The true northerner. [volume], April 26, 1878, Image 6

About The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920

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IDE LITTLE II OY I DREAMED ABOUT.
BT MBS. S, M. B. MATT.
This Is the only world I know
It U In this same world, no doubt,
Ah ma I but I could lor Lira so,
If I could only nnd him out
The little boy I dreamed about I
This little boy who never UVes
The prettiest orange he can sre,
The reddest apple, sil the cakes
(Wnen there are twice enough for three)
Where can the darling ever be ?
B does not tease and storm and pent
To climb the roof In rain or sun,
And pull the pigeon's feathers out
To ee how It will look with none,
Or fight the hornet one to one I
Ji does not hide, and cut bis balr,
And wind the Hatches wrong, and cry
To throw the kitten down the stair,
To see how often It can die
(It's strange that you can wonder why !)
JJe never wakes too late to know
A bird is singing war his bed;
II tells the tired morn : " You may go
To sleep yourself lie never said,
When told to do a thing, " Tell Fred !"
U I say " go,n he will not stay
To lone a hat or break a toy ;
Then hurry like the wind away,
And whlhtle like the winjj for joy,
To please himself this little boy.
Let any stranger come who can,
lie will not say if it i true
Old lady " (or " old gentleman
" I wish you would go home, I do :
I think my ciainixia wants you to !"
Mo, fairy land is fur and dim ;
lie dot-i not play in sliver sand ;
But if I could believe in him
I could believe in fairy land,
Because you do not understand.
Dead T Dead ? Bomehow, I do not know,
The sweetest children die. We may
MIhs some poor foot-print from the snow,
That was his very own to-day
" Ood's will " is what the Christians say.
Like you, or you, or you can bo.
When you are Rood he looks, no doubt.
I'd give the goldeneet star 1 see
Iu all the dark to find him out
The little boy I dreamed about.
A LUCKY
TUMBLE.
"When. Mrs.
onatcuam asKOd me
asked
" knowing my usual kindness," whether
I would watch the baby in her cradle,
"just for half an hour," I felt that a
crisis had come. I must leave Mrs.
Snatchnm's.
I say Mrs. Snaicham's, for Mr.
fJnatcham was not unduly prominent in
ins own house, lie was a xneek man,
with tearful eyes. Mrs. Snatcham was
well, a woman with a will, and she
had eyes which made you feel uncom
fortablo. I had been privato tutor in
this abode for twelve months. My charge
consisted of four young gentlemen of
strong bodies and perverse dispositions.
They quarreled incessantly on all points
nave one. Against their lawless tutor
they combined heartily. Their cry was
over " War to the knife !" I had borne
it all; I might have continued to bear it
all, but no, I could not take charge of
tho baby, even for half an hour. I must
bid tho Snatchams adieu.
I was gloomily cogitating my next
movement when a letter arrived for me
from the only near relative I possessed
an old uncle, to whom I had written
detailing my troubles.
"Look here, Harry, "it ran, "if you've
a mind to live in peace asd die worth
money, you forget all about vour Latin
and Greek and such things. Fine things
tney are, l dare say, but I never saw
that they turned into much beef or mut
ton. You put your books in the fire and
jour pride in your pocket, and. never
take it out again. You know what I
was in early life, nephew. I kept a shop
a general shop in a country town,
and I didn't do so badly. Well, I've
just heard tho good will and stock in
trade of a shop of this kind in a little
town fifty miles from London is for sale,
and, say the word, and I'll buy it for
you. And, as your education has been
so neglected that you'd know nothing of
such a business, I'll come and steer you
aright for a timo, until fortune is before
you. There nowl"
Humph I I gave a gasp or two at this
grand proposition of my worthy rela
tive. Private tutorship at the Snatch
ama was poor enough, but tho keeping
of "a shop of all sorts ." in a oountrv
town, under the guidance of my good
uncle ! Well, it was the old story, " Wo
never know what we may come to."
