The San Francisco call., 1896-08-07

the present Congress on the vital question
under consideration. 1t has been the one con-
splcuous break in the California line on the
SUBJECT OF railroad domination At the same
eame S.e tnere is no Congressional district in the
state which has more overshadowing inter-
esl IN lts overthrow. The sentiment of the dis
Jrlct appears to have been plain enough
Mnen II nominated Mr.. Johnson for the place
.S now nov mis- II pledged him to oppose the form
ct rounding that was at the me under con-
ssloeTauon In Congress, known as the Reilly
ru1n9lng r1aSar Dill. MT. Johnson freely gave the
pleoge exacted of him. But the Reilly bill did.
not come up in the session of Congress of
Mhicn ne was member. Another called the
fowers Dill, had been substituted tor it. That
9onelae 1oittna olo not get further than the COM
lnlttee stage at the last session. But it
VIII come up at the session which will
'.t oinmence In December. If the Reilly bill
,Ias mes oao the Powers bill, which has taken its
plaCe, Is simply infamous The Reilly bill
PROVIDED for the payment of the debts of the
.alroaos IN fifty years at the rate of 3 per cent
interest. The Powers bill extends the time in
one case to eighty-four years and in the sec
ond TO eighty-Six years, with interest at the
raIe OF per cent. Furthermore, the Reilly
m moll provided that in the time stated the first
nloItgage ponds OF the two roads-the Central
ana Union Paeifc-should be extinguished.
Inc fowers bill makes no provision at all on
the subject. Of this latter measure Mr.. John
sea son nas oeen an active supporter in commit
Zee his method of keeping his pledges must
pe salo TO be peculiar. He did not support
Inc Kelly bi1l for there was no Reilly bill to
support. But he lent, according to general
report, all the assistance in his power TO
measure that is infinitely worse. OF him Rep
resentatlye Mcguire said in speech at pub
he meeting in this City:
Mr.. Johnson was persistent from the begin
ming in defending the Pacific rail road people
against every assault that was made by repre-
sehtatives OF California; in endeavoring to
confuse and contradict the statements OF Cali
tornia1s, in demanding of them that they pro-
duce their proofs and in every way wor king as
energetieally for refunding as ii he were rep.
resentative of the Central Pacific instead OF
pe1ng representative Of the people OF Cali
fornia."
Under a detection so brazen and unblushing
tnere can be no possibility OF the reelection OF
Mr.. Johnson, even if the Republicans OF his
district should be so shortsighted as to renom-
mate him. The Democrats of the district have
already nominated a candidate who is gener-
ally well spoken of and who INDUCES in no
backing and filling on the question OF
refunding. If the Powers bill, which
Mr.. Johnson boldly. advocates had its
transfer the debts OF c. P. Huntington and his
associates to the shoulders OF the people OF
California" The proposition is TO saddle the
latter with the $40, 900, 600 (less the sinking
fund) due the General Government, the
$2S S,000,0 900, in round numbers, of first-mort-
gage bonds,and the $4,000, 900 or thereabouts
OF stock. This is mountain OF debt sufficient
to appall any State, and especially one SO
sparselY settled as California. If the Legisla-
ture should propose to tie milestone OF that
enormous weight around the neck OF the COM
monweaIth we should soon have positive IN
surrection on our hands. But Mr.. Hunting
ton, by the assistance of such men as Grove
l. johnson, proposes to handicap our progress
for three generations by this imposition OF
enormous debt, which We do not owe, without
as much as asking our leave. Indeed, his hire
l1ngs and lackeys everywhere proclaim that 1t
is only anarchists and henroost robbers who
seek 10 balk his gentle intentions toward us.
The enormous obligations which Mr.. Hunt
ington proposes to shed were not necessarily
incurred in building the Central Pacific Rail-
road. They were incurred in series OF pyro-
technical financial operations in tended solely
Tor his and MS associates benefit. They got
more money and land from the General Gov
eminent than sufficient to build the railroad,
which they would have US believe they con-
strucled out OF pure love for California. Next,
they showed aside the Government lien aud
issued to themselves $2S 000 600 OF first mort
gage bonds. Out of The several proceeds they
constructed a railroad of their own called the
Sunset route. To the latter. when completed,
they leased the Central Pacific. Having COM
pletely skinned the latter, ii no longer pays
any dividends. For all these stupendous mall
VerSationS they expect by the process known
pay, and no section OF it more severely than
the Second Congressional District. They and
their sons and their sons sons are to liquldate
part oil the tremendous burden whenever they
use the railroad to import or export. or con-
sumo anything upon which 1t has had
chance 10 lay its grasping hands.
The undersigned feel confident that when
the nominal tag convention OF the Second Con-
gressional District comes to consider these
facts, its members will not consent TO re-
nominate man who would tie the hands OF
his cons tituents for the best part of century
with such firm ligatures that no Interstate
Commerce Commission or any act of the Gov
ernment can relieve them. With sentimen Is
of profound respect we beg leave to subscribe
ourselves, your obedient servants,
JAMES H. BARRY,
GEORGE K. FITCH,
JOSEPH LEGGETr,
/. J. TRUMAN,
W. NJ. COWARD.