The San Francisco call., 1896-02-28

had not come with memorial to this Leg
islature and appealed to reason and justice,
if they were oppressed by this company.
but had used the comical cartoon and val
entine, which he displayed, picturing g
Huntington as a grasping shark with his
power of money. Was this serious? he
asked. He did not believe the Legislature
could be bought.
Senator G. G. McCord followed Senator
Weissinger and spoke in favor of the Goe-
bel repeal bill. He said that in the outset
the Southern Pacific road was subject to
the laws of California. The capital stock
was to be 81 900, 600, but they went TO Cali
fornia and increased it to $170. .0O0, 600, and
at that time they operated 300 miles OF
road, all consolidated.
All the road except 1000 miles was owned
by them. The total amount paid into the
road was only 100000. They shut out
competition. The Railroad Commission
tried to regulate charges but were en-
joined and thus bound hand and foot.
Meanwhile the people are paying what
ever rates the company may fx-rates
higher than on any other road in this
country. There are only ninety 1.-TWO per-
sons owning Southern Pacific stock and
the whole people of California, at the
mercy of this grasping monopoly. paying
tribute to its demands. are here asking in
good faith from the Legislature of this
grand old commonwealth, whose people
love law and justice, for relief The
builders of the road owned all the stock
A repeal bill would not injure any one; it
would simply put them back where they
l. L 4
Senator McChord closed with an earnest
appeal for the passage of the BILL Sena.
tor McChord was a member of the Ken
lucky Railroad Commission during the
past four years.
Senator C. ]. Bronston proved one of the
strongest advocates against the bill. He
said these men would have formed this
company and built the road even if Ken
lucky had not granted the charter. The
people of California could ship fruit
cheaper than the people of Florida. He
spoke glowingly of the luscious fruit
fruit that was enjoyed. How could the
repeal of the charter prevent them from
operating under one system? 1t was a
convenience. Why could not the Califor-
MIA people pass similar bill to the Goebel
bill? he asked.
Referring to the charge that the Rail-
road ommission in California had been
elected in the interest of Huntington,
Bronston grew very fiery and shouted
"What an insult to the Intelligence of the
people of California; The quagmire of
politics had not descended to the election
of such officials by bribery, nor had such
been done, in his opinion.
Ho haId ,,y, urifh Scorp rho rfoopc n 4
had been sent to members as disgraceful
literature and was beneath his notice. He
closed by an earnest appeal to stand by
the charter until both sides could be heard
through the courts. Bronston explained
that he did not champion Huntington.
A few minutes intervened before Senator
Goebel arose. He said he had endeavored
to present the matter dispassonately and
tried not to reflect on any one connected
with the Southern Pacific road. The peo.
pie of California did not ask aid, but to re.
move the very yoke from their necks which
was rixed there by the instrument passed
in 1884, which now disgraced the statute
books of Kentucky. The fact that they
came $500 miles to get the charter was evi-
dence of fraud. When he presented this
question to the Senate he did not know
that the stock of the original companies
was useless until the united Pacific stock
| is Cancelled and surrendered.
The charter was q device to escape
| the laws of the several States in which the
road runs. When all com petition was de.
| stroyed the burdens became so great that
the people were compelled to build line.
! of their own. This they were doing now
1t was foolish to say that the California
people did not want the charter repealed
He had received letters from the well and
sick men, women and children, outside
of party lines.
There was no dispute about the conflict