The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1884-08-28
UNION P1CTFTO ROBBERs.

Chicago Tribune: The history of
the relations of the subsidized Union
Pacific to the government has been one
endless chain of scandals. and the last
link, as described IN the account in the
New York Times OF the illegal COM
promise of the senate Judiciary commit
tee with the officers of the Union Pacif-
fic is the ugliest Of all.
When the artificial price of the Union
Pacific went to smash last spring there
were mysterious rumors floating about
OF terrible report which had been pre-
pared by Senator Edmunds. in which
were revelations of the most damning |
frauds. Nothing but these ru-
mors ever reached the public. |
Dim echoes of flying footsteps were
heard as the ''insIders" fed through |
the corridors of the stock market from
the wrath to come, an avalanche of
stock was dumped on the innocent pub
lie, the report, the mere rumbling of
which had caused such q panic, disap-
peared, the senate judiciary committee
usurped governmental functions and
agreed to discontinue the investigation,
the protestations of Senator Van Wyck,
the only representative the people had
in the senate were overruled, the COM
paAy's check for nearly a million dollars
was deposited in the treasury OF the
United States, Credit Mobilier Dillon
dropped out Of the presidency, and the
respectable-lOokingM Massachusetts face
of Charles Flancis Adams appeared In
his place.
What did all this mean?
Itmesnt that once again, as 80 often
in the case of the Union Pacific, the
people had been betrayed.
1t meant that the senate Judiciary
committee had demonstrated by their
Investigations that the officers and direc-
tors of the Union Pacific had violated
the laws of congress by adding SAT ,OOO,-
600 OF watered stocks and bonds to its
capitalization, and that the committe
had deliberately smothered this truth,
and In violation of their trust offered an
unlawful amnesty to the offenders.
1t meant that the senate judiciary com
mittee had found that in violation of
law the officers and directors of the
Union Pacific had refused to pay the
government q cent of the millions il
owed under the Thurman act and while
thus in default they had in defiance Of
the express prohibition of congress paid
nineteen millions ($19, OOO, OOO) in dIvi
dends onlthe stock including huge mass
of watered scrip that had no legal exist
ence, and that the committee had with
held Acknowledge of these facts from
the senate, congress or the people.
1t meant that the senate judiciary com
mittee had discovered that the persons
: ]. Gould, Sidney Dillon and others-tC
whom the $47, O00, 900 OF illegal watered
stocks and bonds had been wrongfully
} issued, should be called on to return thil
! plunder 70 the treasury Of the company
no matter what prlce they might have L
pay in the stock market to recover 1
, from the lambs to whom they had solo
J IL, and that the committee agreed will
these swindlers to conceal the tact o
their liability from their victims and thu
public who had been bunkoed into buy
ing this worthless stock at par.
Itmeant that the senate judiciary com
mittee had discovered that the directors
and officers of the Union Pacific who
had declared that 100000 of illegal
dividends while the company was IN de
fault TO the government were personally
liable to the full amount OF their private
fortunes for the return OF this vast
amount OF perverted money, and that the
committee concealed this tact from the
government of which they were the
agents. -. -. r.,.....
It meant that the senate judiciary
committee had found that the officers
and directors who had thus violated the
law by declaring these dividends were
not only liable to the government for the
return of the money, but were liable tC
fine and imprisonment, and that they
had suppressed all mention of this fact
which might have given congress the
opportunity to order the officers of the
government to proceed against these
powerful offenders. Among the men
who are responsible to return the money
are lSidney Dillon, David Bows, Jay
Gould, Russell Sage and A. H. Green
of New York; Fred. L. Ames, Elishs
Atkins, Ezra II. Baker and Charles
Francis Adams, of Boston; j. A
Rumrill, of Springfield; Hugh Riddle
Of Chicago; s. II. II. Clark, of Omaha
John Sharp, Of Salt Lake City, and
Granville NJ. Dodge, OF Council Bluffs,
all of whom were directors last year, and
all the directors and officers of the pre-.
Vious years when the ofenses which the
senate judiciary committee discovered
and did not reveal were committed. All
these men should be prosecuted for re-
covery Of the money and for punishment
of their otfense. That they are rich and
powerful is but one reason the more why
they should be followed to the end.
Toilet such offenders and such oifens-
es so unpublished while the crimes OF
the poor and weak are visited with all
the penalties of the law, Is to confess
that the people have ceased 10 rule, and
that in property and politics we live
under the despotism of the wealthy
seminal classes. .s.#
Now a. fzh commences in earnest