West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-10-17
BLAINE THE FRIEND OF RAILROADS


Gould ct al. Eni the Hobbies, while
M-inc Leads thr Attack on tho Floor.
Tho most important act over passed
TO check the power of railroads aud To
compel them To fulfil thu obligations
entered into at their incorporation was
tho Thurman act approved May 7.
1879.
To prevent tho passage of this bill
was arrayed the whole power of the
railroad kings. Gould. Huntington, q
81 OmpG gcHUS; the lobhics swarmod
with their agents, AID thcir representa-.
tivcS on the floor 10y voice anl vote
exercised their utmost energies to COM
pass its defeat. Indeed. MIR Gould was
there and in person re- ted the opcra
uonS of the lobby. The cause ot the
people. however, was in the hands of
that great leader Allen G.. Thurman.
earnestly aided by MIR. Edmmds and
no subtcrfugc could blind and no spa
cious argument swcrvo him from the
accomplishment Of the ob .ect i'm view.
Among those in the Senate who most
stoutly resisted the passage of the Thur
man act was James G.. Blaine In fact.
in the long debate that attended the
bill, he was the leader of the opposi-
ton
In the Senate, April 9. 1879, MIR
Blaine offered the following amendment
20 the Pacific Railroad Funding Act:
But so !ong as said Central Pacific nnd
Union Pacific Railroad Companies shall faith.
iully comply with the provisions OF tho said
acts or lS3 and lA4 aud of this act, relating
Ho the payments to the United Staics ON ne.
count ot the londs advanced, aud of sinking
FUNDS TO ho established ~ aforesaid. such
compliance shat he dccu cd aud taken A. sur-
hCirnt to meet the OBLIGATIONS ~: said com
panics on account of such bonds prior TO tho
maturity thereof
Iroriiod, That the annual payments from
each railroad company, in addition To the
half transportation ncCount nnd tho uNe nor
cent. OF the not cummings presently applicable
10 the interest, ana the bonds shalt mover ho
less than SbO1.0O. including the other hair OF
sinking fund hcroin established. nnd tlmt
nothing In this act shull he construed 10
waivo any claim of the United States utnnst
cithor OF said railroad companies, from what
ever source arising.
The purpose and OBJ ;ect of this amend
mont was 10 defeat the object of the bill
aud TO nullify its salutarv provisions.
This was recognized 10y Mr.. Thurman,
who said:
consider this nmcndm mt us rcally do'or-
mining the fate OF the biIl.
Tho amendment of the senator from Maine
~ the worst nttack upon the hin that could be
made lie knows very well thHt with that
provision fastened on To tins bin tho bil not
which N Is written, but thai II would be far
worse than nothing; no knows that that
would bo fatal dcath-blow given TO the hill
Mr.. President, let no ono deceive himself
about ths; let no one imnUinc he Chn be- "A
friend of the Judiciary Committee b u aud M
the sdinc time a friend of the amendment of
tho senator from Maine. Tho amendment
of the Senator fIom Name T. prusgC ncid to
the bill II can not survive "A day nor an
hour, perhaps, after that lmcudmcut is
adopted. IL Is a stab ~ tho very hcurt of the
'bill: II IS os fntltl ms any stabcould bc. hone
therefore, tho friends OF this bin, those who
mean 10 make these computes liNo mp 10
thcii obligations, do what they assumed 10 do:
those who mean that these companies shall
know thht the Goyornmcnt T. their master
and they arc not the masters OF the Govorn.
ment-will see that no such poison ~ taken
into the bill as the amendment OF the Scrniur
from Maino.
The acute mind OF Mr. Edmuuds was
not deceived. He said:
lie (Bunci, ~ I said before. is tio ORIGINAL
father; there IS no RrAndfnthcr aud no Coz
lateral relation OF proposition in the cgis-
lnitcd states, since the time whcn tho cvil of
tho hands OF states nui of Congress has bcon
thni, IN any respect or under amy ctrruu-
stances, the hands of tho Legislative power
shall he hold OF from The exercise of thor lc-
G,t,na,o aoa constitutional control cr pub
tell, SIR, what viii happens YOU can not tol
VINO WI, inhua4c thoSe corporal bons; you can
not tell how long hero viii be any net income
or nOi, depending not upon tho tair proVrcss
of deVe opmcnt aud natural competition but
depending upon the evil dc.iltry of stOc &.
boards and private iob-. There Is Tho trouble
about all these corporations. aud vet my hon
orable friend from Maine, Ia that swcct iuuo-
ccncc which ChnruCtrriZos hrs character, thnt
sublime faith that everybody Is as virhous ns
nc Is, is willing 10 fold up his arms and bc tied
up in y bag by tho Union Pacific an Coutr,l
Pacific RAILROAD Companies tor twenty two
years, merely because VIC rcUuira In nm 10 r..
tablish - sinking fund.
The amendment of Mr. Blaine was
defeated yeas. -, nass, 3J
The bill was then passed yeas, 10,
navs, 20.
Mr.. Blaine voted No"
See Congressional Record, Apr 2 10
9, 1873.
That the object OF MIR Blainc's amend
mcnt was understood in California is
shown by the following editorial:
Tho bin Of tho senate judiciary Committee
providing thar tho UuiOu and Ccutriu Pac,uc
hailroai Companics shall Zach croItc IS slnl,-
ing fund with which 10 finally llIu.datr thcir
indcbte lncss 10 the Government. passed tho
Lndcd SHtCs senate yesterday. hy the dc.
cisvc vouo ~ ~ 10 ~ IN ug.sri ,yitho,t
Baines amendment, which was ini-uIol to
menis OF ans Kind. This is the first real and
cncctive check which the arrogance OF the
failIoad compauics hHvC yet received. Rc.
markabie a. ~ may seom, IN this era at cor.
tuPtlgl, Hcinor nam nor comprOmieC is cIn.
bO1ied ~ This bill. ~ is % plain. straight flt-
"hin' COMPULSORY drUInl tIIu those com.
panics which have grown 20 enormously r,.l
from the prodigal donations Of tho country.
ana from thcir oppressive tarlm cyu. lions.
fnHll now meet tio Obligation thov IayG
CVadcd so long. The House Committee ar,
hniirO0ds has boon instructed 20 ron lit it sim.
Har bill which viii undoubtedly pr-. Blauc'4
amendment was defeated by 70 vote OI 10 .si
SIM frdnctsc0 ffrOHtce, dDru ~. I-g.
From the foregoing debate n will be-
seen that it was not without propcr
knowledge that Mr. Edmunds wrote ia
"A friend in Vermont
'it o. NV deliberate opinion that Ir uairo
acts Re the attorney OF jay G0uId Wbrn,...,
VIZ. thurman ana have erftIrd upln g.aI..
ton tO brinn the Pacific UsUroHI- to terms "t
Ciuiiy with tho Government. up rat mmuod
our back
The law thus treated Of. having m
operation discovered some defecfs n
bill 10 amend the Thurman act ard cor.
rect it- defects was passed in thc House
~ The last session, under thc leadership
Of Hon. Phil. B. Thompson. oi Ken.
lucky The Republican senate failed
10 take any action on it as b. did ON
most other measures where the peoplo
demanded action and the corporations
desired delay
The Democratic Outlook.
On the fth Of November the election
for President takes place. and No. poea
moi be said that until that tmc b,fh