Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-04-13
A D1seBAcgD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

daily Stock Exchange, April 9th.l
The New York Chamber of Commerce,
we regret to say, does not seem to be as
courteous and intelligent body of men IS
one would expect to find in such an organ;.
cation in the commercial metropolis of the
country Some months ago a special CON-
mittee appointed by that body to investi-
gate and report upon the subject of trans
portation issued circular. letters to various
railway managers, inviting them to favor
the committee with their views on trans
portation from railway standpoint
Among the gentlemen who accepted the
invitation was Governor Stanford, who
furnished the committee with decidedly
the ablest and most elaborate letter on the
subject-a letter which not only attracted
a world OF comment in this country, but
was regarded abroad as the production of
a remarkable American mind. The letter
was quoted far and near, was admired
by some, criticised severely by many,
but was conceded by all to be
strikingly able presentation of
what is generally regarded IS the IN
popular side of the great question. Hav-
ing devoted considerable time and thought
to the preparation of his letter, Governor
Stanford had right to expect that when
it came up in the Chamber of Commerce
both it and it's author would be treated
with the respect due from such q source
But he seems to have been mistaken By
the telegraphic report OF their proceedings
ON Wednesday, it seems that the commit
tee did little more with the letter than to
submit report which can be regarded as
little less than personally insulting to Gov
ernor Stanford; and the Chamber itself
forgot its dignity aud presumed respecta-
biiity so far as to adopt the report, as the
telegraph informs us, with a % whoop." In
the debate which the report gave rise to,
the members seem to vie with each other
in genteel blackguardism. They referred TO
Governor Stanford and his associates as
robbers and "plunderers. One of
them, brother Of Senator Conkling, said
that ''for man like Governor Stanford to
write such a letter was an actof uuparalleltd
audaeity." They ridiculed the dead Mark
Hopkins by saying that he couldn't tell
locomotive from a canal boat, and one of
them repeated in violently distorted
form the stale story about forgotten
bank deposit of $500. coo belonging to the
Hopkins estate, saying that ''S5, coo, 0G0
in Government bonds, that nobody knew
anything about, was found slowed away
in an old stocking" Such reckless state
ments as these might not seem out OF place
in the mouth of Denis Kearney or in
Chronicle editorial, but we would hardly
expect to hear them in open debate in the
New York Chamber of Commerce. The
members relied for their data largely upon
"speech " which Congressman Daggett
published, but never delivered in
the House of epresentahves-the effort
of personal enemy of the Central Pacific
managers; an effort Astounding with mali
cious and reckless statements and false and
cooked-up figures. The New York Cham
Der placed this mass of venom and false.
hood-this bogus "speech against the
letter of Governor Stanford, and Endorsed
It with wild "whoop !"