New-York tribune., 1896-12-24
"LATITEDE OE DEBITE."

Senator Pettigrew. OF South DaKota. HAVING
discovered that the receivers OF the Union IA
cltic are engaged in a nefarous plot to cheat the
Government by refusing to pay the interest on
the per cent collateral trust notes. for which
bonds and stocks Of the branch roads are held
rs security. proposes to clrcumvent the rascals
by having the Secretary OF the Treasury take
possession Of the collateral on behalf or the GoV-
ernment He has offered a resolution making
an appropriation of $l0,0O0,0OO to pay on the
notes for this purpose. The scheme of the ras-
cally receivers being to complicate matters so
as TO he able TO sever the branch lines from the
main road, on which the Government has lien.
he proposes TO head them of by having the Gov
ernment pay Off the notes and take possession
of the branch lines as we'll asthe main road. and
operate the whole as one system. 1t will am'lse
people who know anything of the personal char'
acter and standing OF Mr.. L. Ellery Anderson
and Mr. Frederic X. Coudert. two of the receiv-
ers. to learn that they are charged with con-
spring to swnde the Government, and WILL
perhaps amuse still more the personal acquaint-
ances of Senator Pettigrew to know that that
gentleman is standing between them and the
Government.
However that may be, the disclosures made
by Senator Pettigrew have awakened the in
terest of Senator Morgan, Of Alabama who
after alluding to the past history OF the Paciic
roads as "a saturnalia Of fraud and "a laby-
rinth Of frauds and rascaties," expressed him.
self strongly in favor of an investigation. An
swering Senator Platt, of Connecticut. who urged
the necessity Of taking up the Pacific Railroad
matter and acting upon it one way or the other
during this session, Senator Morgan said he was
himself In favor of disposing Of the subject
finally. but he wanted it distinctly understood
that when IL came to be considered there would
"sn claim of latitude of debate commensurate
with the magnitude OF the question" Precisely
how much latitude would be commensurate III
the Senator's judgment we have no means OF
knowing He has peculiar ideas or latitude OF
debate But II this subject has not been debated
with latitude and longitude, in all Its length
breadth. height and depth, commensurate with
It's own magnitude during the last twelve years.
that magnitude must be beyond human concep-
tion. The debate has reached back to the incep-
ton of the enterprise and uncovered all the
plans. purposes and motives or the men now
dead who were its projectors; 1t has stretched
forward and covered all the possibilities ana
probabilities of the future and has thrashed over
and rehashed not only all the scandals in its his
tory, but the characters. private lives and ante
cedents Of everybody who has been connected
at any time with its management.
As for Investigations, it has been investigated,
reinvestlgated and investigated again. Since
the foundation Of the Government no subject has
been so thoroughly. continuously and persistent
ly investigated. The XLIXth Congress spent
100000 on commission which probed the
whole history and management Of the roads. and
nut expert accountants upon the minutest de-
tails of the bookkeeping. Their report filled
eight volumes. and covered 5000 pages The
majority of the commission reported in favor OF
a refunding plan much more favorable to the
Government than any now proposed, which the
companies were then ready to accept That in
yestigatiOn was set on foot for the sole purpose
of preventing any action by Congress looking to
a definite and permanent settlement. The ulti-
mate object of the opponents OF decisive action
was then, as it is now, to compel the Govern
ment to take possession Of the roads, control,
manage and operate them. This purpose, now
that a crisis has been reached imperatively de-
mandlng action OF some sort, is now frankly dis
closed Senator Pettigrew makes no secret OF
his views in that regard. His proposed appro-
pration Of S10O000O0 10 secure Government
control of the branch lines Is simply one feature
of the plan looking TO control not only of the
portion of the main lines covered by the Govern
ment lien. but Of the entire system. 1t hardly
needs TO be pointed out that 1t is at once i'm
practicable and absurd.
All the same. 1t helps to clearer understand
ing of the situation The question presented Is
simply whether the Government will treat the
matter from purely business point OF view as
one between debtor and creditor, TO be settled
upon terms which will give the creditor the best
security attainable and leave the debtor In
position to meet the obligations incurred or will
enormously increase its original investment for
the sake Of trying the experiment Of Government
control and management Of the business OF trans
portation now carried on by chartered incOr-
pOratOns.