !;
or at least ask the judge whether it is
worth while for it to fret
IT has been generally suspected that
our government was badly cheated i'm the