The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-02-16

Washington, Feb. 1.-THE resolution
introduced yesterday by Mr.. Harris of
Kansas. directing the attorney general
to furnish the senate information as to
| the agreement reached by the govern
ment with the reorganization commit
tee of the Union Pacific railroad con-
corning the Kansas Pacific branch, was
laid before the senate.
Mr.. Chandler said he had no objection
to the resolution. but cid not approve of
the preamble, which included a press
dispatch.
RAILROAD INFLUENCE.
Mr.. Harris replied that he might not
insist upon the preamble after he had
made a statement. The Union Pacific
he said, for long time had attempted
to influence congress and officials of adj
ministrations to scale down the debt of
| that company to the government about
so per cent. Until year ago last jan
uary. the company had been successful.
At that time they made an arrange
ment with Mr.. Cleveland'S adminiStra-
ton by which the road was to be dis
posed of with loss to the government
of about SIS, 000.0 GOO. Mr.. Harris then
O4LA-A4Gu lIC ICdSOl4S WHY ludl
ment was not carried into effect. Public
sentiment was aroused from Maine to
California, the demand of the people,
he said, being that they should not be
swindled out of the enormous sum
mentioned. When the present admin
istratiOn came into power. the question
was grappled with and the government
finally obtained every cent due from
the Union Pacific on the main line
I'VE were all very glad" said Mr..
Harris, that the government received
its just due, and nobody more sincerely
congratulated the administration than
myself upon the successful negotiation
of the transaction. It was also hoped
that the government would get the full
amount Of the debt due from the Kan
sas branch. If the Reorganization COM
mittee should decline to pay the full
amount due-about SIS, 600 000-it was
the understanding that the government
would redeem the first mortgage bonds
and have the road operated by a re-
ceiver. a competent receiver would
show the value of the property, which
Mr.. Harris believed was quite S30. 0OO.-
600.
MILLIONS SACRIFICED.
The reorganization committee. Mr..
Harris said. had evidently succeeded in
obtaining from the attorney general
such concessions as had been outlined
in the Associated Press dispatches. and
the government is to stand idly by and
see the enormous sum of 100 900 of in
terest sacrificed The value of the prop
erty, Mr. Harris thocght, was a most
important consideration. By the reOr-
SanizatiOn committee and by the Union
acific officials an effort had been made
to minimize the value of the road
1t is practically significant" said
Mr.. Harris. that the statements of the
reorganization committee and the off
Gals OF the Union Pacific regarding the
value of the main line have been proved
by subsequent events to be untrue As
was said once by the senator from Mis-
souri, tNest), when they speak they
lie; and when they are silent they
steal
VALUE OF KANSAS PACIFIC.
Mr. Harris then discussed the value
of the Kansas Pacific road. and said
that having been a civil engineer on
the line, his Information was that of an
expert. He said that during the last
II years the line had earned an amount
equal TO 4 per cent on $4,000, 600 He
further said that on the 51h instant
the attorney general had agreed to re-
deem the first mortgage bonds and to
have the road operated by d receiver.
This arrangement. Mr.. Harris said, was
perfectly satisfactory TO those for whom
he spoke. but the Intention of the at
torney general TO abandon that plan
and to let the road SD with a loss to the
government of nearly 100000 was not
only a surprise to him and others, but
absolutely unsatisfactory.
Mr.. Harris maintained that the Kan
saS Pacific road was worth the last
cent of the governments claim, and
that it ought to be demanded by the
attorney general
REED MAY STOP IT.
Mr.. Morgan, referring to the effort to
pass a bill in the senate giving powers
TO the administration to become a bid
der for the Kansas Pacific road. said
that he thought that the senate ouSht
to take that measure up and pass it.
Whether it would pass the congestion
which sometimes takes place in the
other branch of congress-" he could not
say. 1T viii De possible however, thus
to demonstrate whether there was
power in the house OF representatives
which would stand in the way of the
proposed measure intended to save the
people of the country nearly SI,OOO,OOO-
Political parties will sometimes permit
-robberies. They will swallow the con-
sequences OF those robberies without
strain, but the people will not allow
themselves to be juggled with whatever
political parties may do" concluded Mr.
Morgan
Mr.. Gear objected. not only to the
preamble of the resolution. but also to
the wording OF the resolution, as dis
courteous to the attorney general. Re
ferring to the petition Of a London
banking firm (reaG as a part of Mr.
Harris remarks, a nd which contained
evidence there was trouble between the
reorganization committee and those
whom they represented), he said that
when rogues fall out honest men were
likely TO get their dues.
THIEVES FALL OUT.
THAT is a contamination devoutly to
be wished" exclaimed Mr.. Harris.
when these thieves fall out. perhaps
the United States will get it's dues
Mr.. Gear. continuing, regarded as the
greatest plume in the cap of the admin
isfration the fact that it received 100