And so I left the Snatchams and the
20 a year they gave me (by-theby, I
believe my successor received only 18
J 1 5? 1 A - 1 1 i .1
guineas, uuu uiu not oDjeci to mind the
baby), and wrote to my uncle that I was
ready to accompany him to the the
aaop. .Alas, for tho vanity of human
.designs ! News came back that my rel
ative had died suddenly, and had left
tho whole of his property to the " Sau-
. sago-makers' Benevolent Institution, "of
which he had been a Vice President, in
- company (to his great delight) with half
a dozen nobles of tho land.
However, all tho money needful on
ray account had been paid, and rather
Vban return to tho horrors of private tu
torship I secured tho services of an ex
perienced shojman, and determined to
try my fortune in tho new direction so
lauded by my deceased relative.
I do not want to lengthen my story,
and therefore I will comprise a great deal
in ono short sentence I tried and
I f ailed.
I soon began to perceive, not so very
far ofT, not the fortune my uncle had
foretold, but bankruptcy and the work
Louse. And when these pleasant pros
pects came very distinctly to my mental
vision, then it was I engaged to marry !
Thus it happened. I became attached
to the only daughter of a widow, living
some ten miles from my abode. It was
a speedy acquaintance and a quick ac
oeptance by the young lady, but some
Low the mother, without actually ob
jecting, would not sgroe, and I pressed
Miss Lucy for the reason.
" I have told you, you are going to
starvation," I said. My place is a
failure, and in a month we shall be in
the workhouse; the prospects are clear
and charming, and you are quite satis
fied. What is it then that troubles your
;mamma?"
"Well." answered Lucv. "it is very
jf foolish of mamma to conceal from you
something which you evidently don't
Tmow, though I wonder at your ignor
( i ice. It is your your establishment"
" Shop, we generally call it, Lucy;
tu how do "
,rX "n't you know it's haunted ?"
" Cryinot say I do, and I don't care if
it is."
" But, if I am to live with you there,
I care vwj much. They say that, for
weral nj.hts after bis death, old Jenks,
the formt! owner, was seen in his shop
in a grout nightcap and with a large
carving knife."
"A mofl formidable and disagreeable
sort of ghost, I must say ; but how have
yu heard this ?"
"Ah! there's the rocrot, although I
cannot imagine how the story of mam
ma's former connection with old Mr.
Jenks has not oomo to your ears. Now,
listen to me. But first solemnly promise
you will not repeat what I am about to
tell you. There, hold your tongue, and
don't interrupt me. You are so fond of
hearing yourself talk. Men are so much
given that way, I've told you half tho
truth, and that is more than you deserve.
Well, the other half, which you might
so easily have known if you had not
been so stupid, runs thus : My mamma
and Mr. Jenks were, formerly, near
neighbors, and Mr. Jenks fell violently
in love with mamma and offered her
marriage, and mamma refused him and
Mr. Jenks went mad, and one day he
presented a pistol to his head and
" Good gracious !"
"Would have killed himself, but
somebody knocked him down, and the
pistol went off, and mamma was stand
ing close by, and "
"Mercy on me I"
"Was nearly killed with fright.
Then, when Mr. Jenks came to his
senses, ho was so sorry, and though he
couldn't have mamma (for she married
papa, and he lived many years) yet he
made a will in mamma's favor, leaving
her everything. He told mamma so
positively ono day when he was poorly,
taking some gruel. Then he died; but
though search was made, high and low,
no will could be found, and a rich old
heir-at-law came in for everything. And
there's the reason mamma cannot bear
that place. An J, please, what is to be
done i
It was a curious story, and I had not
heard a word of it before. And as to
what was to be done, that was a puzzle,
1 could move, of course, but where to
and with what prospects of doing better.
and where were the costs of removal to
come from ? So I said I must argue the
point with Mrs. Barton, and this I did
and, having overcome her scruples, it
was agreed the marriage should take
place at once, and that we should all live
together and face the ghost, if need be
and, which were of much more import
ance, the diihculties of the situation.
And so Lucy and I were married, and
of course, were suDremelv hamv. and it
was not until three writs had been served
upon and four lawyers' letters been sent
me, and the gas company had cut off the
gas, and the landlord given me notice to
quit, that witli just a little feeling of
apprehension we began to consider what
next.
