Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1896-03-15
WAS VERY PATIENT.
PRESIDENT HUNTINGTON WHILE
UNDER FIRE.
OF the Senate Committee on Pacific
Railroads, which Subject
ed Him to IA Rigid Test.

Washington, March 1i-Mr. c. r.
Huntington, the president OF the Gem
irM pachic railway, has furnished
tho uenate committee ON Hnciitc
railroads most extraordinary cN-
hibltlon OF patience and self
control. For more than "A week
ho sat In the witness chair and
endured most mercllcss eSum'nation
at the hands 81 Senator Morgan, who
cndcglNorNd t. search the history Of the
railway magnato for the last forty
years, unC to disclose the mcanA ny
when he has nlnassed his mighty for
tune and obtained control OF one OF
tho largest railway systems In the
world, Beside Mir. Morgan, AZ n
promptcr. sat san l'rnuclsuu uttor-
who W familiar with MIR. HuutingtunH
nifalrg aud has the reputation OF being
one of the uhrewdcat ana most Skllllul
lawyers on the coast, lie iE also BIT
ter personal enemy Of Mr.. Huntington.
The latter had n mirror held up before
him, In which was reflected almost
every act of his life, and I've was re-
qulrcd to explain them one after auoth-
err, the examination being pressed 80
vigorously ut times that the rest OF
the committee We're compelled to inter-
fore
But Mt no time ala Mr.. Huntington
lose his temper, or show the slightest
irritation. He was never ratified Tor u
moment, and gave his answers Az cool
1y and us freely as u he was only con
Nersing with friends The inquisltlon
seemed 10 disconcert Mr.. Morgan more
than the witness, and when the latter
finally lott the stand he had won the
admiration OF the committee, Senator
Frye says that his respect for Mr.. Hun
tingtOn has increanod 600 per cent. since
the examination began,
II IL difficult to conjecture what the
committee expected to accomplish by
the lnquisition, The history and affairl
OF the Pacific railroads have been gone
over again and again by congress, ana
there are dozen volumes Of similar
testimony that has been taken in Az
many yenra which very few people
have read. II IL Impossible to throw
any more llRht upon the subject but
the problem OF adjusting the relations
OF the government to the roads seems
ms far from solution MS ever, The plain
fact Is that the bonds that were guar
nntced by the United states to aid In
the construction OF these great national
onterprisen, which made possible the
settlement and development OF tn,
West, nre about TO mature. and some.
thing must be done To meet them. Thu
government holds mortgages on tn,
roads, and there are only three alter
natives, The bonds can be paid nnd
cancelled and the millions they repre-
sent can be charged to profit and losa
lVT inc nution mas cnloyeu IRON tnc IN
vcstmcnt hcneiits that are beyond tn,
skill OF men to calculate; or the bond,
may be renewed under such terms that
II portion of the money, u not all OF Il
may ultimately be recovered; or tn,
mortgages may be forecloaed and IN,
government may sell the property ol
take possession and operate the road,
on les own account
Tho latter solution OF the problem
which is advocated hy the populists
has been offered by Senator Morgan
In n seriea OF resolutions, which h,
nsks congress to adopt. but II does mo-
meet with much favor and VIII not h,
recommended by the committee, II I,
more likely that MIR, Frye'E plan viii
be fuvornbly reported which propose +,
renewal OF mortgages and the funding
OF the government obligations in n Sc
ries OF per cent. bonds payable IT
four equal installments OF ten, twenty
thirty and forty years. This will enable
the organization plan that has been cN
tensivcly discussed In financial circlei
TO be carried out. and give the man
aSera a chance TO place the propcrt,
upon n paying basis. But although In,
debt soon falls due. It Is not probable
that congress Will take any action dur
Ing the present session