The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-06-05

chapter Of scarcely yelled greed. fraud, and
invasion of natural rights aud honest deal
ing against people who have given 10 exist
ence Tie aim 10 control everything Is
apparent. and al this moment we may
be described as worse of than we were
20 years ago. Our people should under
! stand what is coming II they allow
this oppressive mastery over nOmli ally
free community 10 continue. 1t becomes a
necessity that the state should heaye TINS
Old Man OF the Sea incubus of It's shoulders.
Every part Of the State has been served
much i'm the same way IG the nav IF this
cOrmorant corporation there has been a cor
ner for every species Of digestion. draining
the life interests Of the community. san
Francisco, Oakland. every part I the State,
has been virtually owned and controlled by
the Southern Pacific Company Tor years
past. Boards OF Supervisors for various
towns are dOckeied as hired and available
property 10 the plgeoD-holes OF the Fourth
and Townsend corporation, and what better
can be said about the Legislature, term
after term, aud especially the pTep0nderat-
ing cOmpOntntS that come from the ties?
There has not been a year when this rail-
road corporation could not twiddle its thumb s
with any representative body that the peo-
pie chose 10 suppose they elected, but which,
in fact. the bosses did.
1t is at this moment ths direct AMI pre-
Vailing interest OF the State to emaucpate
Itself from corrupt and eneryating control
The railroad IS az AIN making an effort TO
quiet an alarmed community. It's agents
are around with the usual sedatiyes TO allay
the epidemic of di5truSt and tie tile move
ment OF determination 10 end this warfare.
Nj Huntington says the company Is out OF
politics; is, in fact resolved 10 keep
out Os them. The acts OF the com
pany are in downright Teiutatl0n Of
this denial. The company never
loses sight OF the main chance. What is the
delegation which is now at Minneapolis
Railroad del gates, nearly all IF them! One
Of the faithful is a railroad emDl0ye. The
railroad company has swept nearly all Of
them together with its own broom, and had
they not been suOseryient and accommodate
ing would have cOntTited 10 sweep another
crowd Of plant friends together. The duty
Of the hour is to shake of tie fettefs which
have been forged around US. Emancipation
now and forever should be the watchwOTI
of the conscientious citizen and patriot. A
raft-like political existence behind the tug
boats OF an Unsuitable greedy corporation IS
iusuiferably ignOminiOus flr a free people,
at least people who boast Of freedom and
have an unrYaled situation for great
achievements.
The lesson to be kept in view in fighting
the Southern Pacific is that the public
should take a hand earnestly in building
their own railroads TheeXcess Of charges
for nsp0TtatlOn is such that the money
1
might be furnished from this source alone.
But apart from this. there is no question
that If the people took the subject up in a
resolute spirit, determined to De rid once
and forever Of the grieYOus monopoly now
blocking the path 10 progress IN every
direction, any amount Of adequate support
could be obtained 1t would flow from
abroad toward genuine railroad enterprises
backed by the community. There is no
need to be otherwise than candid and
honest with the foreign investor, 10 need to
humbug him, as the Central and Southern
Pacific have humbugsed the public and
robbed them, too. As soon a. 1t IS under
stood that the people are bent with will
upon having moro railroads any amount Of
assistance will be prOiiered from outside,
but at the same time there is hoard Of
money lying Idle in this State, ami oar cltl-
zens can do much for themselves, so as to
retain permanent control over any enter
pTises undertaken.
The possession the company supposes it
has on the Oakland water front is worth at
the least S10,000,000 1t got it for nothing.
1t will not part with it for a valueleSs con-
SideIation, ana if it retains control il has a
magnificent opportunity to create enormous
wealth at a minimum sacrifice. Obviously
people should act on the conviction that
this Oakland waterfront scheme is not
dead and banlshed from the thoughts If the
corporation. The possibilities are too
tempting 10 De rellnqUiSneu.
One cannot help looking back at what
might have been had the California, At
lantIc and Pacific project gone ahead. as it
easily might have done. IL received its
quietus from the Board Of Supervisors,
which at that tine, 1872. was a subm ssiYe
creature at the beck and call of tie nu-
yersal monopoly. 1t was a responsible
undertaking on business principles, sup.
ported by prominent people in st. Louis,
aud sup Orted very substantially by the
muses. Of San Francisco. No subsidies
were asked for. Only subscriptions. to be
represented by stock, were wanted. and the
ten millions which the city was invit TO
subscribe would have been secured by
shares, Gaming dividend. Then as now.
when he is at the head Of the Salt Lake pro-
posal. AlvinZa Hayward was the leading
capitalist. He put his name down at first
for $4,000, but afterward for half mil
lion. Among the other subscribers were:
r. q. Sheath. 5000; J. c. Merrill 81 Co.,
$4,000; JOHN BenSley. $4,000; Alfred
Wheeler, $4,000; Fred Mason, $4,000
J.. Pickering. $4,000; K. +. NOrtham.
$4,000; 4. Tobin, $4,000; III. ). Gates,
$1,000; Levi Strauss q Co., $4,000; NJ ain
d Winchester. $4,000; Albert Diblee,
$4,000; VI. j. 0'Connor, $4,000: John S.
Hager, $4,000: II. }. Booth, $4,000; j.
Selgman 81 Co., $4,000 Andrew j. Pope.
$4,000; joseph NJ Wood, $4,000; John
Satterlee, $50, coo. Over $500 citizens put
their names down as subscribers to the
stock aud the amounts accepted were as
low as 500.
The total subscription came to million
and three-quarters. But besides this evil
deDce OF confidence, petition to the Board