Year: 1876

The San Bernardino Argus informs
the HERALD that San Bernardino
county is in favor of subsidizing a
railroad. If this statement simply
means that infinitesimal portion of
the county composed of the editor of
the Argus, we think it is probably
true; but if it is intended 10 mean the
actual settlers and taxpayers of the
county, with all due Difference to the
superior wisdom of the gentleman who
makes the assertion, We beg to assure
him that We do not believe single
word of it. The people of San Bernar-
dino county-those who own the prop
erty and pay the taxes-are not in fa-
vor of subsidy. They do not wish to
burden themselves and their children
with heavy Indebtedness in order to
subsidize the railroad of Senator JONES
nor the railroad of any one. If this
matter is ever submitted to vote of
those people our statement will be
verified by a large majority. The Er-
press of this city is wont to tell its
readers that the people of San Bernar-
dino decline to patronize the Southern
Pacific road, and refuse to accept the
transportation facilities offered by that
thoroughfare. We are not informed
as to the truth OF this, but we doubt if
it is true in whole or in part. If,how-
ever, there is an antagonism between
our neighbors and their railroad which
extends to degree that prevents pat
ronage and communication, we can
not see how they would benefit
themselves by complying with the
wishes of the Argus and En-
press. A few years ago, as we
remember, the people of Stockton and
San Joaquin county were induced
to vote subsidy of nearly one mil
lion dollars to the Stockton and Cop
peropolis Railroad, on the assurance
that under no consideration would the
road ever pass to the control of the
Southern Pacific Railroad Company.
But in less than two years that cor
poration owned both the Stockton and
Copperopolis road and the subsidy
bonds. 1t is proper to state that this
transfer was made, not at the instance
and desiIe of the Southern Pacific
Company, but because the managers
of the new road found themselves una
BILE to either build more road or oper-
ate what they had built. This would
be the fate of the road and bonds the
Argus and ErpresS are asking the
people of Los Angeles and San Ber-
nardinO counties to vote and build.
We should be pleased to see opposi-
ton roads built all over the country,
if they could be maintained and oper.
ated as opposition roads. But they
cannot, or at least until man ceases to
care more for his own profit than that
of his neighbor, they will not. We
have been assured by the Express,
that even so great and good Il man as
Senator JONES has his price. What
that price is we do not know, and
through fear that we might place it
too. high or too low, we shall refrain
from even conjecturing. We are,
however, of the opinion that the Sec
tion of the opposition road now built
is for sale, and may be purchased for
considerable less sum than it has
cost. If the people ever find it neces-
sary to subsidize q railroad, they
should, and we believe will do so un-
der circumstances that will enable
them to both own and control their
own property, and thereby prevent it
passing into the hands of those who
did not build the road and were in no
sense responsible for the Indebtedness
the taxpayers were induced to inn
pose on themselves in order that 1t
might be built.