The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-01-02
coLToN's CORRESPONDENTS.
The Letters Not Sufficiently Specific to Re.
quire an Investigation.

quire an Investigation.
Washington Special
All of the politicians have read with interest
the published correspondence between C. P.
Huntington and ''Friend" Cotton The CORE
spondence has disappointe many in that it has
not disclosed more specific details, and that no
very prominent members are directly implicated.
1t will take a good deal more than has been
printed in the Huntington correspondence to Sc
cure an officialinvestigation upon the part of
Congress. The correspondence develops what
nearly everyone interested knew, that the
Southern Pacific and the Central Pacific are
identical in their management and ownership.
The original grant of the Texas Pacific was OBJ
tanned upon the ground of establishing com
peting line to the Central Tom Scott obtained
the Texas Pacific grant. Something of the ma
ture of this scandal was outlined in Capt New
ellis charges made to the Secretary of the Interi-
or, and by him sent to the Senate Just before the
holiday recess.
The effect of the Huntington correspondence,
however, is to make absolutely certain the refusal
of Congress to pass the Texas Pacific land grant
over to the Southern Pacific The amount of
this grant is between IL, 900, 900 and 20 900 900
acres. 1t was assigned to the Southern Pacific
when the latter joined its interests to the Texas
Pacific. This assignment, under the circlnl-
lutely the original intention of Congress in max
ing the grant This land has never been placed
upon the market, as the title to it has been for
number of years in question. Meanwhile settlers
have gone ahead and have occupied large num-
Der of the most valuable tracts, and have made
permanent improvements These settlements
extend the entire length of the tract and if these
people should be compelled at any time in the
future to pay extortionate prices to the railroads
for their lands great hardshps would ensue But
there is no longer any danger of that. In order
to secure this land, Huntington must have af-
firmative legislation from Congress. In view of
the recent correspondence, no member would
dare to incur the notoriety of advocating the
proposition of robbing large number Of poor
people to make a present to an already over
gorged corporation.
1t is a constant source of wonder here to those
who know anything about Huntington's meth
DDS, that he should have permitted the Cotton
letters to be published. He had plenty of oppor-
tunity to suppress them by paying Mrs. ColtOn's
demands, and it can only be accounted for upon
the ground that Huntington has become indiffer-
ent as to future gains and is careless of what is
said of him.
A prominent public man, in speaking to-day of
the whole affair, said: 'The whole correspond
ence demonstrates thing, and that is the fact
that any man in public position who permits
himself to be placed in the power of any corpora
ton is fool who does not know enough to go in
when it rains Corporations are supposed in the
law to be Soulless and it seems to me that al
most all men connected with their management
become in time equally souless. None Of these
men could be trusted by any member of Con
gress, if the latter should desire to be dishonest.
These corporation traders have not even half the
honor of thieves. They are ready to use men
without thought of obligation beyond the pres
emit service and are equally careless of their be-
trayal. There has been enough of that sort of
thing during the past ten years to educate the
dulest member upon this subject and you will
find that no investigation will involve very
seriously any member of Congress of modern
times who has any character prominence"
BLOW AT RAILWAY LoBBYIsN.
A member of one of the committees which
Huntington intimated that he ''ixedn in the
Forty fourth Congress said to-day: ''The mans
talk is an internal outrage, and his insinuations
are criminal do not know who he may have
fixed but it is very evident to any one familiar
with the history of that time that the lines We're
divided in the Senate with respect to the sinking
fund act, and the various other measures on the
ground of the constitutonality of the interpreta-
ton of contracts, and of the various geograph-
zeal interests which were affected by
the construction of the projected roads
Huntngton's hints about the use of
money possibly may have been made to his lobby
eontdant for purposes of his own. His letters
do not prove that anyone was bribed in Wash
ington. They may tend to prove that persons
who had the control of money belonging to the
Central Pacific and other companies may have
disbursed it or retained it in their own fashion,
and have presented to their associates in the ring
no other vouchers for their expenditures than
lns1nuatlonS of bribery. Another thing is verV
clear in the Huntington business-that he has
cooked his goose in his attempt to grab the Tex
as Pacific land grant l should like now to see
the representative or senator who will have the
assurance to manifest any enthusiasm in behalf
of any measure in which c. p. Huntington or
the Southern Pacific is even suspected of having
any interest. The pub LEGATION of these letters is
probably fatal blow to railroad lobbyism in the
Forty-eighth Congress. | for one shall welcome
investigation. I want to see the man put to
his proofs and put to shame"