One night, after rather a loner confer
ence on the state of affairs, when Lucy
had apparently fallen into a deep sleep,
I roused up suddenly, fancying I heard
a sound below. V try gently rising so as
not to wake my wife I left the room and
looked down the stairs into the shop. A
little light entered through some aper
tures at the top of the shutters, and to
my astonishment and alarm I saw a fig
ure in white behind the counter, in the
act, as it seemed, of opening ono of the
canisters. Was it Mr. Jenks ghost?
The light was insufficient to show me
more than the bare outline of the figure
and tne slight movement of the arms.
1-1- - 1 fit. ... IV - 1 -
watched with rather a beating heart.
confess, for a minute, and then I thought
i i . ...
mai ueiore seeding closer quarters with
what might be an apparition, but which
much more probably was a burglar in
his shirt-sleeves, I would don some gar
ments ; so. refraininpr from coiner back
into tho bedroom and friehtenincr niv
wife, I went to an upper room and pro
cured some there. Then I again de
scended, and the figure was gone. I
went into the shop all in order. So.
much marveling, I went to bed.
hen next morning I told the story
my companions were scared.
"Let us go let us go out of the un
lucky place, "said my wife, passionately.
Whatever tneio is, Harry, sell it at an
alarming sacrifice,' and then you must
get a Secretaryship under Government,
or a J udgeship in the colonies, or some
thing of that kind. Mamma's sixth
cousin's husband is is well, I forgot
what he is, but there's some connection
or other between him and a member of
Parliament, and he must do something
for you, that's what it comes to. So
now. please, we'll go as soon as possi
ble." It was painful, but it was necessary,
to explain to my dear young wife that
the powers of her mamma's distinguished
relative, even should he be willing to
exert them, were probably limited. Lucy
would not believe it And the letter was
written and was not answered.
Well, now for the workhouse. And
upon my word I do think something
dreadful would have occurred, but
A few nights on again that sound.
"Lucy," I said, gently, but she did not
rouse, and I thought perhaps I had bet
ter not disturb her. It was quite dark
as I very quietly dressed, in part, and
stepped out on to the stairs. Again, a
little light of the very early morning
coming through the shutters revealed
faintly a white figure behind the counter
in the shop, its arm waving to and fro
and its head bending over as though
speaking to a customer. I strained my
eyes, but nothing more could I make
out than that the liead of the figure was
white.
" It must be the veritable Jenks." I
said to myself; " and that is his night
cap, wnere is tne carving-knife,
though?"
One would have thought the appari
tion heard me, for it moved aside, took
up something and waved it in the air.
It was my shop carving-knife.
Presently the figure rose and began to
ascend the stairs. It was a hard matter
to stand my ground, but I did, and then
I saw before me Lucy, my wife I She
was walking in her sleep. Fearing to
wake her, I stood aside to let her pass,
and my foot slipped and I fell heavily to
the bottom of the stairs.
Directly all was confusion. Mrs. Bar
ton, tho shopman and our small servant
ran out of their bedrooms, and Lucy,
awaking, shrieked and fainted. But I
was the worst off. So heavy had been
my fall that I had actually broken in the
flooring at the foot of the staircase, and
it was with some difficulty that they ex
tricated me.
Putting my hands behind me, to assist
myself, they touched what seemed to be
a small leather bag. I drew it forth.
"A money bag, I declare, and full of
coins I"
The shopman and tho small maid bad
retreated, having respect f or the proprie-
ties, but my wife and her mother looked
on with astonishment
"Sure enough, money," I continued,
jingling the contents of the bag. "Why,
there must have been soma secret re
ceptacle there, where my venerable
predecessor kept his valuables. Here
is a paper. Good gra What in the
world is this f "
They bent over my shoulder as by the
light of a solitary candle I read the in
dorsement" The Will of Simon Jenks."
It was not in any cover, so we read it at
once. It was very short, and was rough
ly drawn and written, as though the
form had been copied. But it was duly
witnessed and was perfectly intelligible.
The testator bequeathed all his prop
erty to Lucy Barton.
When we had drawn breath " A very
lucky tumble," I said, " and my bruises
are cured already."
The will was proved under 20,000.
CasacWs Magazine.
Judge Lynch in Alabama.
