Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1884-02-06
THE FORE EETED LAND
GRANTS.

Pacific railroad lands, before the
United States bonds with interest
have been fully paid, calls forth
from the Enterprise an opinion to
the effect that such bill il COM
munistic and an outrageous as
sumption of power on the part OF
tie Government. If there is any
reason why the United States Gov
eminent should not transact bust
ness with q railroad company on
the same basis that two private in
dividuals should we would like to
have the Enterprise show it. The
same business principles under.ie
transaction of many millions as in
the case where but few dollars
are involved. The railroad compa-
MES owe certain Indebtedness to
the Government, said Indebtedness
contracted by the companies upon
an exceedingly liberal basis. The
Government has extended helping
hand to the new roads. furnishing
them with vast tracts of the public
domain and endorsing the credit Of
the company. Many of these roads
were incorporated with compare
lively little capital and it was the
backing furnished by Unc,e Sam
that galvanized them into life. The
Government stands IL much the
same relation to the roads as the
Author OF our everlasting being
does to the worms of humanity. 1t
is the light, heat and air that ena-
bles us to live and breathe and It is
the good gifts of the Government
that enables railroad corporation
struggling for existence to live, fat
tee AND grow intda gigantic cor
poration. In pursuing the parallel
we find men enjoying all the bless
ings Of existence, reviling the pow
er Of omnipo.ence ard disappearing
the name Of heaven, so do we find
railroad corporations indebted sole
" to the Government for life and
prosperity turning about and de-
nouncing this power with a per-
sistency and malignity that would
lend one to suppose that the cor
poration had suffered some great
indignity or persecution from its
hands. We do not know what
special lesson can be drawa from
this except that corporations pos
sess the same contemplate traits of
ingratitade and baseness Of charac-
ter that we find in human beings.
Occasionally we find man who |
thanks God that he lives and en-
joys the blessings of life, but in no
instance do We call to mind a rail
road company which has even felt in
the least degree thankful for sub
sides, assistance, bonds or any
other of the blessings which are SO
freely bestowed upon them in the
days Of their early feebleness and
beggary. On the contrary they de-
wise every possible means of eyad-
ing their solemn obligations to the
Government and by every Guirk
and trick and legal fness possible;
By corruption, By bribery, by ~
ing, by cheating and by tie repu-
diation OF every agreement, they
seek to shirk the financial response
bilities which, when securing GER
tain benefits, they were CAD to as
sumo The railroads sought to be
reached by the Anderson bill owe a
certain amount of money TO the
q nited States; it is borrowed m oney
and they do not propose to pay
either the interest or the principal.
The Government proposes to col
Isct this money by force Of law or
compel the companies to relinquish
their grip upon the land which
they have secured under false pre-
lenses. This move is denounced az
lie and the work of dema-
gogues. II man loans money
upon mortgage and the money is
not paid he forecloses the mort
gage aad collects the money. Is
this communism or in the remotest
legree related to it?
In sustaining its argument the
Enterprise says: I
Were the owners of block of
and to give half of it to
capitalist. on condition that fac
DRY be erected by him on the land
;hus given away, nobody would
sharon 4bo,,o with fbpu cor,ploc