The record-union., 1897-03-19
THE STATE To BE CONGRATU.
LATED.

The first Act granting aid to the Cen
trail Pacific Railroad Company was
passed in 1862. That company was
formed as a State corporation in the
State of California. From that date to
the Legislature which assembled two
years ago, that corporation, it's sue
cessors and allied corporations have
been charged with corrupting legisla-
ton.
In times past that corporation was
represented in Sacramento during the
entire legislative term by skilled lob
byists and the most successful bosses
that California has produced. We have.
no better means of knowing than other
members of the journalistic profession
the extent to which corruption may
have been resorted to by the railroad
corporations of this State. We simply
recite an undeniablefact that during the
entire session of all Legislatures that
have assembled up to the present the
railroads of the State have been rep
resented by a powerful lobby force.
This proceeding has been defended on
the ground that the employment of this
force was a necessary defensive meas
ure against the disposition of legisla-
ton to pass "cinch" bills. In other
words and in the plainest terms, the
lobby force employed by the railroads
was made necessary by the dishonesty
of the members of the Legislature
whom the people had elected TO make
their laws.
On the other hand, there have been
those in all time to contend that the
lobby force of the railroad companies
was employed for the purpose Of plac-
ing the railroad companies at special
advantage with reference to the effect
of legislation; that the further object
in view was the modification of laws
which would confer immunity and
cially less hazardous.
Whether the railroad companies en-
ployed powerful and skilled lobbyists
to control legislation as a measure of
defense against the disposition of mem
bers of the Legislature to steal. to pass
hostile legislation, or to menace the
railway corporations by unfriendly leg
islation, as the stage-robber menaces
shotgun: or whether the object of the
railroads was to so direct legislation as
TO enjoy immunity from burdens of
taxation or liabilities as common car
riers, or in pursuit of any other indie
Unable object. the truth remains that the
railroad companies from 1862 until
1895 have been present by their lobby
force at Sacramento during the entire
session of every Legislature which has
assembled. The period covered is
thirty-three years, one-third of a CEN
fury. and one complete generation in the
lives of men. In all this time there
have been those to contend that this
lobby force was not necessary; that
civilized conceptions of legislative jul
risprudence were so far advanced in
California that the Legislature elected
by the people could be depended upon
TO deal honestly and fairly with the
aggregations of capital invested in
railroads and employed in the transpor-
tation interests of the country general
ly Whether the railroads have been
wise or unwise in the record they have
made; whether they have been the SUI
preme corrupting force of the State. or
have acted merely on the defensive it
is not the present purpose to discuss
The gratifying fact before the country
at the present time is that legislative
session is just closing and the trans
portation interests of the State have
not been represented by lobby.
At last then we have required to nor
NAL conditions. At last natural poll
tics has resumed it's sway. Eventually
the State has witnessed the gratifying
spectacle of a Legislature holding a
session of seventy-five days unattended
by lobbyists representing $250,000.000