The record-union., 1894-08-29
SOME PERTINENT QUESTIONS PUT

The San Francisco Nea0s Letter pre-
tends to have made a discovery. In a
very incisive article in its issue of August
25th, it shows that between the owner
ship of the railroad from Sacramento to
Omaha and the Government there is a
first mortgage of $50. 600, to be paid off
by the Government, and when that is
paid the Government will have invested
in the line SlS5, 900. 1t shows that the
Southern Pacific Company owes on the
first mortgage 81. .0OO, 900 and to the Gov
ernment about $4,000, 900. The line
therefore between Ogden and Sacramento
is burdened with S87. 900 which the
company must pay before it has owner
ship in the road.
The NeaoS Letter then proceeds to say
that il can build road from Los Angeles
to Salt Lake for $4,000. 900, and from Salt
Lake to Omaha for So, 100000. Thus for
S4OO0O,OO0 it would own a road from
Omaha to Los Angeles by way of Salt
Lake. The Neaos Letter raises the ques-
tion, What inducement is there tor the
Central Pacific Railroad Company to pay
off the debt of SS7. 100000 on 600 miles of
road when it can own LOO miles of road
for $40, 900, 900. thus making saving of
S47.OOO,OOO.
The Nea0S Letter addresses these con-
siderations to Mr.. Estee in the form of
questions, and among them is the follow
ing: Has he ever reflected that the ex-
pensive pier at Santa Monica was not
necessary to the Southern Pacific except
in the event of its surrendering the Gem
tral Pacific Railroad to the Government?
Our contemporary suggestion in this
line is very far-reaching. A deep sea
harbor at Los Angeles is the pivot upon
which vast railroad combination turns
The construction of a deep sea harbor at
that point viii revolutionize the CONNER
cial geography of California.
THERE is in some minds confusion as
to the distinction between anarchism and
socialism, and many confound the two as
practically one and the same. Really
they are as far apart as the poles. Social
ism does not demand the overthrow of
government; indeed in some of its de-
mands it stands for stronger government,
impracticable as are many of the social
istic theories. Radical socialism would set
up in its ultimate radical paternalism; it
would put all property into the hands of
the Government, and have pretty much
all the affairs of men regulated by it.
Mild socialists are content with some
thing less.
But the anarchists would have no con-
stitutional authority; they oppose all
government; they demand a freedom that
would admit of no restraint, liberty ab-
solute and without any law. They as
sumo that this absolute vacation of
restraint would result in a harmonious
adjustment of needs and duties that
would reward the worthy and punish
the undeserving; in fact recast society in
8 sort of tribal mold. and bring about a
state of primitive innocence without
tribal contention or warning. In short.
theirs Is a system without system, a
government without power; society
without a code; regulation without rule
opposition to and absence of law and of
governmentism, of property possession
and of domestic obligation under law;
and in order to accomplish these things
society must by violence be driven to
them through terrorism, since the priests
and prophets of anarchism find it i'm
possible TO destroy existing institutions
through persuasion. Some of the more
intelligent of the anarchists deny that il
is of the essence of their creed that there
should be killing and burning and de-
struction; but, they say, some of the
more ardent unwarrantably resort to
these deplorable methods; but that it is
even better that they should do so, than
that the demands of the order should
not be impressed upon society.
A CIRCULAR signed by loo members OF
the House of Commons has been sent to
the editors throughout England, asking