Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-12-31

1t is the credit OF the State, not of the
railroad company, which ia at stake.
The refusal, if persisted in, amounts to
an unlawful withholding of money from
its rightful owners. There is no escape
from this humiliating position by the State.
The Controller, on being applied to for
the reason for his interference, has said
that he was not ready as yet to state the
grounds on which he basis his act, but that
so soon as he was prepared to state the
facts in detail, and so soon as the case was
worked up" he would give the matter to
the public. This is of course his right,
and no exception need be taken to it. But,
in the meantime, the Treasurer will place
the State in an awkward position if he
shall refuse 10 pay the interest for 1884, as
he is directed to do by the Legislature. In
our opinion the Controller and his law ad-
yisers have betrayed such ignorance of the
law as would reproach a halfdeveloped in
telligence, and will do much to discredit
the good faith of the State and injure its
credit in all future transactions.
In order that this matter may be di.
vested of the prejudice that actuates some
minds in considering any subject to which
a railroad company may have any relation,
however remote, it will be well to look at
it as it would stand if some other
person than a corporate one had contracted
with the State. Viewed in that light, the
absurdity of the position taken against the
State keeping faith will be revealed in all
its grimness.
Concerning the claim of violence done
to the contract on the part of the railroad
company, that is a wholly distinct matter,
regarding which we shall have something
to say hereafter. 1t is an old and worn
plea, and we venture to say without rea-
son to support it. At about every session
of the Legislature for the past ten years it
has been dragged forth, and with each in.
quiry has been found to be hollow
and to have no meat on its dem
agogic bones. This we believe can
be shown, and we know that as
to at least one part of the agreement, the
alleged violation has been used in the past
in manner to Justify the belief that ex.
tortion was aimed at, not to designate it
as might be done, by stronger language.
The extent to which virulent and un-
scrupulous dogmatism may go was exempli.
fed by San Francisco journal yesterday,
which, with unparalleled effrontery, as
sumed that the conditions of the contract
have been violated without nominating an
instance OF any character whatever. 1t is
a somewhat remarkable fact that it has
taken the State twenty years to find out
that any part of the contract has been
ignored. Let it be written down now in
advance, as a prophecy, that the action
which former Attorney General refused
point blank to bring because there was no
reason for it, no foundation for a complaint,
and because he was convinced that it was
intended to be used a. "cinch" to
force blood from certain quarters,
but which action has been con-
sen.ed to by the present incumbent, will,
if ever brought to trial, develop that there
has been no violation of the compact rela-
tive to the title to the Rocklin granite
quarries. So, too, we believe, when it
shall come to be examined into, it will be
found that the company assaulted in that
action has kept its contract relative to
transportation, and more for the penalty
for refusal has constantly stared it in the
face, if no letter motive actuated it. AS
a single instance, it is well known that it
has invariably transported free, over lines
not named in the contract, by water routes
and by leased lines, goods for exhibition at
the State Fairs. The whole business is
manufactured for the political benefit of
small.fry and demagogues, who imagine
that aiming blows at corporate head is
the most certain way of commencing
themselves to the consideration and graft.
tude OF voters.