Year: 1874




A Committee Of Congress is engaged
in the investigation of the charges pre-
ferred by Luttrell against the Central
Pacific Railroad and the Contract and FL
nance Company, by which the greater
part of the line of the railroad was built.
1t is claimed by the enemies Of The Rail
way Company that gross frauds were
connived at in the construction Tof the
road-that the Contract and Finance
Company" was to the Central Pacifc
what the = Credit Mobiier'' was to the
other branch Of the great overland line /;
ring formed within the company by
which a few favored stockholders and
others were awarded contracts in the con-
struction of the road by which they real
ized immense profits, to the injury Of the
other parties in interest, of which the
government is one.


Manifestly, charges of this character,
when brought in a proper manner, de-
mand investigation. 1t is demanded, not
only that restitution may be compelled of
the parties who were in the conspiracy,
but as security that in other needed pub
lie enterprises, Of whatever character, in
which State or National aid is sought
the assistance bestowed shall inure to the
public benefit as well as that of the indi-
viduals conducting the enterprise. If
such investigations are entered into with
a determination to search for facts and
base judgment upon them alone, no
lover Of justice will object. But if we
are to take the opinions Of leading news
papers, this is rarely the case. We are
to believe that the committees before
whom these Investigations are conducted
are swayed either for or against the par
ties whose acts are a subject Of dispute
Now, in the matter of the Contract and
Finance Company, certain charges have
been brought. They are being made the
subject Of an investigation judicial in
its character. The anti-railroad press Of
this State, seeing that the line Of defence
adopted by the company bids fair to COM
pletely refute the accusations drawn by
its lackey, commcnces at once TO i'm
peach the witnesses who are to be brought
forward, and to incite discredit to the
statements Of the defence. With the low
cunning which is its chief attribute, the
Sacramento Union lays out the contin-
gencies in which a report favorable to the
company can be expected, and is prepar-
ed, in that event TO assail and malign the
motives Of the committee Of investigation.
Probably, however, the public will have
an opportunity to judge Of this matter
for itself If full and free examination
of witnesses is made, and the testimony
and arguments of counsel printed, it will
afford better chance for the people TO
Judge, whether the committee report in
the interest of right and justice or not,
than the statements of the prejudiced par
ties who have urged on this investigation,
and who, perhaps, have no more ground
work for prelerring the charges than the
fact that in an enterprise similar in char
acter and execution gross frauds were de-
tected, and by procuring an investigation
upon trumped up charges in this case,
something might be elected damaging to
the standing and prosperity Of the com
pany.


Human nature is the same with railway
owners as with any other class Of capital
lists and in this age Of corruption, it would
not DO surprising if the affairs competed
with building the Central Pacific should
prove that gross abuses Of the Govern
ment trust were practiced. But we pro
test against that system Of condemnation
in advance which newspapers Of a certain
illl strive to inculcate-w which presumes
the guilt Of the parties accused, and will
not brook denial. In law man is held
innocent until proven guilty, but if the
man is railway director the reverse
must now be held. 1t is our desire to see
corruption and abuse Of trust Of every
character punished, therefore we hope
the Congressional Committee will sift this
question to the bottom. If Mr.. Luttrell
can prove the charges he has brought he
should be afforded every facility to do so;
and if he can not, then let him, and those
that have urged him on stand convicted
as deliberate falsifers. But this thing Of
paving the way for an accusation that the
committee to whom the subject was Civ
en-, were swayed by motives not credita-
bic to themselves, is getting too thin to
answer for every occasion.


sz@@~@-azasas.Ezzzssza1<zs