Nothing has been talked of here since
Friday but the foul assassination of
George Shoenberger, a butcher, and one
of our most prominent citizens, by two
negroes named lien iivans and Eph
Hall, instigated by Miko White, a white
man, and also a butcher. Peo
ple came in from every direction in
droves. By noon the streets of Hunts
ville, and especially in the neighborhood
of the jail, were literally packed. All
was expectation and anxiety. Thou
sands of eyes were turned down Merid
ianville road, in momentary expectation
oi tne small army known to be comincr.
Tho excitement was no n of tho most in
tense character. At 1:30 the people
shouted, " They come I" This allusion
was made to a large body of horsemen,
armeii with uoumh-barreled shot-aiins.
They observed perfect order, and formed
around the jail. Thero were hundreds
of them. Tho thousands of citizens and
countrymen thronging the streets gave
place to the horssinen. A demand was
made for the keys, but they could not
ue lound, nor tne Shenil. Armed with
sledge-hammers and crowbars, the mob
broke through the fence intj the jail
yard, and then into tho cells occupied
by the trembling murderers, who were
led out, bound, mounted on a wagon
and taken down Spring branch, half a
mile away, followed by the multitude.
Hopes were tied to tho limb of a tree
and adjusted about their necks. The
negroes reiterated the same tale they
nad nrst told, but Mike White main
tained his innocence. In the minds of
the people not a shadow of doubt exist
ed as to his guilt The condemned men
were asked if they had anything to say.
White said he had nothing, except that
he was innocent and ready to meet his
God. Evans said: " I know I have to
die. We were all in it. Hall shot the
guu, and 1 shot the pistol. Turning
to white. Evans said: "See. Mr.
White, what you have brought me to."
Hall said : "I've nothing to say more
than what I've already stated." Just
before swinging off, White said : " God
be with my wife I" They were asked if
they would like to be prayed for. White
said "No," but the negroes requested
the Rev. Mr. Gordon to pray for them,
which he did. The wagon was driven
from under them at 2:50, and tho trio
pronounced dead at 3:15 and their bodies
cut down. Huntsville (Ala.) Cor. Chi
cago Tribune,
Unpleasant .Memories.
In the executive session of the Senate
there was an interesting discussion over
the nomination of McNeil for Indian
Inspector. McNeil was a General in
tho Union service during the war, and
was in command in the disturbed dis
tricts of Missouri. When his case came
up for action, a Southern Senator
charged that he had wantonly hung ten
men. It appears that the men belonged
to ono of the guerrilla bands which
roamed over Missouri during tho war.
Senator Butler, of South Carolina, rose
and objected to raking up the dead is
sues oi tne past, lie said mat this oc
currence had taken place sixteen years
ago; that, whether Gen. McNeil had
been right or wrong, he did not wish to
discuss that. So far as he was concerned.
he should do nothing to revive tho un
pleasant memories of tho civil war, and
that nominations and all other questions
which came before the Senate should be
judged and acted upon without any
reference to what took place during tho
ar.
Gen. Gordon took the 6ame ground as
Gen. Butler. He said that he, too, had
gone through the war iu the military
service of the South, but that now he
wished to keep in everlasting sleep all
the bitterness of feeling and of section
engendered by that strife.
Senator Armstrong, of Missouri, said
that, during the war, the antagonism be
tween the Union men and the Southern
sympathizers in Missouri was unrelent
ing, deep-seated and irreconcilable, and
Missouri was, to a great extent, literally
a hell ; but that was all past now, and
he, too, deprecated any attempt to re
call or perpetuate the recollections of
those dark days.
These speeches produced a marked
impression upon the Senate, and result
ed in McNeil's confirmation. Washing
ton Cor, Chicago Tribune,
The European Situation.
England to Russia Now, after all, we
don't want to fight, do we ?
llussia Well, fighting is ugly busi
ness anyhow. I've just got through one
tussle, and
England Yes. Wo might get hurt,
mightn't we ?
Kussia Yes; one of us might
England How beautiful is peace and
good will.
Russia Yes. Angels do be peaceful,
don't they?
England Yes. You didn't mean all
you said, did you ?
Russia No. I was pretty mad then.
