The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-02-16
KANSAS PACIFIC SALE
Harris Resolution of Inquiry
is Adopted.
HARRIS CLAIMS TO KNOW
That the Administration is
About to be Cheated.

Washington, Feb. ia resolution o
inquiry offered yesterday by Mr.. Harris
of Kansas precipitated a spirited discus
sion of the Pacific railroad question il
the senate today. The resolution calleC
upon the attorney general for the rea
sons which induced him to abandon hi.
plan Of redeeming the first mortgage
bonds of the Kansas Pacific branch of the
Union Pacific, and having the road op'
Grated by a receiver. Mr.. Harris de-
nounced the present plan to sell the road
at the bid of the reorganization commit
tee as defrauding the government out OF
nearly ST. 000, 900. Mr.. Foraker Of Ohio eX-
planned the view of the matter taken by
the administration, showing that the pres
ident was convinced that the reOrganiza-
ton committee proposed to pay for the
road all that il was worth. The resolu-
ton was finally passed in amended form.
Washington, Feb. 15.-Mr. Pettus (Ala.)
today offered and secured the passage OF
q resolution, requesting the president, if
not incompatible with the public interest,
TO inform the senate what action has
been taken in reference to the murder of
Segundo n. Lopez, citizen of the Unit
ed States, on April II, 1896, in the district
of San Diego del Valla Magueralla, Cuba,
by armed soldiers Of Spain commanded
by Colonel Estruch.
The resolution introduced yesterday by
HIr. Harris C<ansas) directing the attor-
ney general to furnish the senate infor-
nation as TO the agreement reached by
the government with the reorganization
committee of the Union Pacific Railway
company concerning the Kansas Pacific
branch. was laid before the senate.
Mr.. Chandler said he had no objection
to the resolution but did not approve of
the preamble, which included press dis
patch.
GROWERS AGREEMENT.
Mr.. Harris replied that he might not
insist upon the preamble after he made
a statement. The Union Pacific, he said,
for a long time had attempted to influ-
ence congress and officials of administrae
tions TO scale down the debt of that com
pany to the government about so per cent.
Until a year ago last January the COM
pany had been successful. At that time
they made an arrangement with Mr..
C1eveland's administration by which the
road was to be disposed of with a loss
to the government of about S2S 900, 900. Mr..
Harris then outlined the reasons why
that arrangement 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 administration came
into power the question was grappled
with and the government finally obtain
ed every cent due from the Union Pacific
on the main line.
PRAISE FOR MKINLEY.
I'VE were all very glad said Mr.. Har-
ris. that the government received its
just due, and nobody has more cordially
the present administration
than / upon the successful negotiation of
that transaction
1t was also hoped, Mr.. Harris said, that
Iilt BbNtIi NOull get the lbill Ndlub
of the debt due from the Kansas Pacific
branch. In case the reorganization COM
mittee should decline to pay the full
amount due-about $3.50, 600 O0O-it was the
1ding that the government would
redeem the first mortgage bonds and have
the road operated by a receiver. A COM
petent receiver would show the value of
the property which, Mr.. Harris believed,
was quite $4,000, 900. The reorganization
Mr.. Harris said, had evidently
succeeded in obtaining from the attorney
general such concessions as had been out
lined in the Associated Press dispatches
and the government is to stand idly by
and see the enormous sum of Sc, 700, 600 of
interest sacrificed. The value of the
property Mr. Harris thought was n most
important consideration. BY the reorgan-
ization committee and by the Union Pa
cifc officials an effort had been made to
minimize the value of the road,
1T is particularly significant" said Mr..
Harris. that the statements of the reor-
Eanization committee and the officials of
the Union Pacific regarding the value Of
the main line have been proved by subse-
quent events TO be untrue"
SPEAKS AS AN EXPERT.
LAS was once said by the senator from
Missouri CVesD. when they speak they
lie- and when they are silent they steal -
Mr.. Harris then discussed the value of
the Kansas Pacific road. and said that.
having been q civil engineer on the line
his information was that of an expert.
He said that during the last eleven years
the line had earned an amount equal 10
{ per cent on $51.0o0.ooo. He further said
that on the 9Th instant the attorney-gen-
eral had agreed TO redeem the first mort
gage bonds and to have the road operat-
ed by receiver. This arrangement. Mr..
Harris said. was perfectly satisfactory
TO those for whom he spoke. hut the in
teution Of the attorney general TO aban-
don that plan and to let the road go with
p loss to the government Of nearly s.
poo 600 was not only a surprise to him and
others. but absolutely unsatisfactory.
Mr.. Harris maintained that the Kansas
Pacific road was worth the last cent OF
the governments claim, and that IT ought
10 be demanded by the attorney general
MR.. MORGAN ROASTs REED.
MI NAN4 san ASAell iiAS AZ aAAS 2lbSiAFt 10
pass q bin in the senate giving power TO
the administration 10 become a bidder
for the Kansas Pacific railroad. said he
thought that the senate ought 10 take
that measure up and pass it Whether
1t would pass the congestion which
takes place in the other branch
OF congress" he could not say. II would
be impossible however, thus 10 demon
strate whether there was power in the
house OF representatives which would
stand IL the way OF the proposed meas