The San Francisco call., 1898-04-29
BRING. OUT THE FACTS.

1 n IL good citizens will sincerely hope, now that l / \ United States Circuit Judge Morrow has paved the way for an exhaustive inquiry into the accounts of the Southern Pacific Company, that the Board of Railroad Commissioners will do their iuil duty. For long time the impression has been general that this corporation is frequently black
 mailed Dy newspapers and politicians It IS not within reason to assume that 1t willingly pays out its money II It did so 1t would be anomaly among human in stltutons. In fact everybody knows that the rail road monopoly corrupts only those who desire to be corrupted-those who, like Poo Bah continually hold out their hands for bribes
 For proof of this need inquire no further than the advertising contract between the Southern Pa cifc Company and the Examiner What rational man believes that the former agreed in writing to pay the latter SIooo month for thirty months on any other theory than that the money would purchase immunity tor the corporation during that period? Even there was no clause III the stating in terms that this was its purpose the purpose would be plain upon the lace ot the instrument itself. What need has the Southern Pacific to advertise? Does it not already monopohze every means of transportation in the otatef Why should it seek to induce people to patronize it's roads by advertising" when they are compelled to patronize them or walk?
 There Is to believe that the Southern Pa chcs inability to pay dividends arises largely from the tact that 1t IS forced to give large sums annually to backmaing newspapers and their instruments, the boodllng politicians. Whether this is done to pro- tect the corporations property from spoiation not IS 1mnateral The question is, Is 1t done? We know for tact that 1t done in the case of the Examiner. We further know that ever since C. P Huntington cut of the Examiners subsidy that paper has vllifed him personally and misrepresented the corporation Of which he is the head evidently for the purpose o forcing him to business relations Now that MT. Huntington is here he should be made to tell all about this affair Moreover he should be compelled to show to what extent the inability of the Southern Pacific to pay dividends its stock Is due to similar blackmailing operations.
 As We understand it, rates of freghts and fares on the monopolys lines cannot be fixed by the Rail road Commission so long it does not earn req sonable interest on the money invested in it. This is jurisdictonal point which has been settled by the Supreme Court of the United States It therefore becomes the duty of the Commissioners to ascertain with view to cutting them of-to what extent the dividend paying capacity of the corporation has been impaired by illegitimate expenses. We hope this work will be taken up by the board at once and prose cuted to speedy conclusion.
 The public IS tolerably familiar with the transac- tons between the Southern, Pacific and the Exam iner, but it would like to have further details from Mir. Huntington's lips If his corporation has been blacknailed at other times by the Examiner or by other newspapers, the public would like to hear about that also. full investigation should be made while Mr. Huntington is here