But you used some pretty hard words.
England Yes; maybo I did. But
let's be friends anyhow.
Germany Yaw, boysh; dat ish goot.
Zschake hands unt ton't be shooting
mit guns. Ef you zhoots I zhoots mit
mine too. I'ov, drei lager.
Nelson and Wellington (looking down
on this from the battlements of Nelson)
Well, if they ain't backing down and
taking water all around.
Wellington No, it's their frothy beer.
Poor, thin stuff. If they used the port
of our day we'd seen tho claret tapped
before this. New York Graphic.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD
Emphatic Condemnation of Sub
sidies.
The Thirty-Second Parallel ltoad Can
be Constructed Without Pledging
the Public Credit.
The Texas and Pacific Railroad.
Synopsis of the Minority Report.
Tho P&oifio Railroad Committer of the House
having by a vote of seven to nix agreed to re
port th Texaa-raciflo bill favorably two or
more of the seven expresiting their desire to
amend it, or defeat it on the floor the minor
ity members, Messrs. Morrison, Landers, Lut-
trell, Blair, Rice and Hewitt, have stated their
views in a report of which the following are Uftt
material portions :
We are unable to concur in the views of the
majority of the committee, but det-ire the adop
tion by Congress of such measures a will se
cure the early construction of a trans-continental
railroad for the special use and develop
ment of the Southern and Southwestern States
and Territories. We believe that this import
ant object can be accomplished without
subsidy from the Government and submit the
following views and the accompanying bill for
me coBsiuerauon oi tne House :
THE FBE8XNT CONDITION OF THIBOC1HIBN LIN.
The Texas and Taciflo Railway Company, a
corporation of the State of Texas, in the year
18 u was auuionzea bv Congress to construct
its road and telegraph from Marshall, in East
ern Texas, along and near the thirty-second
parallel of north latitude through that State
and the Territories of New Mexico and Arizona
to San Diego, a small city on the Pacific coant,
on tho bay of tho same name, supposed to ba
well adapted to commercial purposes, and Hav
ing a population of 4,000 to 5.000 people. The
distance from Marshall to San I)ieeo is esti
mated at 1,574 miles by the authorities of the
Texas and Tacino Company, while those of tho
Southern Pacific Company believe it to be about
1U() miles greater.
Falling to meet these provision, the Tex&a and
Taclflc Company hM obtained by construction and
puri-nae and has now la operation 413 miles of
road, which inclose a parallelogram in Northeaateru
Texan, having a bane of 183 miles, extending from
MarHball to Fort Worth, now the western teriuinui
or the road, which only is a part or tne trunk Hue.
The remainder of the 443 milea la ao located as to
secure the more caluable lands granted by the Htato
of Texas, probably becaune the pecuniary embar
rassments of the company were such that its credit
was based Chiefly upon the granted lands. There Is
thus remaining of the trunk line between Fort
Worth and Hun Diego a distance of 1,491 miles npen
which uotnlDg nas been done.
Of the ten years allowed by the charter within
which to complete this great wrk only four re
main, and a counlderable portion of one of these
must elapse before the enactment of the desired
legislation is possible. Slx-tentha of the time has
been consumed In the construction of less than
one-eighth of the truuk line, and that at the East
erly terminus, In clone connection with the great
middle system of roads and the central belt of
States, rather than with the Southern system of
roads and the Southern states,
The corporation has fa len thus far short of the
performance of It undertaking, although It re
ceived from the State of Texas the munificent
grant of the alternate sections of land for forty
miles In width along each side of Its line, or eighty
miles In all, through the State of Texas, and the
same from the united Mates tnrongh the Terri
tories and in California, contingent upon Its com
pliance with the conditions of the grant.
THE BU1IKIDT nf.KIHKD MOltK THAN THK nOAP.
The credit of the Texas and Pacific Company
was serious. y impaired Derore the panic of
and under its influence nas null further declined.
It admits its pecuniary inability, and osMigns that
as a reason for its failure to comply with the condi
tions imposed upon It by law.
