The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-12-08

A morning newspaper contemporary, in
noting report that the Southern Pacific
Railroad Company Is contemplating making
au effort 70 compromise the payment of lis
taxes, which are some years in arrearagc.
publishes tie following editorial remarks;
1t is asserted that the Southern Pacific Com
pany has become tired Of The litigation caused by
Its lefusal 10 pay lis taxes, and that when c. T.
Huntington, The President OF the company,
Ilyes here lie will submit a proposition of COM
promise 10 Acknowledgement Rat, which he
hopes viii settle all disputed questions now
pending
Just exactly why corporation should expect
10 settle lis taxes by compromise, which must
imply the payment OF an amount smaller
than The claim of the State, is not easy TO see.
The railroad company either owes the taxes or
II does not. II it does rot there Is no need OF
comp omlse aud it should not pay anything, but
it does It should be forced to pay what II
When private citizen is concerned lie Las to
pay up or be sold out tie cannot compromise,
and a corporation which is only an artificial
person, should Dave no greater rights In such a
matter than a natural person.
What our cOntem pOrary says in relation
to the payment of taxes by private citizens
is true. The man who owns a homestead
or a small amount of furniture must paw his
taxes and pay them promptly or be assessed
a certain percentage of forfeiture and then
be sold out. The rule with the railroad
company is quite different, for it seems that
its agents can secure years Of delay. and
then obtain discounts, which a private in
d.yidual cannot secure, to reduce the
amount of its taxes. The same paper fur
Their says:
The railroad has never been prodlgal enough
Of faYOrs to California or her people to be war
tod n DeL L inn FIR l,a1 Aad
the payment Of its taxes for years on one pre-
text or another, and now when its last excuse Is
gone ana 1t anticipates an adverse decision it
wants 10 compromise.
The only thing Attorney General Hart can do
is 10 push the cases and make The railroad COM
pany pay up II has been treated with much
more consideration than 1t has deserved, and for
the State to compromise with II now would be
almost equivalent to cOmpoundlng felony.
In relation 10 the ''prodigal favors" which
the railroad company Is tainted with having
withheld from California, THE CALL can
only say that the State, city ana nation have
contributed so literally of their favors to
its managers as to enable them to accumu-
late at least $500, 600. 600 between them.
Pretty liberal, most people will say, but
where has been manifested liberality by the
managers of the railroad company? At
torney- General Hart is advised by our con-
temporary ito push the cases and make
the railroad company pay up" This is IN
doubtedly good advice, but does not our
contemporary know that this course is
easier advised than pursued For several
years past, The CALL believes, the agents
or friends of the railroad company have
secured The nomination Of just such eandi-
dates in both political parties for offices s
could be nodded TO its purposes or whose
views were known in advance in relation to
railroad matters. Does not our contem-
porary know that the last Legislature con-
tanned enough railroad members to vote
down any proposition to push the collection
Of railroad taxes? And does it not also
know that Attorney General Hart cannot
afford to push the railroad suits if he de-
siIes to continue in office. SO long as men,
beers of the Legislature. Attorney Generals,
Railroad Commissioners, Judges. ETC.. have
to depend upon railroad managers or their
agents for nomination these officials cannot
be expected to act as free and independent
men. And it is even worse if the railroad
should employ Buckley and his associate
bosses to make nominations for them,