Omaha daily bee., 1883-01-05
Pacific Railroad Robbery.

SulChko 1rlDu0e.
There has been an animated debate
in congress- covering two whole days
upon a proposition that the Pacific
railways, built by government subsidy,
shall be paid for their services in trans
porting troops and supplies for the
government only 30 per cent of what
they are now collecting from private
individuals for like services. The
members, of course, soon became
classed as psrsisans and enemies Of
the railroads, and the discussion In
cluded the topics of vested rights,
sanctity of contracts, the powers of
congress and the consideration of
right, justice and equity. We read
the debate carefully, and with the
hope and expectation that at least one
person among the representatives of
the people would have courage enough
to remind congress of its criminal neg
lect in this very business.
Congress- In 1864 voted to these
companies $64, OOO, 600 of national
bonus as q loan to enable them to
build these railways; ut the same
time it voted to them immense grants
of land; subsequently it voted to
these companies the power to borrow
S64, 600. 900 additional and to give
the lien therefor priority over d
debt due the United States. On the
first loan of $64 900, 600 there are
$50, 600, OO0 interest paid by the
United SAFES, which interest 10 now
due ny these roads. The money grant
was equal to the construction of two
roads; one was built, and the rest of
the money stolen; the owners Of the
road never contributed q dollar to
wards its construction, but ever since
it was put IN operation have been
plundering and robbing the public
with q remorselessnes that would
shame a gang of Bedouias command
ing the routes over the desert.
The tolls demanded from freight
and passengers over the railways from
Omaha to San Francisco are now, and
have bsen for many years, 80 per cent
greater than would be tolerated in any
other part Of the oiviiizsd world where
the government or It's officers are not
sharers of the plumber.
During the debate of the present
week mnch was said about the power
of the government TO makethis reduc.
ton of 30 per cent on the rates
charged for government freights; the
extortions made by the Pacific roads
we're frankly conceded. While every
member of the house wa fully aware
that congress had the unquestioned
power to hx peremptorily a maximum
rate to be charged over these roads
for freight and passengers, we
searched III vain for a suggestion or a
speech by any member proposing that
the rates for the transportation of
freight and passeI gers over the roads
bet Council Bluffs and San Fran
cisco should during the year 1888 and
until altered by law be 30 per cent
what they were on the lst of July,
1882.
The proposed reduction in the rates
OF transportation on government bus.
mess is q tr. fling affair, while a like
reduction on all the transportation
business over these roads would
be something substantial. The
people of the whole country would be
benefited by the one reduction, while
the proposed alteration looks very
much like al act OF personal spite en-
the part of some defeated candidates
for congress,
We are surprised that in the whole
house OF 293 members there was no:
one man With courage and patriotism
enough to apply tho law and facts OF
he cause of tho "a, 0O0, coo of people
aud In their behalf demand that the
Pacific railroad robbery shall hence
forth no reduced 90 per cent in lis
exactness.