In 1873 it applied to Conrres for a subsidy of
over $tR).000,0(jO, In addition to its laud grant of 21,.
e-M.OOU acres in Texas, and 18,000,000 In the Terri
tories, ocing a money subsidy or twice the nroba-
um cost oi Duuding ana equipping its road.
The application failed. It now changes the form
rather than the substance of its request, and asks
for a guaranty of lnteret on $i",000 a mile for the
easier and JIO.OH) for the heavier portions of the
roaa, amounting in au to IJ8.UW.WU at 0 per cent.
annually for flity years.
7 he bonds of the Government bearinir 4WTter
rout, m wroav nave recently Deen sold at par in re
funding the national debt. If the public faith hi
aept ana us credit unimpaired, the time is not re
mote whn the Government will be able to effect
loans at the rates of 3 aud 3 per cent., as now paid
by England. The difference between the interest
on these 6-per-cent. Texas and Pacific bonds for
nrty years and the ordinary rates which the Gov
ernment will have to pay on the name amount for
the same time, if invested as it misht be bv the
Government for the payment of Its own debt, would
amount to much more than the cost of the road, so
so that the Government would be far better off to
build the road and give it to the Tsxaa and I'aciAc
C'juipauy outright than to guarantee the interest on
us 3-per-cent. liltj-year bonds, according to its re
quest.
The total amount of interest guaranteed fcv tho
Government would, if paid into a sinking fund,
amount to more than $7iM),0O0,ooo in fifty years, and
wo are caueu upon to guarantee the payment of this
sum in additiou to the proceeds of the land grant
iu oruer to enauio me lexas ana raciao Company
to complete its road.
We are opposed to all pecuniary subsidies and
guarantees by the Government in whatever form for
the benefit of railroads at this time, however desir
able their construction. In time of peace private
capital seeking profitable investment will generally
promote commercial development quite as fast as is
connisteut with safety and penuauent prosperity.
If the men in charge of a meritorioua enterprise
command the confidence of capitalists, or even the
too easily-won trust of the middle classes, there is
no need of calling upon the nation for subsidies or
guarantees.
TB SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD.
a no Douiurro raciuo nanroad company is a cor
poration of the State of California.
This corporation has constructed its road to Fort
x uma, on tne easterly bank of the Colorado river,
in the southwesterly corner of the Territory of
uu, wmcu i uiauns to oe tne authorized point
of connection with the Texas aud Pacific read.
distance of about 110 niilea. Its track baa been laid
through and over extraordinary natural obstacw.
at the expense of tbout $t(J,lJOO,o)0, and the 330
miles of its Honthern portion passes through a des
ert, and for 164 miles nearest the Colorado without
an oaiis. This rod, built to preserve the charter,
is of little valuo eicept for its anticipated connec
tions with the Southern States, from which, owing
to the failure of the Texas and Pacific Company to
compiy wun me requisitions oi law, it is now more
than 1,200 miles distant.
The road is already there, with Its millions of
money invested over a sandy waste, upon the good
faith of the Government that the Texas and Pacific
road should be constructed so as to meet it at the
Colorado river ; or, In the event of the failure of
that corporation so to do, that Congress should take
such measures as should enable it to connect with
the Southern States of the Union.
position or
TH SOUTHERN PACIFIC) COMPANY.
The Southern Paciflo railroad, by force of the ab
solute necessity of its securing Eastern connections
as soon as peeeioie, in order to preserve Its capital,
la the only party which has both the power and the
disposition to bnild this road.
.f. . . IU nuo vompanyintenoseiiio oppo
sition to the guarantee asked by the Texas and Pa-
cino east oi tne kio Grande: but, contemplating the
contingency of the denial of guarantee of bonds to
?91P na r514 Company, and the consequent
total collapse of Us undertaking, strongly insisted
that Justice required that they should tint k hli in
check awaiting the result of continued applications
by the Texas and Paciflo Company for the money or
credit of the nation with which to perform what the
Southern Paciflo was ready to ao at onos for the
land grant alone.
To this bill the Texas and tmotfl nmn.. w
Jected. The only argument entitled to weight. In
onr opinion, was that the Southern Paciflo, connect
ing with the ocean at San Francisco, and, having
intimate business relations with the Central Paciflo
railroad, might enter Into combinationa uh i..t
Sr.l? !3ln't ?ubb0 lDtrt, and that the
advantages oi competition, and of an occasional
wuukwu i oma Aiego, would then be lost.
