Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1884-01-23
from our regular correspondent.
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, d. c., Jan. 10, 'S4'


Washington, D. c., Jan. 10, 'S4.
1t may be set down as an established
fact, barring the absolute purchase of
Congressman by Huntington's agents,
that the present Congress will meet the
expectations of the people in compell-
ing the surrender by railway corpora
tions of number of forfeited land
grants. The House Committee on
Public Lands has already decided upon
number of these grants, the most i'm
portant of which is the Texas Pacific,
which Mr.. Huntington is trying to
got BILE, and there is no doubt that the
committee will be sustained in its re-
port. A fierce fight will be made by
the lobby, but the current appears to
be too strong for them, and the eyes of
the country, through the press, are too
close upon them to render the purchase
of enough votes practicable or possible.
If the Texas Pacific had been built
under the law making the grant, the
company would have been entitled to
100000 acres of land. But the
company failed and abandoned the
work, after having earnestly besought
Congress for other aid in raising mon
ey, which was refused. Its chief argu-
ment was that there ought to be
southern route to compete with the
Union and Central Pacific. But here
came in Mr.. Huntington OF the South
ern Pacific, who defeated them by set
ting up that his company would build
the desired competitor without subsidy
and without Government aid. To
beat Scott and gain his point he even
claimed that the Texas Pacifice grant
had already lapsed, and pushed his
line through territory upon which he
was really tresspasser if that grant
was alive. The Texas Pacific went
down. Tom Scott, broken in health
and defeated in purpose, sold out to
Jay Gould. And now comes the vir-
tuous anti-subsidy Huntington, who
built his road upon the ruins of the
Texas Pacific, and presents Jay Goulds
order on the Government for this four
teen million acres of land which the
Texas Pacific would have been entitled
to if it had been built. The enterpris-
ing Gould having no desire to build
the road, obligingly turned over to
Huntington, for whatever he could
make out of it, the land grant to which
he himself had no more title than Sa-
tan had to the real estate once offered
by him from the top of high noun
tain. 1t is gratifying to observe that
the scheme is to be heavily sat down
upon by Congress, and that some por-
ton of the vast territory supposed to
be in the grasp of those who have
never given anything for it, is to be
restored to the public domain.
Some one has called attention to the
curious fact that it is unlucky for as
piring statesmen to build big houses in
Washington, and the recent defeat of
Mr.. Pendleton seems to be fresh illus
tration of this peculiar truth. Mil
lions have been spent in this way by
Senators and Representatives, who,
after awhile, have been "returned" to
stay at home, and the "fne mansions"
would not sell for what the lumber
cost. General Butler erected the we'll
known granite mansion on Capitol Hill,
which could not have cost less than
100000, just before he went out of
national politics apparently "for good"
The investigation being conducted
by Mr.. Springer's committee into the
affairs of the Department of Justice is
developing a very interesting state of
facts concerning various United States
marshals. 1t appears that nearly ev-
cry marshal has taken care to get
good deal of Government money in the
way of fees, and that numbers Of them
are short in their accounts. Ex-Marsh-
al Hall, of Pittsburg, it is said, made
$4,000 unlawfully, and about doz-
en- others owe the Government from
$4,000 upward. This is nice state
of facts which was not suspected out
side of the Attorney Generals Office,
and the curious part of it is in the in
difference shown there and the utter
lack of accountability or responsibility
exacted by that department. 1t is said
there will be some loud music when
the investigation gets down to the Star
route trial and kindred matters.
PHoNo.