Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-02-23
IT is RIGHT AND JUST.
Sacramento Daily Bee, February 9th !

sacramento Daily Bee, February 9TH
Comparatively few journals in the State
have expressed hostility to the petition of
the Central Pacific Railroad Company to be
allowed to retain the land grant Of their
Oregon road, and they are the ones which
have persistently howled in accord against
any and all propositions looking to Just
and fair treatment OF that company. As a
rule, the press of the Sacramento valley
and of the counties north of Shasta have
without regard to their relations with the
acknowledgement the hope that the bill
now before Congress declaring that grant
forfeited will be defeated. As fair in
stance of the feeling in this valley, we
qdote from the Red Bluff Sentinel, whose
editor has often fought the Central Pacific
people with energy. That paper says:
"Should Congress pass the bill reported
by the committee OF the lower House, de-
claring the lands forfeited that were granted
to the California and Oregon Railroad
Company, and thereby stop the work OF
construction, finally resulting in the aban-
donment OF the enterprise, what, we will
ask the Redding Free Press, would be tae
cash value of unimproved lands in Shasta
county north of the present terminus
Furthermore, it will be well for the press
and people of Shasta county to bear In
mind that upon the completion of the Cali.
fornia and Oregon Railway to the State
line, thousands OF acres that were worth.
less before the extension was commenced
have become very valuable, and will ulti-
mately increase in valuation TO the extent
that the revenue from taxes will, IN about
twenty years, wipe out Shasta county's
large debt.
This extract from an extended editorial
on the subject suggests one very important
consideration. Several thousand immi-
grants have within the last two or three
years taken up lands and established homes
In the northern part of the State on the
strength Of the promised railroad extension
in that direction. Without some hope for
such mode Of communication with the out
side world, there would be little induce
ment for anybody to remain in those wil1s.
Every resident OF the State is, therefore,
interested in having the road completed to
Oregon, in order that these new settlers
may be retained. The lands comprised in
this grant would remain unsettled for
many decades were it not for the TACT that
the railroad was being pushed toward them.
Better lar Tor the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES or
this State, and all concerned in rapid set
Element of the country-that the railroad
should have portion Of the land, if there
by it causes the remainder to become the
homes of a thrifty population. Those in
California who oppose the REIMBURSEMENT
of that grant by the Government are work
ing against the best interests of the coun-
try and the State, besides doing gross in
justice to thousands of sturdy pioneers
who have been induced to settle in that
section by the various immigration socie-
ties, which have all acted in good faith.
Should these people be cut off from civili-
cation and deprived of 4 market for the
products OF their labor. simply to crafty
q few bigoted and prejudiced persons in and
ont of Congress Common sense and
justice say to the contrary.