The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1894-04-13
CAN PAY UNCLE SAM
Time Has Come for Railroads
to Settle,
But They Can't Pay What
They Owe.
1T WILL LOSE ALL.
Senator CullOm Thinks Govern
ment is Out.

WASHINGTON, April 10 Especial -
In the course of a long and very interest
ing conversation on the development or
railroads in this country and their present
relation to the government, Senator Gull
1on pointed out the numerous difficulties
In the way of any of the proposed schemes
and gave it as his opinion that it is now
almost If not quite impossible for the wis
est body of men to arrange any system
that will satisfy the people and adapt itself
TO the rapid changes in trade and trans
portation. THE proposition to sell our
claims on the Pacific railroads. - said he,
lis at present without backing-that is,
SO far as I know, no authorized body has
proposed to buy them And if the govern
rnent should try to SELL by what rule could
they be valued? The subject is not before
our committee, but as near as can make
out from the statements published the
managers claim that the roads are making
nothing, and what is property worth which
earns nothing? However the roads might
sell for a great deal more than their pres
ent value and no doubt would The fact
is, those roads were built under peculiar
and exceptional circumstances. 1t was
time of high prices and lavish expendi-
lures, of general carelessness and waste
fulness- There were land grants and sub
sides, all that heart could wish, and in
pay for them big mortgage on the fu-
ture- Pay day has come, and nobody is
able to pay.
1T looks to me as if we should just lose
our claim outright, as the propositions
to put the road in commission or the like
are of nature that congress viii not yet
consent to- The fact is, the country is
not yet ready for any comprehensive plan.
Our constitution and general system of
government were not got up to deal with
such things, and lawmakers honestly con-
fess that it will take a long time TO devise
a practicable scheme. Other questions are
pressing this generation, and it looks
as if this railroad question would have to
be left to new set.
AS to the measures now before the Pa
cific railroad committee, think it likely
that in the end the companies will get all
the time they want. Possibly that plan of
giving them hundred years to pay in,
with no interest at all for the first 10 years,
will be adopted, and you know what that
means In 10 years everything will be
changed, and the roads would take their
chances on what they can do after that.
1t simply amounts to pOStpOning the thing
10 years, and at the end of that time new
set viii be here with great deal more ex-
perience and, it is to be hoped more wis
dom am only a minority member of
the interstate commerce committee now
and you can see by looking at the bills be-
fore our committee that everything is in
an experin entail condition.
The Pooling Clause.
Examination fully confirms this state
ment- Of the 3 bills before the commit
tee the one which has made the most prog
the pooling clause of the interstate COM
Inerce act, nearly all outsiders who have
been heard by the committee have made
their attacks on that. Others are the VIII
son bill, to abolish ticket scalping and
make ticket agents more responsible; the
Mcmillan BILL to allow pooling when the
contract therefor is approved by the inter
state commerce commission; the Lodge
BILL providing for dollar shares in rail
roads; the Cameron bill, to give the Frank
lin institute $25 600 to experiment with;
the Cockren bill, Offering $780, 600 re-
ward to any one who will invent flying
machine, and others of an equally enter
tanning nature.
The advocates of statehood for the four
territories are bringing to bear some new
forces, among them an argument that it
would make a glorious record for this con-
gress to end the territorial system, which
has always been an anomaly in our sys-
tenn 1t began really with the famous or
dinance of 1897, but that largely su-
perseded by the constitution, and after
variety of experiments the territorial sys-
tenn reached its final form in 1850. On the
9th of September that year President Fill
more signed the organic acts creating
Utah, New Mexico and so forth, which was
the end of that long session and the excit-
ing struggle over slavery in the newly ac-
quired territory The system has remained
practically unchanged ever since the or
ganic act creating each new territory be-
ing almost literal copy of those of 1850,
and now the territorians think it would
be great honor for this congress to wind
up the II year system
Changes In Party Alignment.
It is an odd fact that in the six months
of its active life the Fifty-third congress
has had five material changes of party
alignment. Now that O'Nein and Eng
lish have secured the seats lately occupied
by Joy and Hilborn, Republicans, and
Mr.. Islar has come in as the successor of
Mr. Brawley of South Carolina, the Dem
ocrats in the house have reached their high
now counted as Populists, so there are
but 124 Republicans. This gives 50 Dem
ocratic majority over all, and on questions
where the Populists vote with them they
leave the Republicans in the lurch by 1O6.
As 10 Republicans are avOwed free silver
men, it would seem that Mr.. Bland was
quite within bounds in his confident prOph-
ecy that his seigniorage bill could be pass
ed over the veto, only it did not turn out
SO. OF the two vacancies it is certain that
Mr.. Blanchard 5 successor from Louisiana
will be a Democrat, but Ohio Republicans
are betting that the Dayton district will
send a Republican to succeed the late Mr.
Houk, which would leave the majority un-
changed Mr. Hatch says that his antiop-
ton bill is in exactly the right shape, that
the features which made it obnoxious to
so many in the Fifty first and Fifty second
congresses have been eliminated, that the
longer it is discussed the more supporters
1t viii have and that he is confident it
will pass the house by two-thirds major
ity. The opposition declare, however that