The record-union., 1892-06-29
RAILROAD BATTING. .
Indiscriminate ScoIding Done by the
Newspapers.

ScWSpapSfS.
Los Angeles Express, June 25th.l
Our esteemed Democratic contempor-
AIRY, the Herald, prints very sensible
arLicle upon the subject of ''ScOlding the
railroads. in which it holds that 1.-The
most improbable as well as indetensible
mode OF warfare upon our great railways
is the lndIScrifninate scolding done by
and through some newspapers" Had
our contemporar gone q step further
ana added that political parties, when in
want OF an issue, arc given to the same
habit OF railroad batting through their
platforms and campaign speakers, it
would not have oversGepped the truth.
The Fresno platform OF the California
Democracy is fair sample of this plan of
railroad batting" san Francisco is
suffering from great commercial depres-
sion, and is casting about Tor the cause.
lie real cluSe--or The main cauSe-iS APP
parent to everybody who does hot live in
San francisco. Los Angeles at the south
and Portland, Tacoma and Seattle at the
north have, since the completion OF the
transcontinental railway lines, taken
from San Francisco a great share Of the
wholesale and jobbing trade Of which
that city was a decade ago the absolute
mistress. The decline Of The mining in
dustry IN Nevada, and the shutting down
OF the hydraulic mines in California have
also been important factors in the depre-
citation of san Francisco'S trade. The
pollcy OF the Southern Pacific Company
ia making certain interior cities ''termi-
nal points'-that IS, giving them the
same rates from the East that are ac-
corded TO San t'rancisco-has produced
the effect Of preventing the aggrandize-
ment or that city at the expense oi Los
Angeles, Sacramento, Stockton, Marys-
vile, san Jose and the other places deSig-
mated as terminal points,"
San Francisco has organized q Traffic
Association, the object OF which is to i'm
prove San FranciSco's commercial condi-
ton. one object of the association which
IS distinctly stated is to obtain second
transcontlnental road TO San Francisco.
The thing which would aid San Fran
cisco most, however, and which is prob
ably one of the undeclared objects OF the
association, is the doing away practically
with all terminal points, except San
Francisco. This would force the interior
trade into San Francisco, and correspond
lngly depreciate that of the interior cities
now enjoying terminal" rates. 1t is ex-
actIy what Los Angeles does not want
and what would, if accomplished, prove
ruinous TO our prosperity The Traffic
Association Is for San Francisco first,
last and all the time, and we of Southern
California have few or no interests in
common with it. If San Francisco wants
another transcontinental railroad why
does it not go ahead and build it? No
one Is holding it, and it has plenty of
money to accomplish the work if it's men
Of wealth will 'shell out" 1t will never
be done by passing resolutions in polit-
lcal conventions, nor Will resolutions
attacking and batting the only railroad
which it now has be a very great induce
ment to the outside capitalists to build
another.
The Democrats were so well pleased
with the railroad batting" scheme thai
they inserted several railway "planksu
III their Fresno platform at the instance
of the San Francisco Traffic Association
One of these planks is the following:
ReSotUed, That it is absolutely essential to
the promotion of the commercial interests of
California that a competing railroad shall be
! introduced within her boruers.
Now, this is all very well: but what has
1t to do with a political platform? Veal
want other people to build railroads, but
| Will they do 1t because we pass resolu-
! tons in political conventions? We now
have two competing roads in Southern
| California, and hope soon to have an
other. But we did not get them by pass
ing resolutions, or by denouncing and
threatening those we already have with
| hostile legislation.
The San Francisco Traffic Association
| got in its work on the Fresno Conven-
ton, and will try its hand, probably, on
| the next Republican Convention at Sac
| ramento, with what result it remains to
! be seen. So far as Southern California is
| concerned we are not lighting railroads
| We want all the railroads that we can
| get, by fair and reasonable treatment.
and without making any sacrifices OF
| principle or policy.