Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-12-29

| party, President Cable was triunphaptly
reelected, thus proving in the most for
chile manner the confidence of the stock
holders in the man Mr.. Vanderbilt sought
TO crush. 1t wss in his reply to state
ment made by the potentate
OF the New York Central. in which the
latter intimated that be would
champion the cause of the Outrage d ship.
pers on the lines of the Rock Island road
that President Cable showed himself a
master of fiue sarcasm. His comments
are worthy OF reproduction here in full,
as they indicate in marked degree his
tho ough acquaintance with the English
| language. After expressing his surprise
at having found this modern Don Q Iix>
ote. Mr Gable continues: Yet there is
some compensation for the discovery.
] The wisdom of the nation ass m bled at
its capital is now alert by day and wake-
| iul bg night 10 discover some method by
which the power of the government can
| be applied to the protection of freight
| ers' against the tX4c'ions of grasping
corporations. Boards consisting of seven
| nine, eleven, thirteen. and | know not
how many other odd numbers of COM
missloners, have been proposed. Why
incur all this eXpense2 l nominate as
sole commissioner William II Vanderbilt.
OF New York, to whom letters BY the
stack may DE sent by all 'freighters' who
are afflicted by railroad extornon. His
relief will be simple aud summary The
Offending line will be made branch of
| the Northwestern or some other railway
under the absolute control of the Van
derbilt family"
Summing up William Fl. Vanderbilts
Qualifications as an officer of big rail-
road, Mr.. Cable concludes By saving
that what he doesn't know about rallwa
| management would fill several large liz
brsries. IF, be argues, Vanderbilt
knew nothing about the New York Cen
| trail, of which he had been an offi GER for
years, why should he know ANYTHING
about The management OF the Rock Isl
and roadf' A query that Mr. Wander
bll dill not see tit to answer. Inasmuch
as David Bows. Hugh Riddle, whom Mir
| Cable succeeded as president of the road.
| and other pro minent stockholders warmly
| espoused the cause of President Gable
IN this newsps per controversy. these at
t4cks only resulted in effecling Il still
closer alliance between him and the big
moneyed interests he represented in the
road,
VICTORY OVER JAY GOULD.
! Ole of the most glorious anu complete
victories achieved by President Cable
since his connection with the Rock Isl =
ard, was that in which his road Won the
now celeb ated bridge suit against the
Union Pacific railroad The details are
so fresh in the minds Of the reading pub
lie that only bare mention is necessary
here. Having decided to build bridge
across the Missouri, between Council
Bluffs and Omaha; the Rock Island went
ahead with its survey, obtained the char
ter, and had gone so far as to draw up
specifications and advertise for bids. when
the UniO4 Pacific railroad, then differed
by Charles Francis Ad ANS foreseeing the
enormous loss of revenue to the company
in case the Rock Island bridge was bull,
made proposition TO President Gable
that resulted in the abandonment of the
bridge-build project, and the entering
into of a contract between the Rock ISL
and and the UaiOn Pecific by which the
latter bound itself To permit the former
road full use of its bridge and tracks be
tween Council Bluffs and South Omaha
in consideration of the payment of GER
Tain rentals and other stipulated agree
ments on the part of the Rock Island
road.
When jay Gould obtained full control
of the Union Pacific and Charles Francis
Adams retired from the presidency of the
road be sought to annul this compact,
but Judge Bro sr. of the United States
circuit court, held that the contract was
binding and must be specifically
performed. and in the con-
GLIDING paragraph of his very lengthy
opinion he paid his respects to Jay Gould
in the following language: 1T is TO the
higher interests of all, corporations ard
public alike, that it be understood there
is binding force in all contract obligs-
tions; that no change of interest or
change of management C IN disturb their
ssncuty or break their fore :, but that the
law which gives to corporations their
rights, their capacities for .arge accumu-
lations and all their facu ties, is potent
to make right and justice the measure of
ali corporate as well as individual action. -
While this fight was confined chiefly to
the legal departments of the opposing
corporations, there is no doubt that in
the preliminary consul ations prior to the
signing of the contract the shrewd sug-
gestions of President Cable to General
Counsel Withrow, of the Rock Island
road, were of vast assistance to that
astute lawyer. At any rate. the hand
some victory attained must certainly be
credited to Mr.. Cables administration.
CAUSES OF HIS SUCCESS. "a
His familiarity with the Rock Island
property. with all contracts relating to it
and with the fair needs and demands of
the country to which it is tributary are
among the strong points that have led to
President Cables success and which
add largely TO The confidence reposed in
him by the stockholders. The inn
pIovements in the service, do not escape
his attention, and with the welfare of the
| nrnnertu "a The controlling uuide 10 his