COMPETITION AND COMBINATION.
Ws believe that any competition between rival par-
allel lines of railroad for the same business, which
results in a lose to the oomDanlee. la inn tn mnA in
one of two waya, either In a combination by which
the pubuc wiu lose far more than It has ever gained
from competition, or. on the other hand, in the i-n.
lnous rutting of rate persisted in nntu tha k
corporation la ruined, the publio Is left to the rapac
ity of the survivor. There hi no real protection to
the public but In the enforcement of the law of
the land. Competition which takes from anroore.
tions Just compensation la quite as ruinous as eom-
uuiauuu wmcu gives uiera too much.
No on can believe that the Texas and Paciflo Cora
pauy would, after constructing iu Una t the Parian
ocean, long compete with any rival to Ite own loes
or even so as to produce any reduction of rates be
low the maximum to which the public would sub
mit; or that It would fail to repair its losses or In
crease Ite gains whenever an opportunity might of
fer. Ws repeat that nothing bat the law. and ths
enforcement of the law by the Oovernment, can
protect the publlo against the love of gain which Is
Inherent to human nature.
The truth la recognized by the bill of the Texas
and Pacific Company reported by the majority of
the committee, and stringent provisions are therein
made to hold that corporation within the
bounds of Justloe and law; vety unusual safeguards
being provided for in oontridtration of the fact that
the Government itself is really required by the bill
to furnish the means necessary to build the road
and give to the projectors an additional bonus of
$iH),ooo,00. lleatrlcttous and conditions in a char
ter can be enforced by the machinery of the law
against one corporation as well as another.
WILL THB SOUTHXBN PACIFIC OOIf PANT BUILD THE
ROAD?
We submit that It will work great wrong to the
Southern Pacific Hall road Corporation, to the great
South and Southwest, and to the whole country, to
reject this bill aud to enact the bill recommended
by the majority of the comm.ttee in the interest of
the Texas aud PaHflo Company, or to reject this
bill under any circumstances. This measure does
not antagonize, sor did the Southern Pacific rail
road antagonize before na any railroad project,
branch, or connection eaal of the Klo Grande.
It simply asks to build 0uo miles of railroad, half
way from the Colorado to Fort Worth, the present
westerly terminus of the Texas and Pacific Com
pany, and ninety additional miles iu California, to
complete the San Diego connection, without any
publio aid and subject to all reasonable restrictions
la Cb publie Interest. True, it desires the laud
grant, but we do not recommend it, becaase we be
lieve that this corporation will build the rpad with
out.
Should the representatives of that portion of the
country chiefly to be benefited, not by the subsidy,
but by the road, defeat this measure, It is difficult
for us to see how they can reasonably smect the
rest of the country to consent to burden the tax
payer and embarase our policy with the moat dan
gerous precedent, which would exhaust the treasury
with hundreds of subsidies throughout the unlimit
ed ruiure ox tne nation.
It would seem Impossible for any man to Justify
himself to his constituency and to his country at
large In a course which depletes the treasury when
all that is desired is attainable without expense to
the people.
VIEWS OP KESR. LCTTBXLL AND BLAIR.
Both the act and Its amendments required as a
condition precedent that the work should be proae
cuted simultaneously from the eastern and western
termini. By the act of 1873 there were required to
be completed not less than fOO miles vu the main
line in Texas and not less than 110 miles In Califor
ula by May J, 1878, whereas, In fact, leas than 200
miles of the main line have been completed westerly
from the Marshall terminus in Texas, and not one
mile or even a foot, from San Diego easterly. There
has been a marked failure on the part of the com
pany to comply with the terms on which the lauds
and franchises were granted. Thin contingency of
failure was, by the caution of Congress, foreseen
and provided for in both seta, a proviso that
" Upon failure to so complete it, congress may
adopt such measures as it may deem necessary and
proper to secure its speedy completion.
