People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1898-02-24
Tricked.

The Kansas Pacific railroad has
been sold and the government has
lost s6,624,l07 in the deal. 1t was
surmised through these columns
some time since that an effort to !
recoup themselves for payment of
the Uniou Pacific debt in full might
be made when the Kansas Pacific
sale came off, and it appears that
the prediction was well founded.
Despite the infamous ending of
the deal it has nevertheless been a /
great victory for the brilliant junior
senator from Kansas, Senator Har-
ris. He has stood like a stone wall
for an honest settlement of the debt
for the full payment of the amount
due the government-and the du-
plicity practiced upon him at the
close proves that to his efforts are
due the extra twenty millions which
the government has gained over the
former agreed price for the debts.
But for a trick so little as to be
wholly without comprehension in
honorable political circles-a trick
emanating from the government it.
self as at present administered by
and under VIM. McKinley-the
remaining six and-a. half million dol
lars would have been saved to the
people.
The trick is best described by
Senator Morgan of Alabama on the
floor of the senate on the 18th,
speaking on the following resolution
introduced by Senator Harris:
Resolved, That the attorney general
is directed TO inform the senate if he |
has authorized the abandonment of |
any intention to redeem the first |
mortgage bonds issued by the Union
Pacific railroad company, eastern di-
vision, now the Kansas Pacific divi-
sion of the Union Pacific railway, and |
to ask a pOstpOnement of the sale |
thereof and for the appointment of a
receiver therefor in the interests of |
the government Of the United States,
and also if he has authorized an agree,
ment by which said property is to be
sold for the face value of the subsidy |
bonds, resulting Ia loss to the gov
errment of the amount of S6,624.l0 |
and if the government has agreed not |
to be a bidder at said sale.
Senator Morgan in the cour>e OF
his remarks said:
There came out an official notice ln |
The papers that The president of tue
United States had ordered Tile atIUr-
uey-general To pay OF What is called |
the first mortgage, which lie had the
right TO do, ana by the mandatory |
terms OF the statute called tile Thur
man Act, he was compelled TO apply |
whatever money there was in the
treasury To the eXJlngulsL menJ OF |
the first mortgage lien upon both OF
these railroads al any time when il |
his opinion it might subServe the best |
interests of the United States, and
clean off those mortgages. Thereupon
he gave orders 10 the attOrney-general
that the money should be applied in
that way, to the eXtingulShment
of the first mortgage bonds. There
upon warrant was drawn upon the
treasury for the money and an agent
of the government, an attorney, was
sent to St. Louis, where this cause
was pending, to inform the court
that the United States he'd become
the owner Of the first mortgage, and
being the owner Of the first and second
mortgages, they desired the cause to
remain upon the docket and the prop.
erty in the hands Of a receiver until
the receiver could determine whether
or not this was property that would
pay out the governments claim; give
US time to think it over.
OF course that took the wind out
OF the sails of the bill we were trying
to pass here and would have passed.
1t would have passed this body, to
say the least of it. Whether it would
have passed in the congestion that
sometimes takes place in the other
house, | do not know. But we had
hoped that there was enough moral
power in the government of the United
States to get it through the house.
At all events, when that arrangement
was proclaimed. the newspapers Of
fcially published the fact that the
warrant had been drawn, and gave a
COPY of the warrant itself Those
who were irving to press this bill to a
conclusion in the senate and in the
house said. "That is enough; we are
now going to get an opportunity at
least to get the full amount of the
principal and interest on this debt
and perhaps we will get more than,
that" because the senator from Kan
sas and other men who are authorized
to speak by the card in this matter
say tina. that property is worth $780,.
: 100000, and these men show in the
petition that that property and the
property of the Union Pacific railroad
company, which was bought the other
day, were worth largely more than
what they gave for them, with ample
profits to accommodate and make