The record-union., 1896-02-01
TWO SIDES TO THE QUESTION.
Mr.. Sutro's Methods Not Likely to
Win.
(From the Santa Monica Outloolr1


(From the Santa Monica Outlook.)
The ranting of some Of thenewspapers
OF California, and more particularly
those of San Francisco, on the funding
bill, SAVIOR too much of desire to win
little cheap notoriety and too little of
an intent to present the matter on a
common-sense basis. Just why the
question cannot be settled with an ap-
plication of the same business prin-
ciples as would apply to any other prop
osition of public or private interests
doesn't appear to be considered by the
papers which devote columns to indis-
criminate abuse of the funding bill. The
Los Angeles Express" of January 10th
prints an editorial under the heading.
MIR. Sutro's Convention" which voices
to a considerable extent our under
standing of the matter. We print it
entire:
California is a long way from Wash
lngton, and it is one of the unfortunate
facts 1nseparable from our remote Ioca-
tion from the centers of Government
and commercial activity that over there
they do not understand us quite as well
as we think they should and we do not
understand them fully. When we hold
meetings out here, and sign big petit
tions demanding" things. they do not
get excited about it, and are surprised
to learn that our people and press feel
hurt because they do not get excited.
And when we in turn abuse them be-
cause they cannot see things in govern
mental matters from our standpoint
they sometimes become just sufficiently
excited and resentful to ignore our
wis
own point of view
A Californian of fair intelligence does
not require more than a few months of
life in Washington to learn that a
proposition cannot be bu1ldozed through
Congress like it can through a public
meeting in San Francisco or in the Cal
ifornia Legislature, and that sound ar
guments produce far better results than
excited defamation or accusations
against the probity of Congressmen.
Senator White evidently had this idea.
in view when he telegraphed an answer
to the Examiner" to a dispatch ask
ing him to wire that enterprising paper
something about the Pacific railroads
funding bill. The Senator was explicit
in cautioning Californians against
drastic methods of bringing their views
to the attention of Congress. Mayor
Sutro holds an entirely different opin-
ion from Senator White, and appar-
emily believes that heroic measures are
better He thinks it good plan to win
the favor of Congress by denouncing
that body as already more than one
half the attorneys or hirelings of
Huntington" If Mr.. Sutro has his way
with the anti-funding convention which
he has called to meet in San Francisco,
it will probably throw Senator Whites
advice to the winds, take Congress by
the ears, convince it of it's own un-
worthiness and thus accomplish the de-
sired end
People in the East regard the Pacific
railway debt as a matter Of their own
concern as well as it is of ours The
debt is due the United States and not
California. Many, and probably ma
jcrity, would not care to have the Gov
ernment run a railroad on its own
account. The Government should get
its dues. But the question of collecting
from an impecunious creditor is a busi-
ness question, and should be settled on
business principles. 1t may be wise to
sell the creditor out and collect the |
money from the proceeds, or it may be |
good judgment, as many business men
do in the ordinary affairs of life, to ex-
tend the debt for short time upon a |
low rate Of interest, in the expectation |
that it will be paid ultimately, and |
that there would be less trouble and loss
than would be involved in peremptory
foreclosure. The Government holds a |
second mortgage only on the road. and /
in the event of foreclosure it would be
compelled to take up the first mortgage
debts, amounting to a very large sum. /
Should the Central Pacific Railroad be
sold, it would probably go into the /
hands of some other railway corpora
tion just as intent upon making money
as the one that owns it now. That is /
what railroads are run for. And that I
the general public would receive any t
benefit from the change is very doubt I
full.