The morning call., 1892-10-27
THE ATTITUDRoF THE RAILROAD.


Mr.. c. p Huntington inaugurated his as
sumption of Office. with the announcement
that, whereas his predecessor had used the
money and influence of the railroad Tor his
personal advantage, the institution was now
going out of politics to stay. Less than two
years have elapsed since then and aow we
find Mr. Huntington the central figure In
political conflict between corruption on one
side and reform on the other. lie IS the
power behind Kelly and Crimmins. And
he is believed to be the hacker of Nike lie
Young. II Is the money OF his railroad,
which is ''out of politics." that gives the So
called boss Republican ticket fighting
chance at the election. Ii the company
should draw its purse strings the Crlmmins
and Kelly ticket would not have ghost OF
show.
The CALL p1esumes that as individuals
the owners of the Southern Pacific have the
same right as other people to be in or out
Of politics as they choose But as admins
traitors Of the leading transportation COM
pany of the State they nave 10 right TO use
the money taken out of the peoples pocket
for fares and freight to corrupt voters at
elections. That is too clean proposition 10
need proof In Europe it has always Deen
held that the collection OF taxes to be usea
| in the expressing of taxpayers Justlhed
revolution. So here the collection through
! arbitrary railroad tariffs OF sums OF money
| to be used in corrupting voters ana
defeating beneficial legislation ]ustlnes rad
| ical measures to abate the nuisance. NO
such practice prevails in any State out Call-
| fornia. There was time when the railroads
OF Illinois. Iowa, Kansas. Nebraska. WIS
consin and Minnesota devoted portion OF
their earnings to buying Legislatures. But
| in every case the crime led TO punishment.
| Railroad fares and freights were regulated
by law, and stringent enactments compeileu
the companies to concentrate their exclusive
attention upon their proper business OF car
| rying persons and property. In the case OF
| many companies the penalty proved eXpen-
! sive.
If Mr.. Huntington should succeed in buy
ing the election of a Legislature to his
liking he may have secured for his company
two years respite. But two years is not an
endless period, and during that time public
indignation against corruption and railroad
rapacity will settle and ferment so that In
1S94-just when the subsidy bonds begin 10
mature-the ant!-railrOad fury will be hotter
than it is now. On the other hand, II the
corruption fund of the railroad should 1aii
to accomplish its purpose and Legislature
should be elected which is not in sympathy
with the present Republican bosses the
Southern Pacific would find itself in an aWk-
ward predcament 1t would stand con-
vieted in public opinion Of having used us
money and It's influence to defeat the rea-
sonable will of the people. Its claims Ior
forbearance would not command much at
tention from the Legislature. That D0dy
would sternly require the corporation TO paw
| its back taxes. 1t would pass a constltu-
tionaI amendment abolishiDg the Railroad
| Commission, ami when the amendment was
ratified it would probably meet in extra SEES
sion to establish uniform tariff of freights
and fares, in line with the tariff In force IN
Kansas.
It's hard TO see what the railroad would
| gain in either alternative. 1t was, IN the
| opinion of The CALL, an unwise step on
the part OF the railroad to make Mr.. Stan
| ford Senator. Ii was drawing popular
lightning in dangerous proximity 10 the
| high explosives at Fourth and Townsend.
| 1t was another mistake to re-eleet Mr..
! Stanford after he had filed his first
term, because the reelection produced
the false impression that the people ap-
proved the policy Of the corporation. And
it is still graver mistake for the company
TO take part at the present moment, IN the
pending political contest and to take part
on the wrong side. The people OF Califor-
mia are earnestly bent on suppresslng pollt-
zeal corruption Ia that endeayor there are
no parties. All decent men are as one on
the question. The only opponents of the
agitation besides snch creatures as Grim
MINIS and Kelly and De Young are the mel
who own and control the Southern Pacific
Is il wise, is it polite to place the corpora
ton in such an attitude? Is it consonan
with common-sense to express the opinion
in so many words that the people Of Cali
fornia can be bought?