The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1881-07-07

knI OF gains which Mr.. Vanderbilt pocketet
a. - "s'A'ed 'hs stock If thu Central
road 10 the oxtent o $4,000 900 a. one OPP
o.. 10. ,.., ~, 10 the story of COL Scotpi
! career. l. ke Packer. bo was n compsrativ' ly
poor man when the civil war broke out. The
! expansion of the currency. the abnormal
demands for transportation facilities,
tho speculative mania which essued,
and above all the political de-
moralization which made II possible 10 &C
complish anything by bribery, opened the
way for him. When he became president Of
the Pennsylvania road the stock wSs Sl3,
430 $50, and before he died it had expanded
To $751; 900 900. 1t was, we are told, the ex-
elusive business of the colonel to take care
OF the legislature. In plain Enslish, he
superintended the work of corrupung men,
bers. The writer in question says:
A history of legislation during the past
twenty years by Colonel Thomas A. Scott
would have comma ded tremendous sale,
particularly If it went into detail.. Uns
questionably the stockholders OF the Penn
sylvania railroad company would like to
know how much has been expended for leg
islstion, say, since 1860. The history OF
these transactions is sealed book that the
late Colonel James Page, Parker, Lockwood,
Todd and others have tried IN vain fer
years to unclose. Legislation in favor OF the
COMPANY WAS exclusively Colonel SCOTS
work. No report of his operations IN that
line was ever made; indeed, none ives ever
asked for. When money was required 10
secure the passage OF bill by state legi la
ture, the amount necessary was placed IN
Colonel SCOTS banda, and there, 80 far as the
company was concerned, the matter rested.
l remember, however, on ono occasion an
able and trusted friend of Scott was sent to
Columbia, S. o., to secure the passage OF a
certain railroad bill by the legislature of that
state. The bill was passed and the lobbyist
brought back $25,000 which he handed to
Colonel Scott. He took the money, and,
walking to his DESK took out his check book
and drew a check for $l2 500 in favor of the
wife of the lawyer who secured the passage
of the bill. TELL Mrs. - to use this Toward
purchasing house in her own NAME" said
Colonel Scott.
CARRYING forward this narrative, we have
an account of how the legislature vas in
duced by him eight years ago TO authorize an
unlimited Increase of the capital stock
Hartranft, the governor, however, having
objected to signing bill quite so scandalous,
it was recalled aud modified 80 ps to make
the modest provision for an increase of the
stock from about $50 600 600 to $l5l ,000,-
600, in which shape 1t was duly approved
by the governor. Comment upon tho utter
rotlenbess and rascality Of all this is hardly
necessary. anybody who can reason at oil
can zee that these transactions simply mean
robbery of the public, right and lett. AS
we understand it, the lesson OF these things
is that railroad kings fill their Golfers by the
systematic plunde, of the people under the
forms OF law.
These cases are interesting to us be.
cause tie methods of Scott and Pack.
er were never ia more favor than
at the present time, and in this state.
Pennsylvania was never more closely
fl ,eced by railroad operators than New York
is to day. nor did that state ever suffer un-
der more corrupt body of legislators tban
we are a. this day and -FOUR cursed by.
What we ask the reader to consider lie, how
much of this thing honest industry can
stand, and whether it is not ABOUT tima for
an uprising against it to take place. In this
sense the anti monopoly movement invol-
yes rebellion against brigandage on @ colos-
sal scale.