The record-union., 1896-02-08
Weather Forecast.
Northern California-Fair; light t
fresh northerly winds.
THE SPHINX HAS SPOKEN.


After a most mysterious silence, the
Chronicle has at last spoken. 1t has
said something. whether much to the
purpose or not Sutro and the Exam
iner'' believed that the best way to de-
feat the wishes Of the Pacific Railroads
was to demand Government owner
ship and the operation of the roads by
the Government in the interest of the
people Of the Pacific Coast and espe-
cially of California.
The Government has paid out on ac-
count Of the construction of the Pacific
Railroads some 120,000,O0O more than
has been returned to it. This money
was advanced by all the people of the
United States, and so when California
came forward and said that the people
of the United States should consent to
lose this money in the interest Of Cal
ifornia, it was demanding a subsidy
from the other States to the amount of
$40, 1000 600.
It never occurred to the Examiner
when it circulated that petition that it
was putting the people of California in
that light, nor does it appear to have
occurred to anyone Of the 100000 sign
ers OF that petition. 1t would have been
annarent if they had asked the Gov
efnment to contribute from its treasury
500 GOO. 900. but in their shortsighted-
ness they did not perceive that for the
Governments to forego the collection of
S32O. .0O0. .00C, which it had already ac-
tually paid out was in all respects the
equivalent of paying that sum out of
the treasury.
If the money is not repaid, then
the people of the United States are TO
lose it This is another way Of saying
that the people of the United States are
to pay S12O000,0O0 If a mans entire
fortune consists in a mortgage, and he
chooses to forgive that mortgage, it is
in all respects the equivalent of making
the mortgagor a present OF the whole
amount. So with this Government claim
against the Pacific Railroads. the $780,
100000 which the Government is seek
ing to collect from the Pacific Railroads
must be paid by somebody, because it
will be lost TO the holder Of the claim.
That the full force of this shall not es-
cape the feeblest intellectual capacity,
let US repeat:
The Government has expended from
its treasury in cash $120.000.000. This
was money belonging to the people Of
the United States. When it attempts
to recover this money 100000 people in
California petition that all other people
in the United States shall stand the loss
of this money without complaint, and
that it should be presented to California
In the form Of a railroad to be operated
in the interest of our people; that is,
operated without any hope of having
the road itself earn any part Of the prin-
oipal or interest.
This was the silly and absurd atti-
tude in which our people were placed
by the fExa1niner's" petition. Within
q year the question again arose by the
introduction of q. funding bill in Con-
gress. and the Sutro- Examiner COM
bfnaition, seeing the absurd mistake
they had made before, sought to hedge.
They held a mass-meetng, which was
evidently captured by Kearney and his
followers, VIZ are sincere advocates of
the notion that the Government ought
to own not only the Pacific but all rail
roads. Resolutions were passed favor
ing Government ownership. The
Chronicle advocated this course. de-
claring that the convention ought to
declare In favor of Government owner
ship. But the Sutro-' Examiner COM
bination paid no attention to the dec
Iarations of the mass meeting which
formed the Committee Of Fifty, and the
Committee of Fifty itself paid no at
tention to its instructions. It formulated
q petition which declared against Gov
ernment ownership and in favor Of the
foreclosure of the mortgage. The de-
nand for foreclosure under existing cir
cumstances was exactly equivalent tc
the demand to forgive the Pacific rail
roads their debts.
Now comes the Chronicle, which has
evidently all this time sulked in its tent
because the doctrine Of Government
ownership Of the Pacific railroads
which it advocated was not carried inte
effect There is q sense in which the
aChronicle'' is right. An affirmative
proposition Of any kind is stronger thar