The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-11-28
TO FIGHT THE MoNoPOLIEs.
The Prospect of the Funding Bill
Being Heard.
WILL NOT TAKE PRECEDENCE.
f1on. j. q. Mcguire Believes Oppo-
sition Will Keep 1t From
Being Heard Immediately.

Hon. James q. Mcguire was much
sought-after man yesterday afternoon. He
was TO leave for Washington by the even
ing train. and every one who had a pet
project that the Congressman could further
at the capital tried 10 get a parting word
in his ear. The consequence was that the
Judges outer Office was thronged by people
"who would not detain MIR. Mcguire more
than a min1te, but had something par
ticular to say" and phone was continu-
ally ringing to ask when the Congressman
would be in, and at liberty.
81 can scarcely call nv time my own
for the Dext few hours" said MIR. Ma
guire, as he prepared to submit to the
gentle ordeal of being interviewed. AS a
proof of the fact that his tire was in great
demand. he glanced at a stack of cards
that lay staring at him from his desk.
However, [ am perfectly willing to make
some statements with regard to the fund
ing bill. In my opinion the Committee on
Rules will not give the funding bill Iromi-
hence over any other measures ahead of
it. If they do not it will be impossible for
the corporations of the Pacific railroads to
bring it TO hearing in the short session
against our opposition"
When asked whether he was pledged for
or against any other bills of special interest
to Californians the Congressman replied
carelessly: Yes; there are several bills
relating to local matters that 1 would dis
cuss if l had time to devote half an hour to
doing so. but after all they are so dwarfed
and overshadowed by the vast importance
of the funding bill that consider them of
little relative i'm portance. It's the funding
bill that ali the representatives of Cali
fornia must concentrate their energies upon
obstructing. OF course, my own views
are well known on the subject"
In order TO emphasize these views, how
ever, Mr.. Mcguire referred TO his re-
marks before tie House Committee on
Pacific Railroads, which were made on the
4th Of June of the present year, and also
to his speech delivered before the House
OF Representatives more than two months
later.
Nothing is to be gained by the Govern
ment of the United States by the passage
of the funding till. We have nothing TO
gain, but everything to lose by such a
course, and we have nothing to lose and
everything to gain by allowing the law as
it now stands TO fix and determine the Ob-
| legations of these people and their estates
TO the United States Government.
"But greater than all questions concern
! ing the collection of the debt OF the Union
and Central Pacific railroads is the future
of railroading. Shall the railroads of the
! future be private mnnopolies or public
| highways? As private monOpolies they
have mercilessly levied tribute upon the
| industries and commerce of the whole
people of this country. They have built
up and destroyed cities and towns by
arbitrarily furnishing or denying rail-
road facilities to them. They have en-
riched their favorites engaged in CON-
mercIal or industrial pursuits by a system
of special contracts which gave them un-
fair advantages over their rivals, and they
have ruined their opponents. political and
otherwise, by unjust Determinations
against them.
IF the debt Of the Pacific railroads
should be funded, as now proposed, the
people of the Pacific Coast will be COM
| PEELED to pay in excessive freights and
fares nine tenths of the funded debt, in
GLIDING interest as well as principal. The
people of the Pacific Coast will be the suf-
ferers. and as far as the Central Pacific
Railroad Company is concerned the direc-
tors and stockh olders, who by the funding
bill will be released from their legal and
equitable obligations TO pay the existing
debt, will be the only benefciaries.
II consider this an opportunity for solv-
| ing the entire railroad problem by elm
| mating the monopoly element from all
railroad management, which should not be
| allowed to pass. / regard the requirement
of the rights and rOadbeds of the Pacific
railroads by the Government as of in
! fnitely more importance than the collec-
! ton of all the money due from these rail-
road companies to the Government
''But it is no small matter to abandon the
legal aDd equitable right which the Gov
ern ment now has for the collection of the
enormous debts due to it from the Pacific
railroad companies and from the directors
and stockholders of those companies.
"All the Representatives of California
pledged themselves before the campaign
to oppose the funding BILL" continued
Mr.. Mcguire, "and, as l said before. L
do not think that the Committee on Rules
will give it the precedence lie the face of
! our opposition. Mr.. Sutro assures me
| that he will continue to assist in every way
! in his power in bringing the public senti-
ment Of California TO bear upon Congress
and the East. and, as the Mayor of San
Francisco. trlumphantly elected because
of his record in the tight against railroad
monopoly, all that he does and says will
receive universal consideration in the
East"
Having expressed his views on the funo-
iug bill and his opinion of its small pros
pect of hearing during the coming ses-
sion it was evident tnat the Congressman
considered that the most vital part of mis-
work at Washington had been discussed.
His stenographer was waiting for some
final dictatioD, clerk was waiting for his
| signature, holding cut the pen iDvitingly,
and the stack of cards was still accumulat-
| ing. With sigh at the prospect OF the
work still before him The Congressman
insinuated that he would discuss the mora
insignificant bills when the one that
dwarfed them had been finally disposed OF.
Ex-Governor Bowie Dying.