Omaha daily bee., 1896-02-29

were burned In order 60 destroy so much Of
the evidence of the frauds committed against
the Central Pacific Railroad company. A new
construction company was then organized,
called the Western Development company.
through which the same directors OF the Cen
trail Pacific Railroad company carried on the
same nefarious methods OF dvcrting the
earnings OF the Central Pacific railroad, by
which the original assets OF that company
had been diverted.
The Central Pacific Railroad company or,
rather, the four co-partncrs controlling that
company, although they started with but
few thousand dollars possibly with enough to
build ten miles Of the road, came out OF the
construction OF the road muti-millionaries
They Immediately set about to get control
of all available railroad passes through the
mountains to California and in California
and OF all possible competing railroad prof.
ects Since 1870 they have absolutely domi-
mated all OF the railroad traffic and by fraudu-
lent subsidies even the ocean steamship
traffic OF California and of a large part OF the
remainder OF the Pacific coast.
They maintained their monopoly privileges
by the most f1agrant corruption. The Pacific
railroad commission mot Governor Pattison.
who they say was prejudiced and unfair, but
Anderson and Littlcr, the majority OF the
commission), says In its report that the COM
mission finds from the evidence expenditures
amounting to s4.SlS,000 accounted for only
as having been used In influencing elections
and for other purposes.
mir. Huntington's letters to his partner
Cotton. about 100 OF which were produced in
evidence in the trial of the case OF Coton's
widow against Stanford, Huntington and
others In California. show that money was
constantly used corruptly for the purpose OK
securing or preventing legislation for or
against the supposed interests Of the part
ners.
1.-THE people who built the Central Pacific
railroad, and who diverted these assets to
themselves, built another road upon which
there Is no government mortgage running
across the continent from San Francisco to
New Orleans. and connecting by steamship
line with New York They thus control all
avenues Of railroad transportation between
California and New York.
''In addition to controlling all railroads rum
ming In and out Of California ocean trans
portation to the east has been controlled by
contracts with the Pacific Mail Steamship
company and the Panama railroad. 1t has
recently been admitted by Mr.. Huntington
that the Pacific Mail company and the Pana-
ma railroad have for a long period been paid
s75, 900 per month practically upon an agree
ment not to compete for freight traffic with
the Southern Pacific Railroad company. He
states that other overland trunk lines are
interested in that contract. but to what ex-
tent we do not know, and why they should
be largely interested Is mystery.
1.-The funding bill urged in the last congress
and to be urged again in this would extend
the monopoly of the Southern Pacific COM
pany, into which all Of the interests Of Hunt
ington and his associates and their represen-
tatives have been merged. from fifty to 100
years over the people aud the interests OF the
Pacific cnast.