The sun., 1884-01-06
Huntington's Portrait of Huntington.

Iiuntington's Portrait of Huntington.
| Pcoplo who hnvo read the HUNTINGTON
letters attcntivcly, have made the acquaint-
ancc of shrnwd, energetic, and cheerful
character, totally deficient in tho moral
| sense. There Is nothing sham about Mr.. G.
?. HUNTINGTON; not a trace OF hypocrisy
In his organization. His business was to
buy votes In Congress, to bribe public Of
| ilcinls. to put up jobs against the Govern
ment, to deceive and mislead public opinion.
to get money out of the public Treasury for
the benefit Of himself aud his associates, and
he went about that business directly and
chccrfnlly, and with as little sense OF deg
| radiation as II 1t had been the most honora-
bic business in tho world. If he rcfraincd
from proclaiming his theories and methods
to everybody as frankly as he conlidcd them
to Gen. COTTON, ii was because that would
have defeated his plans, not because he was
ashamed of himself.
He was not ashamed OF himself, and prob
ably is not to-day. Railroad ties were for
sale, and h. bought them; Senators and Rep
rcsentntivcs were for sale, and why should
he not buy them too? He paid cash to engl-
ncers and surveyors for running a line; why
should he not pay cash to legislators for
voting him the right of way? In order to
block Tom SCoTr's game. it became desirable
to arouse public sentiment against the sub
sidy policy in general. HUNTINGTON hired
DR.. Gw1N to take the field as an
| anti-subsldy agitator, and sent lobby
lists to Albany and Richmond to urge
the passage Of anti-subSidy resolutions.
HUNTINGTON now wants Congress to confirm
to him the very land grant against which
the virtuou5 utterances of his hired apostles
were then directed. But we venture to say
thut the Inconsistency Of this proceeding
does not trouble him. He docs not see the
inconsistency at all. He was playing great
game for dollars, and thought all means le-
| gitmate that adapted themselves to Its con-
stantly changing phases. He was ready to
renouncc even his hostility to Tom SCorr IL
money was to be made by striking hands
with the enemy. II notice what you say"
he writes to COTTON, "about our fight with
Tom SCOTT and others. My idea Is to fight
them all until it is for our interest to make
friends and then to quit and work with them"
1t is interesting to note Mr.. HUNTINGroN's
private opinion OF the other great operators
against whom he was pitted. just as 1t is in
tcresting to know what BISMARCK really
thought OF GAMBETrA. or what MAPLEsoN
thinks of ABBEY. For Tom Scorrs abilities,
HUNrISGToN evidently felt respect, but he
did not regard himself as the inferior man.
"SCorr is making very dirty fight" he
wrote in 1876, land shall try hard to pay him
Off" 'If do not live" he adds, to see the
grass growing over him, l shall be mistaken.
You know work 365 days In the year when
it is necessary" Again: "SCorr is there in
great force. but I think can take care Of
him." HUNTINGTON watched every move of
SCOTS. and studied his game with the in
terest of an artist rs well as that OF an nd
versary. 81 believe he can pass his bill" he
informs COTTON in March, 1877, land l think
know enough Of Washington to know how
he can do it,"
| For Mr.. JAY GoULDs astuteness, on tho
other hand. Mr.. HUNTINGTON maniiests an
admiration which is sometimes nearly akin
| to fear. 81 do not like to be mixed up with
GOULD" he confesses. "in anything where
it Is possible for him to get control" 81
will see GOULD again about the new coal
company, but hava little faith in being able
to bring him to any point, although he will
talk clever, as you know" He jumps like q
weakness Of vanity on GoULD's part, and
hastcns to report 1t to the receptive
| COTTON: ~ called OF GoULD's house
last night and had long talk with
| him labout the coal companyl. I told
| him you had adopted his views almost
| to the very letter. 1t seemed to please
| him, and he read your letter second time
and said he believed you had taken his exact
| view. If he has a weak point believe L have
found IT," This is very interesting, but 1t
would be equally interesting to know how
far JAY GOULD saw into HUNTINGTON at that
same interview. Has the proprietor OF the
yacht Atalanta COTTON anywhere to whom
he is in the habit OF conflding his bottom
thoughts and his most secret intentions2
Tho author Of these uncommonly candid
epistles has a sense OF humor quite as strong
as his sense OF moral responsibility is weak.
The letters are full OF bright eplgrammatic
sayings, odd epithets. and unexpected COM
ment. This prophecy concerning the North
ern Pacific was written eight years ago:
"The N. p, people are again In the field, but
they will not BIO likely TO hurt any one for
some time unless some fellow should lend
them some money; then that fellowno doubt
would get hurt" About the only thing on
1
earth that HUNTINGTON seems TO dread Is tho
newspaper press He Is In mortal terror OF
the damned interviewers," and the chief
occasion Of anxiety is when his friends,
not his enemies, are approached. LELAND
STANFoRD's little conversational indiscre-
tions worry him continually. "The damned
interviewers may kill us yet" he says. The
ill-judged utterances of the Ring press In
California fill him with amazement and dis
gust. There Is comical pathos In this re-
monstrance OF his to COTTON: "Since some
OF our people have convinced the public that
the Southern Pacific is being built by the
Central Pacific, and they have raised the Cry
OF monopoly against as. 1t MAKES 1t very
hard for US; but such Is life"
As depicted by himself In this corresponds
ence. MIR. C. p. HUNTINGTON is man who to
| his intimate friends frankly cOnfesses what