Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-16

The struggle between the Pennsylvania rail-
road and the people of the District in the
present Congress Is rapidly approaching its
inevitable end. The Senate has stricken from
the Atkinson bill the few and feeble provi-
sions looking to future action for the Districts
welfare with which the House tried to quiet its
conscience, and when the matter is considered
in conference the railroad will evidently shape
the measure to suit itself. The railroads boast
that it has this Congress under its thumb will
| evidently soon be justified, and unless the
President intervenes as mayor Of the capital to
protect the interests of the city with his veto
Washing ton may well make up its mind to
an unconditional surrender Viewing the VIC
tory of the railroad thing already accom-
plished, and AZ a matter of history, the natural
| comment of the chronicler upon the occur
renee is an expression of admiring surprise ut
! the vast power displayed by the railroad in
the lobbying and political field. Though
merely a corporation chartered as a common
carrier, it wins its highest distinctions III
capacities far different from those OF Il trans
pOrtation agency and public servant. 1t
deals in legislatures. it spends money to elect
Congressman and Senators, it subsidies news
| papers, it supports an expensive lobby, it dab
| bles in Speakership elections and gets Repre-
se sem a.. on committees aha where they
or cajoles the representatives. of the
people it pulls every string known to politics
| and the LOBBY, and it has the great advantage
in its deals that it is not hampcred by any
principle in bargaining to advance its selfish
interests. 1t obtained such u hold on Congress
that in the memorable engagement between its
forces and those of the United States army at
the Eastern branch bridge it dared to forcibly
put stop to government work upon govern
ont Inv of he lIn1taH
and in the end it routed the army and
DEFIED EVEN UNCLE SAM
with impunitv. 1t, therefore, viewed as COM
paratively easy the task Of disposing, of the
little unrepresented District of Columbia,
which had the presumption to attempt to treat
it as an ordinary common carrier, subject to
the rules in regard to the protection OF the
public from surface tracks which are enforced
in other civilized lands than the great free re-
public. and subject to the Ten Commandments
Including the sixth and eighth. This District
is dependent for all its legislation on Congress,
one house of which gives its affairs only two
afternoons in each month, and often on these
occasions devotes its time to general legisla-
ton or denies the Distric. quorum. Some
legislation for the developing capital is indis-
pensable, and as "A few members can block all
its concerns on the ordinary District day it is
peculiarly vulnerable. In the present conten-
ton the railroad succeeded by putting an en-
its demands were gratifed. by entering into
certain political deals by which some men dis
posed to be friendly to To city trafhcked its in
terests for political advantage, by individual
persuasion and threats, and by the constant
pressure of a lobby Of notable ability and
audacity.
TRADING ON THE FORCE BILL.
The masterstroke of the railroad was the I'M
derstanding between Senator Quay and demo-
cratic Senators in regard to the elections bill
The railroad is a hard taskmaster for its SER
wants even of high degree, and it does not per-
NIT such trihes as party discipline to
interfere with obedience to its commands
and the advancement of its interests
A consideration, for instance, of Senator Quay
relations with the railroad and his dealings
with the democrats of the Senate ut the last
session in behalf of the railroad will throw
considerable light upon his action then and
now III regard to the elections bill.
Opposition in the republican ranks to this
bill. in the light Of the recent elections and the
| financial disturbances. is now strong and many
| reasons of public and even partisan policy have
| developed to apparently justify those who urge
| the wisdom of postpOning or abandoning the
measure. But this was not so emphatically the
| case at the last session of Congress, and the
| evidence goes to show that though good
grounds for opposing the elections bill. were Us
plentiful as blackberries, even at that time,
none of them operated to influence Senator
Quay's action.
The secret Of the interviews between Sem
| ator Quay and the democratic leader in the
Senate which led to the abandonment Of the
| elections bill last session has never been pub
| lished. 50. A number of explanations OF Mr..
Quay's action in this matter have been made,
his anxiety to pass the tariff bill being given
| generally as the motive for turning the switch
to sidetrack the election bill Undoubtedly
| with some of the Senators who voted with the
democrats this motive, besides that of indif-
4 TIT no al
! what induced their action. But Mr.. Quay him.
self gave an entirely different reason as in
| fuencing his action in his conversation with
| the representative of the democrats. What
passed between them when
| THE BAR1AIN WAS MADE
| for the abandonment of the elections bill was
substantially this: 1Ir. Quay first asked how
| long the democrats expected to discuss the
tariff bill
The reply was that they would discuss it
until its character had been fully exposed to
] the country.
!, Mr.. Quay then asked il tho matter could be
facilitated any by an assurance that no attempt
would be made to pass the elections bill.
| The democratic leader replied automatically
!: that he could not say. but added that the demo-
Gratis were anxious for adjournment
l. Mr.. Quay then made the statement that il
i was very important that the Pennsylvania rail-
road bill should pass before adjOurnment; that
I
!! not come mp for action il the tariff discussion
| was to continue indefinitely, and he was will
1 ing therefore, in order to get date on the
l railroad bill to use his influence to have the
reflections bill laid aside. There was probably
/! no direct agreement that the democrats were
to vote for the railroad bill, but they knew that
the abandonment of the elections bill rs far Us il
twas Influenced by Mr.. Quay. was due to the
PENNSYLVANIA railroad bill, and when the tariff
i bill was passed Senator Mcmillan was given to
understand that there would be no opposition
! on the democratic side Of the Senate il Inc de-
| sired to call up and pass the railroad bill A
number Ut democrats astonished Mr.. Mcmillan
by volunteering to support the measure. 1t il
uncertain how far this feeling OF gratitude ex-
| tended into the House.
! But after this conversation some Of the
1 southern Representatives, enough to turn the
| scale in the House, who had been earnest in
lighting to protect the capital from tho en-
refreshments Of the railroad and who could not
be reached by the means ordinarily employed
4 by the railroad lobby, but we're vitality inter
ested in the defeat OF the elections bill, turned
4 and voted with the railroad. more extra
! ordinary conversion was never witnessed than
that which thus enabled the railroad to turn
defeat into victory in the House. Not demo-
crat opposed the railroad bill in the Senate q,
i the last session, not even those from whom the
capital has hitherto received assistance in re-
sisting railroad encroachment, and Mr.. Quay
49, 4 = A. A. NJ