The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-09-23
HOW THE STATE SUFFERS.

In the proceedings Of the immigration
Convention yesterday the following Tesolu-
tons we're adopted by vote Of III ayes to
p nee:
E,sattc5- That tie most important aim OF this
convention should be to Increase and expand the
facilities Of our present carrying trade and TO en-
courage competing transportation lines for this
State boIh by rail and water, and be il further
Ies0lusd, Thai il shall be the duty OF the per-
Wtueut organization OF this convention TO con
fer With the representatives OF The different pro-
posed jTansc0ntneptd railroads with view OF
asceItaiuing upon what terms they Will extend
their railways into this State, and to induce
Them It possible, 10 build competing lines to tide
water on tile bay OF san Francisco and elsewhere
10 glIs SJae.
1t is evident from this that our citizens
wuuld Ike TO have additional transportation
facilities In the debate which took place
reference was made to the Nicaragua Canal
asd t. competing lines Of railroads
All classes of our citizens, except those
who profit directly through political
trickery and such persons as are en-
pIUyed by the railroad company, view with
alarm the exactiOns made upon them for
freight and passage by all of our transpOrta-
ton companies An arrangement seems to
exist at the present time by which eompeti
ton is shut off in every direction. Even the
Canadian Pacific Railroad Company has
entered into an arrangement by which twill
hot compete with our overland railroads,
and then the steamship company is paid
bonus to keep it from Transporting certain
classes Of freight in competition with the
railroads. 1t is not surprising that pro-
ducers should become restless when they
md that most of the profits of their
business drift into the hands OF men
who have already made perhaps one
hundred million dollars ont Of them.
Probably no person would complain because
a few men had made millions of money by
constructing and running railroads, for
which the Government furnished most of
the means, if freight and fares were placed
at a reasonable rate; but such is not the
fact The disposition seems to be with cur
railroad magnates TO pile up more millions
by exacting as h Oh freights as our products
will possibly bear. Nor is this all Our
citizens see session after session of the
Legislature assemble majority of whose
members have been nominated and elected
under that influence which betTaYs them.
The people are slow to move, but the time
will come when our citizens win nominate
and elect their own officials instead of per-
hitting a few hired bosses to manipulate
affairs for them.
THE CALL believes it does not misstate
the condition OF affairs when it says that
the railroad influence is at the bottom Of
the political corruption which exists in this
city and State, and that the whole of Cali
f0rnia suffers in con eQuence. Every per-
son who raises any product no matter much
what it may be, has to pay a tribute to men
who have made much Of the fifty or one
hundred millions Of dollars which they now
possess out Of him. Even of the fruit which
the small orchardist produces he has to per-
nit some of it to rot upon the ground be-
cause Of the grasping disposition of men who
are already too wealthy for the good Of the