The San Francisco call., 1896-02-17
A WRONG IMPRESSION.

The Aroonu,tt, ordinarily so shrewd and
careful, has evidently fallen into mis-
conception of THE CALLS position on the
railroad funding proposition. 1t says:
THE CALL says that the Vanderbilt and
Gould interests intend to buy the Pacific
RAILWAYS at foreclosure sale; that the Van
derbilt and Gould set will oppose refund
ing; that if the transcontinental railroads
pass into their hands it would insure
genuine competition with the Southern
Pacific; that therefore THE CALL-as we
understand tits opposed to Government
ownership in order TO bring about this
sale to the Gould and Vanderbilt interests.
THE CALL had tried SO earnestly to make
its position unmistakable that it confesses
to surprise over this misconception. 1t
trusts that the following statement cannot
be misunderstood:
THE CALL has never discussed the aues-
ton of Government ownership on its
merits, nor the question of Government
operation, because neither of those ques-
tions has yet properly arisen. It has
deemed such discussions irrelevant, or at
most merely incidental, to the question of
collecting the Government debt owing by
the aided roads, its belief being that such
collection would inevitably break the
Southern Pacifics monopoly by one means
or another. Several contingencies will
ensue upon the foreclosure of the Govern
ment's mortgage, among them possibly
Government ownership and remotely Gov
ernment operation--two quite distinct
propositions. 1t believes that to spring, at
this time, the question of Government
ownership, much less that of Government
operation, would be ill-advised, as likely
to rouse in the East, which is ruled by a
spirit more conservative than ours, an an
tagonism which will defeat foreclosure,
pass the funding bill and fasten the pres
ent monopoly irrevocably upon our prog
ress.
In Congressman Magulre's published
information that the Gould and Wander
bilt interests would likely be glad to buy
the Union and Central Pacific roads at
foreclosure sale The CALL saw probable
purchaser VINO not Only would secure the
interests of the Government with regard
to its lien, but who would be clearly and
necessarily a genuine competitor of the
Southern Pacific. Besides accomplishing
both those desired ends such a purchase at
of Government ownership and operation
in allegiance, thus withdrawing a challenge
to Eastern conservatism and making
possible the defeat of funding. scheme
Hence it is evident that the Arqonaat errs
in assuming that THE CALL "is opposed to
Government ownership in order to bring
about this sale to the Gould and Wander
bilt interests" THE CALL, on its own &C.
count, knows nothing about the desires or
intentions OF the Gould and Vanderbilt in
terests. 1t is merely. taking Congressman
Maguires word for that, and it considers
the Gould and Vanderbilt interests merely
as the only solution OF all the difficulties
that has been presented. The Gould and
Vanderbilt interests are no more to THE
CALL than any other interests that might
fit the situation as we'll. If this statement
of THE CALLS position is not perfectly
clear it will cheerfuily use every endeavor
to make it so. The Argon1ut's evident
admiration of The CALL makes it a pleas
ure to state the matter thus fully. in order
that its position may not be misunder-
stood, at least by its friends.