Year: 1870

full railroad capitalists, SPECTATORS and


monopo!iss who are behind them, with the


Albany lobby and country legislators who are
| looking for their reward, are Intensely ex,ised


betweca hope aud fear. AL that inlae CO,


money aud Misrepresentation can do viii b.
done to accomplish their object. Where they
cannot reach the Governor directly they Will
try to do so indirectly, in order to obtain his
signature 10 this infamous melsur. On the
other hand, the peopls OF Nav York, who
want to prevent the spoliation OF Broadway
that beau ifnl ana principal thor ouyhfare and
centre OF business Of the city-aal tho pro-
perry holders, who have five or six hundred
millions of dollars at stake, are anxious
to avert the outrage and Wholesale rob-
berry contemplated by the Arcade bill and its
projectors. On ono sido are a few spectators
and railroad moaopoiists, with great railway
king ut the head and back of them, who has
the Wanting ambition to appropriate and rule
New York as he dos the railroad property
under his control. On the other side are the
mass of the people, the holders Of the most
valuable properly in the city, the representa-
tives of the city il. the Legislature and the
most important business interests. On which
side will Governor Hoffman place himself?
There can be no question as to his duty and
looking at the higa and Independent position
he occupies, at his ve.oes Of other outrageous
railroad schemes, and at his prospect OF e.eva-
ton in the future TO still higher Office In the
country, we cannot doubt that he viii veto this
most infamous Of all the measures that have
come before him.


The public are not well enough Informed,
perhaps, of the enormity of the outrage to b.
perpetrated by the Arcade Railroad bill, for it
is cunningly framed to cover up some Of its
bad features, though the contemplated destruc-
ton of Broadway is sufficient to arouse ndigna-
tion. The Governor, however, will understand
the secret purposes of the conspirators. He be-
longs 10 the city, was raised to his high posi-
tion from Il, and no man knows better its wants
and interests. Then be belongs TO that school
of poll ics which believes in the direct repre-
sentatives of u community having right to
control their affairs. VIII he permit the igno-
rant or purchased country members OF The
Legislature to spoil our city and appropriate
the property of the citizens. when our Sena-
tors and members generally voted against the
proposed spoliation? Is the great city of New
York 10 be at the mercy of these iynorans and
corrupt men from the rural districts? But we
said tho people were not fully aware, probably,
Of the extent of the enorniity contemplated in
4bo IL, pail III
that the pnblic squares and parks, as well as
our beautiful Broadway, are to be given to
unprincipled speculators-to men who have no
public spirit or patriotism, and who would
sacrifice the best interests Of Our citi-
zens to make money. The bill is 80
inseniously framed that they can take the
public ground at the Battery, the City Hall
park. Union square, other public squares
aud portion of Central Park. In fact, it
places our ctyin the hands and at tho
mercy of few grasping railroad monopolsts.
1t enables them to destroy the mos. valuable
business property in the city and to divert the
current of business in other channels in which
they have secured large Interest. 1t is the
most stupendous ard Infamous job ever con-
cocted in this metropolis or passed by the
Legislature.


We have frequently of late shown that the
railroad power of the country is becoming
stronger than all other interests, than State
Legislatures, aud, in some instances, than
Congress itself. Here we have case in
point. The maynates of the New York Cen
trail, Hudson River AMI Harlem railroads
have controlled the State Legislature
at Albany and proved superior to
public sentiment. This is notable
example; but we might show how
absolutely the Pennsylvania Legislature
is ruled by the Central Railroad of that State,
how the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad controls
the State OF Maryland, and how other great
railroad monopolies do as they please. The
rapid tendency to consolidation of nearly oil
the railroad interests of the country in the
hands of few trunk lines and o few railroad
kings points out the danger that lies before
us. Every business man, farmer, statesman,
merchant and laborer, will be at the mercy of
these monopolies. They can tax the people
everywhere in travelling and in the transpor
tation of produce and goods as they please.
They can make the people pay dividends on
stocks which have been inflated or watered
two or three times over. They have greater
power of taxation than the government of the
United States, and the material interests and
progress of the country are more under their
control than under the government at Wash
ington. They are entirely irresponsible, and,
as corporations have no souls, they can have
no regard for the public. They study only
their own interests. The State Legislatures,
as we hayo said, are their crea-
lures Congress alone can check the
growing evil and regulate the railroads
Of the country. 1t must come to that. There
is no protection for the people but in that. The
railroads are the great arteries OF commerce