The record-union., 1892-03-07


is, SHOULD an employe spend his time
IN looking after political matters, and by
so doing endanger the lives and property
of those whom he is employed to look
after and protect" then, certainly not;
but after he has done his duty and is of
his watch so to speak, should he then
use his time to improve himself about
matters political SO as to vote inteIii-
gently. and prepare himselfto hold some
public trust without using the corpora
ton to advance his personal interest, L
should answer, yes. Such a man in do
ing this is doing his duty, and only that,
to his fellow man.
as the corruption Of our legislative
bodies due to the influence OF corporations
upon such bodieS2"
| think not. I do not believe there is
any considerable number of corrupt men
in any of our legislative bodies, although
/ am disposed to think there are always
few. Our Savior, in His selection of
twelve men whom He thought were the
best, found one of them very bad and
another who was not very good; and L
think men are not much worse or better
now than they were eighteen hundred
years ago. l do not think the railroad
companies are responsible for such exam
pies to any considerable extent. 1t is
possible that some bad men have pro-
cured their own election to the Legisla-
ture in California, thinking that when
they got there they could introduce some
bill that would work harm to the corpor-
ations if passed, and that they could get
something out of the company if they
would kill the bill that they themselves
had introduced, and to that extent the
railroads may have been to certain ex-
tent responsible for the appearance of
those men in the Legislature. / am not
as certain as / would like ID be that the
Southern Pacific Company has not done
what should have been left undone in
electing to the Legislature men who,
after they were elected, did things that
were not only not for the best interest of
the State, but were for the harm rather
than the benefit of the railroad company.
Would ii be possible to secure honest
legislation If corporations aCoutd not inter
fere?"
This question is about the same as the
I will say further, that railroad corpora
tions arc not responsible for the wicked
legislation that has been enacted in the
last twenty years. Railroads have done
more than any other property to develop
our country, as through such investment
the waste places have been built up and
many places where land was worth very
little before some of the lines were built
have increased IN value forty times be-
cause OF the building Of the roads and the
better facilities TINS gained, while the
roads have not paid per cent upon the
investment: bat, because railroad prop
erty is more exposed to the raids of the
rabble than any other kind of property,
the communists, agrarians, iml ecunious
and improvident of all parties aud ma
tionalities have united in efforts to de-
stroy it by taking away its earning power.
Indeed it looked at one time as though
the owners of this class of property
would have to look for protection TO the
judicial branch of the Government: vet
it seems now as though the great middle
class were disposed 10 stand forth and see
that all property is protected alike, and
to see, moreover, that ownership carries
control, as they know full well that soon
after the time comes that ownership does
not carry control there Will be no owner
ship to uphold for no one will gather for
others to scatter.
DO corporations gain anything 5y keep
ing political Intermediates ia HetT en-
ptoy 2"
If that is the meaning of the question l
think it needs no answer. as it goes with
out saying that the use of money in any
legislative body TO buy votes is as harm
ful to those who give as to those who take
it; that while there might seem to be
some temporary benefit, the shadows that
follow will be long and haIeful.
Has a Senatorial election any neces-
sdry connection Nth raiiroad com
pGnyE"
Certainly not, other than in the sense
that all men and all properties are alike
interested in having good men fill places
of public trust. No great railway COM
pany that has received aid from the Gov
ernment can afford to have one of its olIi-
GERS or large owners in the United States
Senate; for, if he be a man fit for the
place, he will not wish to use his infiu-
ence for the company if it slould need
legislation, and, if he shoald, his influ-
ence would be very little, as his associates
in tho Senate would be very apt to think
that he was working for his own personal
interests.
= lFhdt effect has the connection of the
Southern Pacific wih California politics
hdd upon the compdayP'
The effect has been bad. It has cost the
company some money and many friends,
and, believe, much of the ill-feeling
that has exhibited itself in the California
Legislature was because the great cor
poration was used forpurposes other than
those for which it was credited; for all
know that it was created only for the
transportation of persons and property.
I have been interested in a railroad in the
State of Virginia (the Chesapeake and
Ohio for more than twenty years-a road
that has cost over $4,000, ,c09-which has
never been harmed by unfriendly legis-
lation, nor to my recollection was there
ever any threatened, and ] have never.
nor has the company, to my knowledge,
spent one dollar TO prevent it; but all
knew that what the company wanted was
that all its employees should vote and cast
their ballot for those who would best serve
the interest of their country.
Has Er. Haatin9toaa's plan of keep
ing the railroad oat Of politics been sac
ceSfat 2"
l will say that my efforts to keep the
Southern Pacific out of politics have
been fairly successful. 1t could not be
reasonably expected that great corpora
ton like the Southern Pacific, whose
business had for several years been