Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-18
LOBBYISTS FEAST
Pacific Railroad Magnates Their
Willing Prey.
HUN4INGTON'S LITERARY BUREAU
How "PubIic Opinion" is Manu-
factured for Corgress:o ,a| Use.
"EFFECTIVE AND CHEAP"

| Pacific railroad matters are becoming
| congressionally and publicly prominent
just now and all sorts of plans are being
| presented for many solutions Of the prob
lem, the only inconspicuous plan being
that which provides for the payment to
the government of the railroad indebted
| ness Representatives of the Union Pacific
Company-whch owes the United States
| about $6S, 900 oO-are urging a bill which
provides for a presidential commission of
| three members, whose duty it shall be to
| scale down the claim and lien of the
| United States to what the bill calls fair
| cash value
| That same measure also provides that
the report of majority of the Commits
| s1oners. subject to the approval of the
| President of the United States shall be
! conclusive as to the sum which shall be
paid to the United States. Some of its
| tufther provisions are to the effect that
the Secretary of the Treasury may, upon
Sucn payment. execute such Instruments as
may be necessary to formally assign the
lien and claim; granting authority to the
purchasers to organize a new company Tor
operative purposes, and in default of pay
| ment of the amount fixed by the commits
sion, directing the Attorney General to
| 1creclose the governments lien and upon
the sale which would take place to bid tic
amount of the company S Indebtedness to
the United States.
Another reorganization committee has
presented a bill to provide for the payment
10 the government and it's fellow bondhold-
| ers of the full amount CT their claims This
result is to be attained by requiring the
junior interests in these properties to SUD
| scribe for issues of bonds based inon the
| present earnings of the railroad. thus pro-
| V1ding the cash funds for the satisfaction
| of the first and second mortgages.
The national board of trade deprecates
-irtr no
| ownership of railway lines and in an argl-
| ment presented to Congress strenuousIy ad-
vocates wise. firm and continuous super
vision over the operation of the roads
| Mr.. c p. Huntington believes, or appears
| TO believe that the very best way out Of
| the trouble would be &c extend the debt
1of loo years. at per cent interest. The
central Pacific railro ad. in which Mr. Hunt
| lngtoH is very deeply interested indeed
| owes the United States about $Sn.oo0.mta
| wh1le the Kansas Pacific road-of the ex-
| lstence OF which Mr.. Huntington is at least
| like SlaGOOOOO ''7
MIR. Huntington is in Washington for the
| purpose of convincing as many Cono,ass
men as possible that his way is the only
| true way. and that any departure from til,.
rules laid down by himself Will result dis
astrouSy to the United States and To civ
ilized mankind generally
HHntinEton's Anxious Interest
1t should not, therefore. be difficult for
any one tc comprehend Mr. Huntinston's
anxious interest in all congressional pro-
ceedlngs that relate to Pacific railroads
Should the wheel revolve in what Mr.. Hunt
ington would surely regard as the wrong
direction, the result would be the dethrone-
ment OF him who is now the railroad mon
arch of the far west, with a kingdom that
comprises almost one-half of the area of
the United States. If, on the other hand
! Mr.. Huntington has his way, then will he
continue to rule commerce as he undoubt-
edly has ruled ito his own liking and
with financial results pleasing to him as
they are unfair to those whose servants
and conveniences the railroads should be-
With Mr.. Huntington in control the possi-
DlhtieS OF that mOnOpoliStS monetary great
! ness are practically limitless, but with the
Pacific railroads in other and less selfish
hands Mr.. Huntington would be likely to
retire from business.
Tremendous Pressure From the Lobby
So it is rot at all astonishing that every
pullable wire is being pulled to the ex-
treme of tension, that every listening ear
| In the vicinity of the Capitol is being wear
led with arguments favorable to the re-
funding bill, that all the sources of mis-
| information are active in the interest of
tnose nose to whom a renewal of the old cond-
liOnS would be as a draught from the
spring for which Ponce de Leon sought so
persistently.
Great Power of the Pacific Roads.
Ever since the completion of the Union
and Central Pacific railroads those corpora
tions have C, ntrolled the commercial af-
| fairs of the Pacific states, and in many in
stances have succeeded in placing those
most directly interested in the welfare of
| the roads in places Of great political power
Possessing undisputed control, the COM
panies Sc adjusted rates as to render it
practically Impossible for any one at all
hlJCi t1>a;,
| tory, and the result has been q steady
| growth of antf-railroad sentiment, which
has at last crystalliZed into a vigorous at
| tack upon the measure with which Mr.
Huntington is inseparably mixed up. No
topic Is at present SO Interesting upon the
Pacific coast as Is this subject Of refund
ing.
Mayor Sutro's Arfuments.
What some g bod people think of the
Huntington propositions was voiced a
couple Of weeks since by Mayor Sutro OF
San Francisco, who in a public address
said: ''The ruinous rates of transportation
! that the Southern Pacific Company has en-
forced In California have made the farmers
poor. What should be given, in fact what
rfghtfully belongs to the agriculturist and
tiller Of the SOIL has gone into the pockets
| of these railroad sharps, and made them
rich beyond conception. Huntington is a
| highwayman. He belongs in state prison.
| If justice was properly meted out he would
| now be wearing striped suit and dra gsing
a chain and ball"
| That sounds like strong language, but
there would seem to be a great many en-
| tirely reputable people on the Pacific coast
| who applaud Mayor Sutro's utterances, and
who are able to give good reasons for the
applause.
HandicappinE the Truth.
But the true sentiment of the people of
California and the adjoining states seems
to have hard time in finding it's way to the
congressional ear. Having so much at
stake, it would he extraordinary if Mr.
Huntington did not exert himself-no mat
ter what the cost-to keep facts under cover
as much as possible. Therefore, 1t has come
to pass that a literary bureau has been es-
tablished, with agents at each end of the
i wires that stretch from San Francisco to
Washington. 1t is the duty of the bureau
to extol the virtues of the funding bill and
to decry every proposition that does not bear
the signet of Coils P Huntington, and
there does not seem to be anything in the
| bureaus instructions likely to cumber its
movements.
Accuracy Not n Requisite
Facts. If favorable, are most to be de-
u Hya hr,A