Year: 1874

"A


TIE FRIENDS OF THE TEXAS PACIFIC CONFIDENT of


THEIR ABILITY TO SECURE GOVERNMENT AID


THE WHOLE SOUTHERN VOTE ExPECTED-EF-


PORTS To INTEREST THE REPRESENTATIVES OF


IROr DISTRICTS.
fYRON REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE ThiDoNN''


WASHINGTON Dec. 10.-The Texas racine haiio"o
lobby is surprisingly confident OF success 'is ses
s;or in view of the almost universal popular host-
ity TO further Government grants or patronage vi
anv kind for railroads. A member OF TINS loppy
said to-day that the programme was TO make ho
move until the maximum strength II was possible W
get committed to the scheme in the House was Sc
cured When this had been accomplished whicn ne
thought would be about the first of February, Dill
would be reported from the Committee on Pacific
Railroads authorizing q Government Endorsement OF
the Company's bonds to the extent of $4,000 mile
in return for q mortgage to be given the United
States on all the lands and property OF the Company
When asked what grounds there were for thinking
that such bill could pass the House. the lobby MEM
bers replied that there were reasons which he dld
not care to state but that the bill was strong upon
it's merits as public measure In the trst place IL
was an act of justice to the South. giving TO that
section some assistance to enable 1T to secure an out
~ to the Pacific Coast although much less valuable
aid than the North received for her two Paclnc Kali
roads On this account it would receive the solid



support from fair-minded Northern representatives
who think Congress ought to do something to aid
the development of the Southern States. In the
next place the construction of the road would do
much TO revive the PROSTATE iron industry OF
the country. and this argument had al
ready proven effective with several members
representing iron producing districts. He counted
ON n heavy vote from Pennsylvania on this account,
as well as on account of the controlling influence
exercised by Col Thos A. Scott over the members
from that State With the South unit for the olil
backed by Pennsylvania and the Pacific Coast dele
gation, he believed there would be no trouble IN
picking up enough members here and there In olher
States to make q majority. Once through the
House there would be no difficulty. The senate
had long been ready to pass the bill whenever the
friends of the road desired. He hoped the news
papers would not pitch into the measure until 1t
was brought up in the House, when they would find
that there was much more to say III Its 1avor tnan
they imagined.


Ipauiry among members from all sections does not
discover any such strong backing for the Southern
Pacific as this lobbyist and other friends OF the sud-
sidy project profess believe it has The South Is
not unit for it, The KeDtuckians and Mlssourlans
take no interest in it, and most OF them Will vote
against the bill principle. Sowlll the Flrgnians'
excepting the Republicans. 1t is, moreover, mis-
take to suppose that the whole body OF outgoing
members are going to be captured by this or any
other scheme of plunder. Many of them are the
best men in the House. with excellent records and
with future political hopes that would keep them
aloof from all such jobs if they had no convictions
OF character. great deal of reliance is placed on
the skill of Mr.. Scott in manipulating legislative
bodies but it will be discovered that controlling the
vote of State Legislatures on local questions is
much easier undertaking than persuading the
House Of Representatives to fly In the face OF an
angry and determined public sentiment, at a time,
too, when Congressman entertain wholesome
dread of the indignation of constituencies


AN ALLIANCE BFTwEEN THE NORTHERN PACIFIC


AND TEXAS PACIFIC IMPRoBABLE-po1ICY OF


THE NORTHERN PACIFIC DURING THE PRESENT


SESSION.


fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNEl


WASHINGTON, Dec. 10.-An officer of the Northern
Pacific Railroad says that there is no present
prospect of joint effort on the part OF that
Company and the Texas Pacific Company to
secure the passage of bill providing for Govern
1nent aid for both roads. but Tom Scott thinks
his project stronger without any such alliance
than with it, while the Northern Pacific people
would be glad to couple their project with Scotts
powerful scheme. They do not propose to
fight the latter because their proffer OF
united action is declined. They believe
that the passage of the Texas Pacific bill
will strengthen them, because no argument can be
brought forward in favor of the granting of Gov
ernment aid to one line that will not apply to the
other Besides the Northern Pacific is able to make
Congress more advantageous offer than Col. Scott
ran do. The Texas and Pacific has no land grant
west of Texas All the security it can give in return
for Government indorsement of its bonds
is therefore limited to its tax lands and whatever
railroad property it may create in the construction
of its line. The Northern Pacific Company has
an immense land grant extending clear to Puget,
and offers it all to the Government in return for
money enough to build its road. 1t is not probable
that the Northern Pacific Company will make an
effort to obtain legislation this Winter. Its agents
will carefully observe the situation and keep the
question of Government aid alive.