The San Francisco call., 1896-02-17

fully taken by it from the producers and the
merchants OF the State, it has been enabled to
coerce or purchase the assent of a majority of
the people to work its ends and to maintain Its
victorious influence over one of the fairest
states In the Union. No merchant depending
on the railroad for goods can afford to Join in
any movement against it, for the reason that
the road would discriminate against him and
rum MIN root and branch. No public officer,
or no man ambitious for office, would think of
opposing it for the reason that it would spend
lts money and use its influence to destroy him.
~ ana now, while to the people OF this great
State the relief prayed for for years is possible,
we hnd the Inhabitants of adjoining States in
ol1erent to the needs of a silver State, or else
aldlng and abetting this corporation in the
PeTPetuatlon OF Its power over California;
IN general way the people OF Utah. Idaho
ana ARIZONA are interested in this great ques-
tion quite as much as the people OF California,
1or the reason that the growth of all this
region depends on ability to get to the
waters OF the Pacific by some other line than
eltner the Union Pacific or the Central Pacific.
II TINS is doubted, let any Western man explain
what nope for the West there is in the East
except to borrow back the money that has been
dug out OF the mountains and washed from the
sands OF the West, and which we have pre-
senteu 10 the East as a tribute for being al
lowed to be called part of this land of ours.
df the present funding bill is passed in
form acceptable to the railroads, then the
people OF the West will have fastened on them
domination that will destroy tn EN- and pre-
vent the development of the country. and sub
1ecI us resources to the toll that The railroad
hdsIeiS may leeI disposed TO impose. Ii we
Judge TO what extent this toll will be imposed,
we nave Dut to recall what has been done in
the near as well as In the remote past. The
disposition ever has been to eXtort. While
tnere may be change in the method OF ex-
toruon, In no wise will there be a change in
tne olsposltlon to extort. The frult-growers
OF the great State OF California have seen the
employees OF the railroad walk through their
thrlVlng orchards as the fruit approached
maturity and value it and estimate what it
W0uIu Drlng IN the Eastern markets.
of fbari nd rllo
Ing 1t on the cars has been figured Then the
uinerence between the cost OF harvesting and
tne price the crop would bring in the market
Where IL could be sold would be fixed on the
cost OF transportation. And the orchard1st is
fruit rot in the baskets or fail from the trees.
Inc whoie OF the State of California is sub
lecteu 10 exactly this method of having the
fruits OF It's toll estimated. Whatever profit
tneIe mlgnt be between the cost OF production
ana the selling value of the product the rail-
road with ready and relentless hand ever
takes.
An excuse is offered for much the railroads
IN tns west dol mean that which is done by
tne racine railroads, AT the time OF their con-
stluction al conditions were unfavorable to
tne WORK. The country was undeveloped, the
cost OF materlais was very high and the under
taxing OF crossing the great Rocky and Sierra
mountain ranges was considered will nigh i'm
posslpe py the railroads. Capital at that time
IN tne hands of private individuals would not
undertake the speculation, and those who had
the necessary confidence in the great work
idcAeu the money to begin it, much less to
compete II. Government aid WAS solicited,
S Snu lnat tne country might be united by rail
ana colossal grants of land that have already
yleiued untold wealth to the corporations, and
Whlcn are stll1 unexhauSted, were voted to
courage the interest of private, capital in the