The record-union., 1895-12-30

other reason that the Government is
going to proceed to recover its due.
The Chronicle correspondent need
not trouble himself therefore about
Government ownership and its effect
upon the port of San Francisco and
the State of California. Those who favor
Government ownership and devote
their energy to that accomplishment,
simply eliminate themselves from any
part in the readjustment of the in
debtedness that will be and must be
made. That readjustment, as we have
indicated, is going to be upon wholly
ership.
The opposition to a refunding of the
debts Of the roads must, therefore, pre-
sent a better and different plan than
Government ownership in order that
the Federal Government may secure
its just dues from the roads involved.
That opposition must present a plan
that will restore to the Government
the money it has advanced, for, as
suredly, the people of the United
States have determined to have that
money paid back He who does not re-
alize this truth is blind to what is
perfectly apparent to the unbiased
mind. 1t is therefore childish for anyone
at this juncture to propose and demand,
as means of restoring to the Govern
ment the money it has advanced, the
ownership and operation of the roads
by the Government, with all the in
Movements that such a scheme carries.
AS we have already said, whoever now
stands up for Government ownership
places himself entirely outside of the
pale of those who will exert any infiu
ence whatever on the inevitable read
justment of the Indebtedness.
The conclusion is therefore reached
that as the people of the whole country
are resolved upon policy that will re-
store to the Government the money it
has advanced in behalf of the rail-
roads, some form of refunding bill will
be passed, since in that way only can
the Government insure to itself such
return. TO repeat, the Government
clearly intends to recover its advances
to the Pacific railroads; that this is so
must be apparent to whoever consid-
ers the matter in a judicial frame of
mind, divests himself of local preju-
dice and gets outside Of the discolora-
ton of local waters 1t follows therefore
that the thing for Caiifornia-the very
best thing for it-and therefore the
wise thing, is to have the Central Pa
cif1c Railroad, from Ogden to its Pa
cific terminus, left in the hands of its
present owners, in the hands of a
friendly Pacific Coast management.
evitably to this conclusion; there can
be no escape from ii, and therefore the
wiser policy for California communi-
ties to adopt is to concentrate energy
upon such a refunding scheme as will
best conserve the end we have indi-
Gated, and leave the management Of the
road where it is, and at the same time
secure to the Government return of
it's advances according to plan to be
adopted for that purpose
Common self-interest dictates such
a policy. If all other considerations are
pushed back, that alone should serve
to put California on that side Of the
question. Government ownership the
Chronicle" correspondent has shown
in series of questions that carry their
own and irrefutable answers will, so
far from achieving the end that should
be desired by San Francisco and the
people OF this State, actually defeat it,
whereas a refunding scheme that will
secure the payment to the Government
of the money it has advanced, and
leave the road terminating in California
in position that will Of necessity make
it's management friendly to California
interests since it's own are bound up
in them, is the policy that California
should favor, and which it will sup
port, if 1t does not remain persistently
and foolishly blind to it's own best in
terests.