The record-union., 1896-02-18
THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC CHARTER.

THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC CHARTER.
Malign and dogmatic influences in
San Francisco are seeking the repeal
by the Kentucky Legislature of the
charter of the Southern Pacific Com
pany.
AS we understand it, the Southern
Pacific Company incorporated in Ken
lucky because of the stability Of its
laws, the settled state of society there,
and the absence of sentiment that in
spires bigoted, insane and envious as
sauIt upon capitalized interests en-
gagged in promoting large industries;
sentiment unhappily giving to Cali
fornia an unenviable reputation.
The purpose of the Incorporation has
always been open and above board,
namely to rent and operate railroads
under one system of management from
the Pacific Coast to tide water at the
Gulf of Mexico, and relating lines IN
the interests of simpliication Of admin
istration and economy of conduct
system of California, formerly cut up
into over thirty small companies, each
with it's full equipment of officials, and
with all the minutia and friction or
distinct organizations, has been uni
fed under one management, and one set
of officials, thus reducing friction and
official machinery, and so effecting
great saving to the owners of the prop
erty and to travel and shipping in
terests. Under this system it has been
possible to accomplish steady and rapid
reduction of freight and passenger
rates, until now probably there has
been reached very nearly the lowest
possible minimum; certainly the lowest
in proportion to conditions known in
the United States.
Let sensible people then ask them
selves eff the charter is repealed, what
benefit will accrue to California;" 2"
Undeniably the burden is upon
the proponents of the proposition to
point out the actual benefits to result.
The fact is that there is not in the
whole State man who can give single
good reason why the repeal should be
effected. Whenever a great industry or
business enterprise, closely related to
the daily life of the people, is unreason-
ably assailed, and its interests jeopar-
dized, or even crippled, inevitably the
people suffer equally with it. If then,
the repeal will ever SO lightly injure the
company administering the California
railway system what benefit will flow
to those who use that system? How
will the repeal of the chaf-ter conserve
railway building, betterments on rail-
road property, or advance shipping in
terests? We asked these questions
more than a week ago, but no answer
has been vouchsafed by even the most
blatant and ready of the demagogic as
sailants of the railroad.
Obviously the repeal is intended TO
be malicious annoyance. It is conceded
that it will not prevent reincorporation
in any other State of the Union, and in
most of them legislative sanction is not
a condition precedent. There are scores
of companies prosecuting industries in
California to-day, and having no inter-
ests outside of the State, that have cor
porate existence only by reason of Ger
tificates taken out in other States, and
that California has suffered in conse-
quence has not been demonstrated.
The process of incorporation would
probably necessitate renewal of leases,
readjustment of books, transcription of
papers, transfer of property interests
from the old to the new corporation,
and this would prove troublesome to
the officials and laborious to the clerical
forces of the company Assuming that
there would be this much of discomfort
and annoyance, and conceding that it
would corresponding. crafty the
pudently posing as friends of the peo-
pIe," the better to serve destructive pur-
poses, the question returns to the sur
face, ''how would all this benefit Cali
fornia and her people?'' If the scheme
is accomplished and entails expenses
and costly friction: if unhappily it
should move the owners of the many
railway companies to return to the old
system. each for itself operating its own
line. who. it is natural to ask. win bear
the expense certain to result from this
decentrauzing operation? Is it not