Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1886-08-09
EDMUNDS AND THE RAIL
ROAD.
Letter to Friend in Vermont.


1t is proper that you and other gentle
men should know that you may challenge |
and invite inquiry into my relations with |
railroad corporations from the time l |
was member of the Vermont Legisla- |
ture down to this day. | have at all |
times stood up, to the best of my ability, |
to hold them under rigorous legislative
restraint and keep them within legisla-
tive power, to their great discomfort.
was l believe, the pioneer in the then
apparently hopeless enterprise of COM
polling the Pacific railroads to comply
with their duties to the United States.
AS early as the time when Mr.. Boutwell,
was secretary of the treasury | brought
the matter to the attention of the senate
by an appropriation bill q think it was)
directing the secretary of the treasury
not to pay any of the subsidized railroads
for service performed for the govern
ment, but to hold on to the money as an
offset to the money the United States
was to pay as interest on subsidy bonds.
was out-voted, but in year or two
| afterward l succeeded, and at last, by
the help of Senator Thurman, we passed
the act of May, 1873, known as the Thur
man act. 1t was reported by Mr. Thur
man with the purpose, on my part, of
getting more democratic votes for it
than thought would be likely if 1 re-
| ported the bill myself. We fought it
| through, and it has stood the test of the
supreme court of the United States.
l found three or four years ago that
one Of the companies was not obeying
the law in respect of rendering accounts
and paying in the money that is requir-
ed. l urged and pushed the departments
to press them up. / wrote frequent let
tiers on the subject, and did everything
possible to stimulate their being forced
to obey the law or be punished if they
did not.
In June 1884, when the judiciary COM
mittee had taken hold of the matter, |
was a humble instrument in compelling
the Union Pacific to pay into the treasury
about three-quarters Of million dollars
|
in lump.
The judiciary committee some years
ago reported an adequate and efectual
bill for the forfeiture of all unearned land
grants, in a regular and just way; but
we could not get it acted on.
I have exerted myself and struggled to
compel the street railways of this city
which are rather dominating corpora
tions, to pay their taxes and assessments
which they have managed not to do to ;
large degree. At last, by constant pres
4 sure upon the authorities, suit wa
: brought and judgement for two OF
i, three hundred thousand dollars was oh
tanned against one of them, upon whicl
they have appealed to the supreme cour
of the United States.
n In short, at all times and in every wa,
: as to railroads, banks, telegraph com
. panies and steamship companies, l hav
been as busy and as diligent as [ could b
to keep them within bounds, all of whc
J they know, and owe me no thanks for
: have not been attorney for any Q
d these corporations, excepting in the sin
gle instance of the Central and Souther
. Pacific railroad company, and that on
special retainer to argue set of cause
= in the supreme court here in which tn
: interest of the United States against tn
II pretensions of the state OF California
IS respect of that transcontinental line wa
re on the side of the railroad company, an
r my argument was devoted to defendin
i the interest of the United States. / carr
ed the money that was paid me, and tn
cases were decided and my connectio
- with them terminated months ago.
re | have not been counsel in any othe
case in which land grant or snbsiG