People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-12-09
Senator fiarIis is Posted.
ct. Louis Republic.


ScHdLur Harris Of Kansas Is well
prepared 10 Orlng tue administration
70 "a shuW down" u Tvs Pacific FALL
Yoa4o puhcy. Tue kausan Las
Made special study OF LIE questions
involved. His acquaintance with tile
history aud details VI tile properties
4 : aim 10 wage just war III behalf VI
th3 people.
Attorney General McKcuna must
have Qultmed under nenatUr Harris
IRE OF questions d. tue interview 10
Washington Thursday. Senator Harri,
statcu facts with regard TO the kaa-
yas Pacific which are ludIsputaOle.
They are facts which Judge McKenna
MS been attempting " obscure ever
since the final disposition Uf that
property became 81 issue.
Tue senator showed that The Kan
sas Psrliic had Gained rIgIt along
thruugh the hard times 4 per ceut Oh
s30,0OO,U0 and was In excellent con-
ditiOn. TINS Is strong argument
why tue government should not
hesitate to qualify to bid in The road
provided the Morgan syndicate is not
willing 20 pay the full value
f9r the property. The Al
t0rGey General with a flourish of
trlmp-is, onCe promised that this
wodl,. be dose. That promise, how
ever, was made when the country was
ringing with charges of deliberate
efforts Of the administration to aid
the Morgan crowd 10 rocoup Itself for
wn3t il uad to pay above the upset
prize for the Union Pacific by getting
ire Kansas ranch at big bargain.
Since then Judge McKenna has been
talking in quite a different vein. In
stead Of ConteudIng for the full
am0unJ Of the governments claim, lie
is G0W willing t. let the property 60
at Il ;Oss Of S7o00.G00, which is only a
million shOrJ Of the increased bid
Morgan WIS forced by popular clamOr
IN make in order to get the Union
Pacific.
Here is the Attorney Generals
latest NJ eranCe on the subject: 1T
Is nnnsel.Se to say that the govern
ment'S claim in the Kansas Pacific is
lost. The very lowest price that can
be bid is Sl2, 100000. The first
mortgage lien Will probably not
amnunt to 100000, because the
the receivers have money that MAY
BE- applied on this lien. But granting
tnal it is 100000 this would leave
sr,00e,O00 to be applied on the gov
nment's claim. The government
would then lose less than S7,OOO,OOO.
Isn't S64000,0O0 a pretty fair sum 10
receive out OF total Indebtedness of
Oil 100000, and especially as the gov
eminent holds only second mortgage
on these r0ads?"
Judge McKenna Is poor business
man if he really means what is implied
by his concluding inquiry-"ISn'G $64,
100000 pretty fair sim tOreceive out
Of total Indebtedness of ST., 900, 000?'
Under different circumstances there
might he some force in this view of
The case. II the properties were
wNr3h unly S64, 100000 that would be q
very good price to receive. But they
are worth more than every cent et
the governments claim. The earn
ingI Of the various roads in the system
during the past few years demon
sirate their value. And the AttOrne,
General will be dereliCt of duty if he
does not get every cent Of theil
value.
However, the senate will probably
have time enough between asSembl
ing December 6 and the postponed
date of foreclosure of the Kansa,
Pacific December Is to fully protec
the governments interest in the road
or make trouble for those responsible
for the sacrifice the administration
seems determined to make in order tt
pay political debt. The senate
should not let the opportunity pass tC
probe the entire transaction to the
bottom.