The San Francisco call., 1896-03-08
Congressman Warned and Be.
seeched Daily by Those on
Both Sides.
IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE
The Southern California Statesman
Cries Out Against Further Aid.
ing the Monopoly.


resentative Bowers says kilograms and
letters are almost daily received by MEM
bers of Congress beseeching them to let
the funding bill go through. Bowers said
tonight:
Probably half the members of the pres
ent House have not given any thought to
the Pacific railroad question, having had
no occasion to heretofore. These, with all
the other members and Senators, have
become thoroughly disgusted By the
anonymous communications they receive
daily, postmarked San Francisco, the en-
veIopes having always printed on the out
side in haring red letters such sentences
as these: Bribery and corruption wher-
ever Huntington appears, What Hunt
ington thinks he could do with $500 900,
and How to brihe congressman.
"These envelopes. when opened, are usu-
ally found to contain extracts from the
Pattison report Occasionally one con-
tains coarse caricature of the Speaker
and other members of the House. This
coarse abuse of the Re presentatives natu-
rally tends to aid those who are scheming
10 avoid paying their just debts while
abundantly able to pay them. If these
missives would lead to an investigation of
the whole matter, then they might do
some good as il is, they are in every case
thrown into the wastebasket unopened.
and have only served to provoke the mem
bers and the committee.
1.-THE facts in relation to the building
and operation of the Pacific railroads are
plainly set forth in the report of the Pacific
Poi i1road Com pnisSinu This raport vari-
fed history and is a revelation of the
shameless misrepresentation of money, of
dis honest accumulations of vast fortunes,
unparalleled in the history of the United
States, but the proper and only question
for reasonable men to consider is, WHAT is
the best thing to do now, the best for the
whole people, no for very few rich indivld-
uals? To arrive at just conclusion, we
must take into consideration the thirty
years record of persons for whose benefit
this refunding proposition is made. Know
ing their methods of doing business in the
past, we may fairly conclude that there
will be no material change III their methods
in the future.
81 heard one of the directors declare in
the presence ottwo other directors in the
year 1873, that no railroad not owned and
controlled by the Central Pacific Com
pany should be built into the State of Cali
fornia while we live. That may come
after we are dead, but not before That
declaration is absolutely true to-day of all
of California north of Los Angeles.
1.-The building of the San Joaquin Valley
Railroad shows to what extent the Gu
pidity and extortion OF the Southern Pa
cific corporation has driven the people.
Will this Congress be found sup
porting the Southern Pacific in its
extortions, making it a present of many
millions of money, while the farmers
OF California are struggling to save their
homes from being So crificed to this Gov
ernment-end owed monopoly? 1 cannot
believe it will. Let it be distinctly under
stood that no action by Congress Is
necessary at this time to protect the in
terests of the Government in respect to
these roads. The Govern ment is fully
authorized under law to collect its debts,
to do all things necessary to secure it
without further legislation. Any refund
ing act Will be wholly in the interests of
those parties who are trying to avoid the
payment of their just debts.
"The only purpose of refunding act
the only substantial effect it can have-ls
to continue by the aid of the strong arm
of the Government this repressive railroad
monopoly that curses the people of Cali
fornia to-day.
..'It will be shame, indeed, if Congress
shall uphold these men In their notorious
scheme. 1 cannot believe that any Con.
gresham who will inform himself upon
this subject, with an open mind and desire
to do Justice, will aid and abet this wrong.
l am not the keeper of other mems con-
sciences, but as for myself. should vote
for the refunding bill could not go back
and face the people who sent me here to
represent them. I would know all the rest
OF my life that 1 have committed crime
against my own sense of justice, against
all the people of the Pacific Coast, and
against even those men who are writing
letters in favor of the refunding bill, be-
cause they are not free agents and I am" {"