The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-03
IN SELF-DEFENSE.

The Sacramento Bee says:
The Democrats 10 their State platform raised
the anti-rairoad cry aud made II al issue 10 the
campaign. In selfdefense. Mr. Huntington
found himself doing things which be had ronndly
denounced ia his predecessor. Senator Stanford,
and doing them. too. on a scale even more exten.
siye.
The anti-railroad cry the Democratic
convention raised was not Of an aggressive
character. 1t made no war on the railroad
as such, only on its abuse of power. 1t de-
manded the payment of taxes on the part of
the company and an adjustment of railroad
charges on the basis of cost of service
instead Of what the traffic would bear. Our
Sacramento contemporary seems 10 con-
slider any opposition 10 the Southern Pacific
methods justification of its interference in
politics. II a man is nominated by one
party who proposes to require the company
10 do anything it does not think /. to the
companY's interest to do, the company is
justified in procuring the nomination of
man by the other party who will let the
RAILROAD do as it pleases. This is the South
ern Pacific Company's idea of being in poll
tics. II would stay out of politics ii both
parties would agree to let il do as il pleases.
From the first the company has distrusted
the people. 1t has assumed that the people
into existence. Possibly guilty conscience
had something to do with this assumption.
Knowing that the members of the Central
Pacific Railroad Company had realized about
S3S, 100000 from the construction of the
road with the peoples money, The company
may have concluded that at some point in
its career of rapaeity the people would bring
it up with round turn. To guard against
the possibility the railroad went into poll
tics. Ii took interest enough in bath par
ties to see that candidates were named that
were friendly 20 the road. Then to guard
against appeals to the courts 1t nominated
enough of its own attorneys for judicial
positions to enable it to take cases before
Judges that were in the habit of taking
orders from the company. These outrages
became so common that the people cried
out against them. Then Mr.. Huntington
declared for the new policy of getting out
Of politics. But, according to the Bees
showing, he keeps the company oat of poll
tics only until he sees some advantage In
going in. The Bee says that 1.-THE policy
followed by Mr.. Huntington in the recent
election lost to this district a Republican
Congre ssman." Mr. Huntington thought
Caminetti better man for the railroad
than John F. Davis. and consequently. ac-
cording TO the Bee, -. A. Fillmore came to
Sacramento and instructed each head of a
department of the great railroad shops to
have every man understand that the inter-
ests of the company lay in the election Of
Caminetii." This is cool admission. Men
are supposed to be elected to Congress to
legislate in the interests of the people, but
Mr.. Huntington turns an election either way
in the interest of bis company. And his
newspapers justify him in so doing. He is
only acting In selfdefense, in defense of
his desire to raise the company over the
heads of the people. The Bee says there
is no question but that the RAILROAD COM
pany only wants to be let alone" That is
all burglar wants. Many nice Job of
housekeeping has been spoiled because
the inmates Of a house objected TO being
rnbhad