The San Francisco call., 1896-04-21
SENATOR MORGAN
SEEKS JUSTICE,
Continued from First Page

central arteries of trade that span the
continent have withstood all manner OF
interference and are still able to Weld a
revenue that rebukes the false pretense
that they are about to become burden on
the Government.
II cannot now pause to lay the full
proof of this statement before the Senate
Much Of the evidence has been before you
for long time, so long indeed, that it has
almost disappeared through the industry
of those who are interested in its suppress
sion, but enough is still in reach to enable
Us, at more suitable time, to expose the
crimes of those who have sought to bury
the truth out of sight. When il is more
appropriate to uncover the foul and des-
perate wrongs, those will be found who
will assume the task, without fear, favor,
or affection, reward or the hope thereof.
"The dividends that have been paid to
stockholders would have paid all the debts
of each of these companies il they had
been placed in sinking fund. The fla
grant dishonesty of this diversion of
money that should have been applied to
the debts of these companies into the
pockets of stockholders is a monstrous
enormity which Coils P. Huntington,
when under oath, justified on the sole
ground that such an honest policy would
have been a novelty
"WhIle this was going on these railroad
companies were enjoying the advantages
of that strange act of Congress which post
poned the right OF the Government to col
lect from these companies the interest it
was paying on the subsidy bonds until the
bonds themselves should fal, due. Con-
gress was probably moved by the grandeur
of this enterprise and an overestimate of
its cost TO yield to the opportunities of these
companies for the enactment of this pecu
liar law. With lobby that cost more than
s., 600 900 at the Pacific end of the line that
is yet in active corruption vomiting frauds
and falsehood with shameless effronterv,
and with Credit Mobilier at the other
end of the line that has stained the records
of Congress, nothing has been omitted
that could be done to make the Govern
ment build these roads at its own cost and
then at the end of thirty years to abandon
its interest in them to the contrivers of
this plot, rather than pay the principal of
the bonds doubled in amount by the still
stranger act which, for the first time in
our history, gave priority to private debt
over the debt due the Government. We
have before us the startling result in
lump sum of 1854, ,818, ,523, for which we are
trying to provide with the feeble efforts of
divided counsels, if not severe antagonisms
81 would as soon sell our entire fleet to
Great Britain as to abandon our govern.
mental control over the Union and Gen.
trail Pacific railroads. Europ can now
control every other tran sentimental rail-
road In America except this system, and
will control this when the United States
has Withdrawn its authority over these
railroads.
Neither the people nor Congress can
ever be safe from the intrigues that will
constantly aim to lessen these powers.
And without the aid of severe penal stat
utes the protection from them against the
abuse OF the powers of corporations in
Ievying excessive or discriminating rates
of charges for transportation they will re-