The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1881-02-26
1soUHGLY HANDLED.
I" Competitive Points, Gage Before
the Senate Committee.

When the State Senate, after hard
and prolonged fight, passed the VIII
liams memorial, 's0ld Competitive
Points," Mr.. Stephen Gage, as he is
now irreverently called, who was lob
bying against the memorial, was
seized with paroxym of wrath and
so far forgot his usual mildness of
manner as to threaten all sorts of dire
vengeance.
1.-THE Senate by this vote, )" he cried,
" has formally declared that it does
not want any part of Nevada to have
the benefit of low rates at competitive
points. Very well, if the Assembly
concUrs with the Senate we shall with
draw our special rates on the 1st of
March. Perhaps that will suit the
people of Nevada"
at won't make us take to bed,"
said old Tom Roekhill of White Pine.
/ want to see all my country placed
on an equal footing. Damn your
special rates ! They're a curse to the
State, and the sooner we're rid of
them the better.n
"That's the music that / dance to-"
put In Senator Mcdonnell of Hum
boldt. "Give US all fair shake,
Steve, or put us all in the same boat
for Niagara. Don't let your road keep
on robbing me to keep somebody
else up, and don't build me up by
robbing somebody else.'
This extreme audacity rather stag
gered Mr.. Gage and cooled him dow
"What made you give these special
rates to Cherry Creek, Ward and
Pioche7n asked Mr.. Mcconnell.
"Competion, sir, +" replied Mr.. Gage,
severely.
Exactly. Mule teams and the
and the Union Pacific. Withdraw
your special rates and what will fol-
lowf Mule teams and the Union Pa
citic, eb7 you can't scare us, Steve"
Then Mr.. Gage threw out his chest
and said LIVERY allegation of the
prean ble of the Williams memorial
is false and can prove it to any as
semblage in the world that will listen
To rcason.o
"Hold on 7" said one of the Com
mittee, "IIold on, Mr.. Gage; l don't
think you'll he able 10 do that. You
other places, don't you ?"
.'Certainly, SIR answered Mr..
Gage froying.
"Well, that's all the preamble of the
Williams resolution says. You agree
a. to that foundation fact, but you
choose to give |, different name. Mr..
Williams calls it discrimination and
robbery, you call 1t the extension of a
special priv ilege, and claim that it is
not only justiiiable but praiseworthy.
1t is only quarrel about words be-
tween you and Mr.. Williams after
ALL"
"But," said Mr.. Gage, "the pream-
BILE charges the Central Pacific with
discriminating between persons as
we'll as between places. That Is not
true. We go into competitive point
aud offer the special contracts to any
one who choose to avail themselves of
them. No merchant at competitive
point has any privilege from which
another merchant in the same place is
debarred.o
.'Exactly." said one of the Commit
tee, "but is il not true that the only
cOnultlOh upon Whlch you VIII bi"he
this privilege is that the merchant
shall have all his carrying done by
the Central Pacific 2''
"Certaiply, sir. certainly; aud that
is eminently fair"
"Of course. You do town the fa-
vor to enter it, and you call the mer-
chant out and throw a special contract
down before him aud draw bead on
him with your monopoly gun and say
blandly: "Sign that, my friend.
offer you the privilege of carrying
your goods cheaper than your neigh
bor If you agree TO let me carry them
all. You need't accept my terms If
you don't want to. You are perfectly
free to refuse If you feel so disposed,
but If you don't sign shall feel it
my duty to pull this trigger and drive