Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-04-18
GOVERNMENT EQUITIES IN SETTLE
MENTS WITH RAILROADS.


opponents of the interests of the working
men of the country, published at Washing
ton, in its issue of April 18th, gives the full
statement of Senator Stanford, made before
the Senate Committee on Pacific Railways,
which has already appeared in the
RECORD UNIoN-and editorially comments
upon the same as follows:
We invite the careful consideration of
our readers to the clear and concise state
ment of Hon. Leland Stanford, President
of the Central Pacific Railroad Company,
made before the Senate Committee, a few
days since, and which will be found in
full in our columns.
No one with unbiased mind can read it.
| without feeling that Mr.. Stanford's argu-
ment is correct, and that his demand for
the allowance of equities from the
Government, and that the Govern
ment should be as Just in its
settlement with debtor, as individuals
dealing with one another, would be, under
? There are several notable facts in this
statement, and in the history of this, the
pioneer railroad leading eastward from
| the shores of the Occident. There are
| chapters of hardships and toll, the peril of
| financial integrity, the indomitable pluck
and the power of endurance, and persist
| ence, and energy, ere success was finally
attained; and the early history, the feats
of pioneer work, became as things of the
past, even as the first book of history is
laid aside and almost forgotten as we open
the leaves of the present, the era of many
| railroads.
Mr.. Stanford summarizes only the bene-
tit to the Government by the carrying of
! Government mails and the transportation
of troops and supplies, and the amount
thus saved to the Government, according
| to its own reports, by the expediting and
completing of the road fully seven years
| in advance of the specified time.
| For the transportation of mail over the
mountains, alone, the Government, previ-
GUS to tae building of the road, paid Wells,
Fargo IL Co. 81, 100000 per annum for carry
| ing the letter mail only, the maximum
| weight of which was not to exceed thou
sand pounds. "And yet" says Senator
Stanford, 1.-The Government required the
| Central Pacific, as soon as completed to
| construct special car to carry eighteen
tons of mail matter and two messengers.
And oftentimes an extra car is used, and
| sometimes two extra cars are required to
| carry the mails across the continent; vet
| the Government has never paid to both
| Union Pacific and Central Pacific quite a
| million dollars per annum for this service"
In other words the railroads carry twice or
| thrice the amount of Matchmaker more
safely, more expeditiously, and receive
| therefor about one-fourth the amount paid
| to the stage coach companies.
| For the transporting of these heavy mails
over the Sierra Nevada mountains the
Government pays the Central Pacific the
same rate per pound that 1t pays to the
| Pennsylvania Railroad, which has COM
| paratively level bed, and whose coal is
procured at cost of So per ton, while the
| Central Pacific has to drive its engines up
the steep grades of the Nevada mountains,
with large consumption of coal costing So
per ton. There is no equity on the part of
| Government In this distribution of patron
age. Yet all the trunk lines east of the
| Missouri river recognize the fact that this
road, in mountainous regions, and with
| increased cost of fuel, cannot carry as
| cheaply as they, and in their business with
| this road make 1t an equitable allowance
based on the facts. The Government alone
refuses to do SO. The Government lends
| its credit; in other words, it speculates on
its credit and through the completion of
some great project TO which it has loaned
its name tor few millions it reaps con-
tinuous and incaiculable benefit in
divers directions for which it allows
| no equity in the settlement of the
debt, and sometimes is thus more
unjust, more grasping in its endeavors 10
| augment thea amount of money in its treas
ury than the most soulless, money-lendipg
individual Shylock in existence TO-DAY.
During three winters large force of men
were employed on the mountains, where
the snow fell to depth of So feet, but the
company kept the men at work Iron had
to be hauled over the MOUNTAINS so they
could work beyond. They tunneled under
| the snow to get at and blast the tunnels |
through the rocks. Their material had to |
come from the East II 600 miles by water, |
and then be hauled up the mountains |
Truly, almost superhuman was this under |
taking, as planned and carried out by a |
handful of determined, enterprising men. |
The road was constructed at period in our |
history when financial crisis was at hand |
-lS62-69-when faith in the Government |
was not so firmly fixed that Government |
bonds were in great demand, and when the |
Government currency had so greatly de- |
preciated in value that three dollars in pa. |
per money were required to purchase one |
dollar in gold, aid business west of the |
Rockies was done on gold basis, which |
| made the actual cost of construction nearly |
three times as great as it would otherwise |
have been.
But, let us consider some of the eouities
in the case: The Government spends |
millions of dollars annually in efforts to |
clvllIze the Indians, and to prevent and |
subdue lawless depredations and outrages.
There is no civiliZer in the world that can |
take rank with the railroad that penetrates |
the new country and carries with ii the |
banner of civilization to be planted in each |
remote settlement around which shall |
gather enterprise, industry, morality and |
science, cooperating for mutual benefit. |
till the howell shall expand into home of |
comfort the hut become a spacious school |
house,
And church spire pointing to the skies
Where erst was forests dense, shall rise
And therefrom all the surrounding lands |
are developed, and acquire increased value |
| and this result is duplicated and repeated |
all along the line of new railroad. For a |
century past these lands, the property of |
the Government, have lain entirely unde- |
veloped, and in so far as income tberefrom |
was derived, utterly worthless The rail-
| road acts like magic; its every train carries
| the settlers to clear away the timber, and
plow, and sow. and reap the supplies, for
| the army that Is moving on to the West. |
| not for war and pillage, but to open I'D and
| develop the resources of the country.
Think OF the vast improvements and de-
| velopment that must take place along
| line of 800 miles through new country?
Why, some results are that for ten tn
fifteen miles on either side, from the road.
| the land is taken, mines are opened and
| worked, quartz mills and smelling works
| furnish employment, the saw mills pro-
| tract their busy hum. cattle are pastured
| on a thousand hills and plains, and the
| fields are waving with ripening grain.
And why? Because, forsooth the railroad
opens up way to transport grain and live
stock, timber and precious ore, and all
products of forest, field and mountain.
If this is the peoples Government. who
shall estimate this benefit to the Govern
| ment through this great good to its renre.