The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-01-26
A Review of the Pacific Railway Conn
missions Report.

Two OF the commissioners, MeeSrs. Euery
Anderson, OF New York, and D. T. Littler,
of Illinois, united in report, and recon-
meDded that the debts Of the railways, in
Guiding interest, be sseertained by the
Secretary of the Treasury, funded in fifty
year bonds, based upon mortgage on the
roads, bearing per cent. per annum inter
est. payable semi-annually, which the rail-
roads shall Issue and deliver to the Secre-
tsry of the Treasury, and provide for a
sinking fund to extinguish the debt. They
also recommend that all unsold lands be
reconveyed to the United States at $1.25 an
acre. This is the Substance of the recon-
mendation by the majority of the commits
sioners.
Mr.. Robert L. Pattison, whom accident
made governor of Pennsylvania, and Presi-
dent Cleveland. knowing precisely the char
acter of the man, made chairman OF the
Pacific railroad commission, made NIL
nority report, which resembles more the
outpourings of narrow minded bigot than
the conclusions of q sensible, honest man
discharging quasi judicial duties.
Mr.. Pattison, after giving what he calls
history or statement of the condition OF the
rosds, asks "What should the government
dof" and then answers his question. The
statement is q miserable distortion Of the
facts known to every one at all familiar
with the subject before the commission was
appointed, and that body added nothing to
the previous knowledge.
Tk r. Co. Fol- nv ~
son through his pages of Misrepresentation
and refute one by one his false statements
and wrong deductions. That has already
been done in previous answers to similar
statements. Instead Of doing that we pro-
pose to give concise history of the build
ing of the roads, though before doing so it
is not out of place to say word as to
some OF Mr.. Pattison's recommendations.
The distinguished commissioner may be
q lawyer, but his opinion would hardly be
considered valuable, If he knows no more
of the principles of law than is contained
In the following sentence in which he says !:
The government occupies dual relation to
the hond-aided RAILROADS.&C. sovereign and as
creditor. In this aspect the question of settle
ment unfolds complications that would not
present themselves in the ordinary relation OF
creditor and debtor. mere creditor might
assent to compromises which. in sovereign
dealing with dishonest creditor who had
violated all laws and covenants. would be re-
pugnaat to public policy.
It has been so long settled as principle
of law as to become elementary, that when
the sovereign enters into q contract with
the citizen sovereignty is abdicated 30 far
as that contract is concerned. Even as far
back as the time Of Justinian, when the
slave owner had an absolute ownership,
including the power of life and death, that
distinguished Roman jurist held that when
the owner treated with slave the bonds
fell from his limbs and he became free
man. The English courts and our own
have decided this question against MIR.
Pattison's opinion until his statement can
only excite ridicule.
Mr.. Pattison dissents from the majority
recommendation that the time for the pay
ment of the sums due by the bonded roads
be extended; and in lieu of that PROPOSE
ton suggests forfeiture of the charters.
the taking possession of the roads, and
criminal proceedings against the managers.
Mr. Pattison's knowledge of law seems to
fail him again when he suggests indictments
for acts committed years ago and now
barred by the statute of limitations.
But little matters of law were not al
lowed to interfere with the desire of Mr..
Patsison to make the political capital
which he was selected to manufacture
on behalf of the Democratic party and
the gentleman who displayed consum-
mate knowledge Of men in choosing him as
the head of the Pacific railway commission.
But for the present we shall dismiss Mr..
Pattison and his report, which is really not
entitled to even SO much notice, and give
the facts IS to the construction of the
Pacific railways.
Even previous to the acquisition of Cali
fornia, when the possessions Of the United
States upon the Pacific coast were confined
emily to Oregon, 1t was considered necessary
by some of the greatest of American states
men that a transcontinental railway should
be constructed. Thomas 81. Benton, Stephen
A. Douglas, and men of that class, were
early advocates of such a measure; and
even so strict states rights Democrat as
John G. Calhoun had expressed himself
favorably toward it.
In 1s45 Senator Douglas proposed the
building of road from the lakes of the
north to the Pacific ocean. This project
was advocated time and again, and in 1858 q
bill was reported In the Senate of the United
States loauing to any contractor who should
undertake to build 1t $4,000 per mile.
Surveys were made by SO good Democrat.
when Secretary of War, as jefferson Davis.
These surveys extended over five distinct
lines, on each of which there is to-day rail-
way built. In 1856 both Democratic and
Republican conventions passed resolutions
fndorsing the project, and all three Of the
candidates for President In that year,
Buchanan, Fremont, and Fillmore, wrote
letters in favor of 1t. President Pierce,
another Democrat In good standing, sent
message to Congress advocating it, and so
did President Buchanan.
All of President Lincoln's messages from
1861 to 1864 favored the construction of
such a road. The reasons for constructing
such road were that the great territory upon
the Pacific ocean was separated from the
main body Of the nation by what were then
considered impossible deserts and unsur-
mouDtable mountain ranges, and there WAS
great danger that at some future day this
great territory, with its immense but unde-
yeloped wealth, would be swept away and
torn from the union Of states, forming
Pacific confederacy or republic, barring
the progress OF the nation.
This danger became all the more apparent
when the war of the rebellion commenced,
and when one Of the most distinguished
merchants of the great central city Of st.
Louis, speaking in its chamber of COM
merce to large crowd, said
We must not hasten too much. We do not
know where our furtunes win be cast. There
may be an eastern confederacy, southern