Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1885-09-17

Our conspicuous fellow citizen, Mr..
Jay Gould, makes rather an imposing
figure MS, lelling gracefully on the deck
of his elegant yacht Atalanta, he watches
Americas cup. He is then and there |
the typical American millionaire enjoying |
the relaxation which, however we may |
envy him, we must admit he has fairly |
earned by hard and persistent brain work
in the domain of finance. And we can
temper our envy by imagining what q
different appearance he must have pre-
scented on that memorable morning
OF last November when, having played
high for a big stake-the election Of
Blaine-and lost, he sat down to indite
that cheeky, complimentary telegram to
President-elect Cleveland. He was shrewd
enough to see that the 'claim everything
policy could not long be played and pru-
dent enough to get out from under before
the gathering torrent Of popular indigna-
ton taught him in something stronger
than nutterings that his millions could
not reverse the verdict rendered ut the
polls.
We apprehend that Mr.. Gould is even
now embarked in an enterprise that may
again, before the next session of Congress
has passed away, strain his reputation for
shrewdness. Mr.. Gould is, as everybody
knows, practically the Western Union
Telegraph Company, the Union Pacific
Railroad Company, and several other big
things. In his character of the Union
Pacific Railroad Companyh he has awarded
himself, in the role of the Western Uuio1
Telegraph Company exclusive telegraph,
privileges over the great rail
roads west of the Missouri river. Tn
Baltimore Il Ohio Telegraph Compan,
stands ready to stretch its wires acros
the great plains, over the Rocky Noun
tains and onward to the Pacific states: bu
Mr.. Gould blocks the way. Had Nj
Gould's money built these western road
his position, even though i'll direct con
fict with anti. discriminating charter obi
cations, might find unbought supporter
but it was national capital, in land grant
and government loans, that TOO
the iron rails across the great,
part of this vast territory whel
less than score of years ago ii
slowly crawling "prairic schooner" wit
its four or five span of mules or yoke
oxen was the only transportation line +,
emigration and freight, and half nut
Pawnees and Sioux still trapped Il
beaver and chased the buffalo, I'll
people through their chosen agents
Washington, built these railroads n
Jay Gould-and obligated the corpor
tions operating them to give equal RICH
TO all and exclusive privileges to none.
Five years ago no ones judgment up,
this point was clearer than that of N
Gould himself. He was then in CONT
of the American Union Telegraph Co
pany and was very anxious that t
Union Pacific should live up TO its MI
discrimination charter and extend to {
American Union the same rights a
privileges that had been conceded to
acquired by the Western Union TIE
graph Company. The Western Uni
hampered Mr.. Gould by getting out
injunction, but, before a decision v
rendered, the American Union ind 1
Western Union companies We're const
dated. Mr.. Gould, in his TELEGRAPH
personality, had swallowed his rival al
singularly enough, experienced an eut
change of heart on the anti-discrimil
ton question.
The Baltimore & Ohio company OF
demands now, as tsright, what Jay Coz
demanded on behalf of the AmeriC
Union company before he performed i
great feat of deglutition. II brought
matter to the attention of the COVE
ment last winter and the United Sta
Senate passed resolution, in Februi