The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1895-02-16
CARD FROM WADE HAMPTON.
Reply of the Pacific Railroad Com.
missioner to J. NJ. Bas-
sett.
The Oakland Man EnIigh tened as to
the Policy of the Government
Official.
The. following communication is self

explanatory:
WASHINGTON, D. c., Feb. 9, 1895.
To the Editor of the Morning Cdll-SIR: Ny
attention has just been called to c0mmunica-
ton appearing in the columns OF the San Fran
cisco Chronicle OF October 8, 1894, signed ~.
NJ. B0ssett," purportlng to be written in cor
tive to the debt to the United States of the
Central Pacific Railroad Company, and the
article is SO untruthful and misleading as to
require exposure in the interest OF common
Disregarding his illusions to myself person
ally and putting the most charitable construc-
ton upon his motives, the newspaper reporter
IN san francisco VINO procured an interview
with me certainly misunderstood what was
said, for ! have never asserted that the bonds
did rot mature until 1888. What l did say
was that the average date of maturity was July
J. 1897. A reporter of the Examiner wrote out
a full interview with me and had that been
published all fair-ninded readers would have
understood my position, but that paper at
tackled me without giving my views. l said in
that interview that it was my duty to protect
the interests of the Government, but in doing
this was unwilling to do injustice TO the rail
road ompanies. That is my position now, and
my effort in the future, as in the past, will be
to deal fairly and impartially with all the
parties interested in a just and honorable solu-
ton of the great problem involved in the set
Element of the Pacific Railroad question
Had Mr. Bessett, in turn, been DESTROYS OF
ascertaining the facts, reference would have
been had by him TO my ofnc1aI report, which
would have been found TO contain all the in
formation which he pretends to be in search OF
and which is so clumsily stated in his com
municaton to the Chronicle, Table No. of
the appendix to the report OF the Commissioner
OF Railroads, 1893 Up. 227), shows the amount
of bonds issued TO the Central Pacific Railroad
Company and to whom delivered, with the
date of ISSUE maturity, beginning OF interest
and the number of miles aided.
The assertion that 'in June of this year.
what is known the report of the Pacific
Railway Commission could not be found in my
office, ''nor did he seem to be aware that such a
report had ever been made" is not only with
out justification in fact, but it is destitute of
even the semblance of plausibility. This report
is as well, if not better known, than any of the
railway literature bearing upon the question
1t is. however, out of print ard cannot now be
procured, but copy of it is on file in my office.
Mr. Bassett is kind enough to say: mo we'll
informed person ever thinks OF applying at the
office of the United States Commissioner for re-
liable information concerning railroads or their
relations to the Government and the people,"
The fact that Mr.. Bassett never applied there
viii explain the wide range of his misinfor-
nation.
A copy of the last annual report of this Office
has this day been mailed to your address under
separate cover. Very respectfully.
WADE HAMPTON.