New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-12-03
A USEFUL CITIZEN.

After all. our most useful citizen is Mr. Jay
Cond We are at a loss to know what we should
do without him. For there would then be no
ono 70 "lay il to-" Men who lose money by
betting on what he is going to do and whether
no Is F" oppr or short' of the market, men who
huv stocks or sell them at the wrong time, iall-
road managers who get caught evadlng or Vlo-
lating law. financiers who get tangled up, bank
officers who incur losses of other peoples money
IN &" sure things" men whose hands get calloused
holding on to straps on the elevated roads, ana
men who 90 home late nights, all lay it to jay
Gonld And he takes it like little MAJOR
never talks back-lke the man in the play, ne
amt sayin' a word" It's very useful pur-
noso that Mr. Jay Gould serves. A great many
things that happen in and out of the Street
would be very difficult to account for but 1of
him.
MIR. Gould's appearance as factor IN the
somewhat lively canvass now going on for the
Sneake,ship is not unexpected. He has not done
ANYTHING in it yet in his own proper person, Duo
"The Washington STAR has discovered one Oh
his emissaries prowling around the headquarters
of the various candidates in Washington ana
has sounded the alarm, which has been taken
up with alacrity by the Washington correspond
emit of "The New-York Times" Gould, Ii
seems, is scheming to defeat Roger .. Mills, ana
is believed to be aiding the candidacy OF Crisp, OF
Georgia The reason for this is that Crisp was
a member of the Pacific Railroad Committee
which reported Funding bill few years ago.
and it is inferred that il he should be speaker
he would turn over the House in body to the
uses of the unscrupulous Gould. " Is the Demo-
cratic party in 1891" says "The Times CORE
spondent, "to permit the Pacific Railroads, by
the hired attorney of Jay Gould, to organize the
House of Representatives to suit the purposes OF
that corporation?'' This is well and vigorously
mt. From our knowledge of the statesmen
composing the majority Of the House we should
say that it would be an effective squelcher on
Mr.. Crisps aspirations and correspondlngly
powerful reinforcement TO the Texas candidate
If. however, it should fail, and Crisp after all
should be elected, it opens the way to the usual
explanation when anything goes wrong that
"Goud did it," The probability is, however,
that Mr. Crisp's supporters will be stampeded py
the discovery that Jay Gould is behind him.
The little man is quite a gOdsend to the Texas
statesman who, from all accounts, was falling
behind in the race.
1t is not known that Mr.. Gould ever chuckles.
There have been times when it was supposed
that he did chuckle, but there is, we believe, no
living witness to the fact. IT, however, he could
be tempted by any condition OF affairs to in
dulge in that sardonic exercise this is manlfesty
the time. For if there is anything in the entire
domain of possible legislation about which he
is lust now absolutely Indifferent it is Union
Pacific Funding bill, the mention OF which Gre
ates such disturbance among Democratic Con-
gressmen. We have not at hand MIR. GOulds
daily announcement of his holdings OF railroad
stocks, but the belief is general that the amount
' of Union Pacific now owned by him would hard
ly warrant the expenditure of any very large sum
in influencing legislation on that account The
Funding bills heretofore proposed have included
a provision for strengthening the Governments
lien by a blanket mortgage on the company
branch lines All the securities issued on these
properties are now packed safely away in a COL
lateral trust, and the opportunity for FUNDING
bill has passed 1t is not likely that Mr.. Gould
or the Union Pacific would consider the pos
sibility of legislation on that subject by the
present Congress as of the slightest consequence.
Still. il must amuse them to see how seriously
tbe friends of Mr.. Mills take the matter and the
general effect of Mr.. Goulds name upon the
statesman of the period.
On the whole Mr.. Jay Gould is one OF the
most convenient citizens in this community.