The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-05
THAT UNTIMELY INTERVENTION.

Thai UN / MILL LIN In LIN llONs
The more closely the Intervention of the
United States officials in the suit of the
Southern Pacific Company against the
California Railroad Commission is con-
sidered the more untimely, uncalled for
and altogether suspicious d proceeding it
appears to be.
The relation of the United States Gov
eminent to- the Central Pacific Railroad
pany in the capacity of creditor, COM
menced in the year 1862 and has continued
ever since. 1t has been an eventful third
of century of railroad manipulation, and
has produced more political and business
scandals than have attended the develop
ment of any other institution of the time.
The history of how the controlling spirits
of the Central Pacific Railroad Company
enormously enriched themselves at the ex-
pense of it, of its creditors and OF the
people of California is an open book, and
of its contents and incidents there is no
Federal official of to-day who can be heard
to plead his Ignorance.
From its very inception the business OF
footing the railroad kept pace with its con-
struction and grew in extent and audacity
as its mileage increased. The Contract
and Finance Company and the Western
Development Company were in their turn
convenient agencies for the transfer of the
capital of the Central Pacific from the
proper place Of deposit in its own Golfers to
the private pockets and safes of its di-
rectors. The milking process which went
on during the life of these two corpora
tions has developed into bleeding and
starving process, conducted latterly by the
Southern Pacific Company.
The consequences have been evident to
every observing mind. The four original
organizers OF the Central Pacific Railroad
Company have each become rich beyond
the widest dreams of avarice of most men.
They have builded palaces, patroniZed art
and education, gratitied caprices and pur-
chased foreign princes to their souls con-
tent. The surviving membe OF the mighty
four is q i-millionaire, and the success
sors in interest of the other three are revel-
ing in wealth and luxury. On the other
hand the Central Pacific Railroad, which
was the origin and source of this DETECTED
wealth, has become less and less valuable
as a railroad property and as a security for
debt until it surprises no one that Mr.
turn it over to the Government IN pay
ment of its debt.
While all this has been going on the
United States has been passive. It's local
representatives have until the present time
watched placidly the struggle of California
with its railroad problem; or, if they inter-
fered at all, it was in aid of the corpora
ton during some crisis or other which had
been forced by its own shortcomings upon
it. The Federal arm has been found very
convenient to lean upon occasionally, and
with a singular uniformity it has been
extended in times of need. When inquisi-
tive Judges or troublesome commissions
have sought to inquire into the affairs and
condition of the railroad and have put
questions home to the consciences of its
directors which they were pleased to deem
mpertinent, the Federal machine has
always been utilized to make the inquisi-
ton vain. In fact, so constant has been
this favor that it has come to be the conf
dent boast of the corporation that it could
safely depend upon Federal interference at
the right moment with any and all efforts
on the part OF the people of California to
regulate its schedules, compel payment of
its taxes or investigate its involved affairs.
1t is these facts which cast suspicion
upon the present intervention of the
United States officials in the battle be-
tween the railroad and the Railroad Com
mission. 1t is the long years of willing
conniVance with the corporations noto-
rious course of wrongdoing which bring
reproach upon the Federal authorities for
their activity in the present proceeding.
The circumstance that by this interven-
ton the same allegations are made and
the same relief sought by the railroad and
by the intervenor give added reason for
this suspicion and reproach and justify
the opinion which the people OF California
very generally entertain, that this inter-
vention is only another of the devices by
which the railroad company has been
aided in the avoidance of its obligations
to them.