In this attitude ox aiieirs it represents that
would be a great hardship to be compelled to watt
indefinitely upon a disabled company for a connect
ing road from tha taut, and asks of us the privilege
of continuing its road eastward through the Tern
tories to the Kio Grande and as much farther as
might be necessary to meet the Texas roads within
six years. Such Is the desire for an outlet to the
East, which shall admit it to participation In through
overland trade, that It offers that, if its request be
granted to construct a line to San Diego harbor In
addition to Its present ocean termini, and to prorate
on through business with all i-astern connections
to San Francisco or other pointa, and to allow C n-
gress to impose the ratea and fares on the line be
tween its Eastern and Western termini at Paciflo
ports, although asking no aid of the United States
which it Is not its advantage for Congress to grant.
This is rather more than It is within the power of
the other company to offer. No good and satisfac
tory reason is found why this proposition should
not be promptly and cheerfully accepted.
PROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT.
Two propoeitions are before us looking to that
end. One of them, the Texas and Paciflo, seeks to
retain Us land grant from the United States,
amounting to 18,000.000 acres, to obtain two years'
additional time, and a special and extraordinary
grant or tne credit or the nation In the orm of an
indorsement upon $38,730,000 of the company's
bonds, pledging it to the payment of 0 per cent, gold
Interest for fifty years.
The other, the Southern Pacific, asks only our
sanction to continue Us road eastward across the
Territories within the same time, but without any
other or further assistance than ihe continuous
grant of lands now at the disposal of Congress.
men or these two propoeitions as guardians of
the publio Interest can we adopt 7 Which of these
two candidates, as practical business men, ought
we to intrust with this undertaking ? We should
elect the proposition most favorable to the cnivt of
the people, ft wonld seem that by the charter the
grant or land along the thirty-second parallel line
in the Territories was made double that of the clo-
neer line by the forty-first parallel, as if in lieu of
future aid in money or credit.
Were we administering our own private business
could we for a moment hesitate between these of
fers, one of which, besides being undeserved favor.
involves grave responsibilities, dangerous precedent
and great risks, whilo the other avoids all commit
ments, all doubtful policy, and insures all its prof,
fered benefits within the same time without the
rick of a dollar of the people's money or credit?
We conceive we are not here as the almoners of the
bounty of the Oovernment to ite citizens or corpora
tions, but as guardians of the public welfare and
trustees of ite property and credit of the natioD,
worn to obey the constitution and protect the best
interests cf the people, and in this view we cannot
concur in the report of the majority, whk-h tiro-
poses to grant a subsidy or guaranty of f :W,73),000
of the people's money or credit to a corporation.
ANTI-BUBfUDY TIEWS OP MB. MORRISON.
The Texas and Pacific Railroad Comoanv aeek ti
obtain the guarantee of the United Sta'es for the
payment of the interest on 138.730.000 of flftv-vear
0 per cent, bonds, to be issued by said railroad oom-
psny, and used by it in building and extending its
railroad from Fort Worth, in Texas, to the Paciflo
ocean at San Diego, in California. The road to be
constructed is 1,400 miles in length; the bonds to be
issued amount to 117.678 per mile; and the interest
guaranteed to be paid by the United States, used as
a sinking fnnd, and Invested in Government bonds
bearing the same rate of interest, would nay 1300.-
00,000 of the public debt.
POWER OP CONORKSS DOCDTFCL.
Has Congress the power to authorize the coveted
guarantee? If it has. then bower has been con
ferred upon Congress to make gifts of the public
moneys and public property to private corDomtions
and individuals, lias any such power been granted
by the constitution, or Is it necessary to the execu
tion of any power that It Is granted?
inis railroad, when built, will be the private
property of the shareholders. It will be a luiiitarv
uu jimi-rou in uie same sense, ana to the same
extent, and none other, that all other railroads of
the country over which the Government mav trans
port Us malls, troops or supplies for reasonable
compensation, are military aud post-roads. It is
submitted that the power has not been conferred
upon Congress to make ihe United States a party
in auca an enterprise Dy BUDscriptlon to its capital
stock ; or more, to authorize the construction of
the road ot of the resources of the people to be
uiauo gui u tne raiiroaa company.
The attempt to derive such power, the nnwr in
build and give away a railroad from the power to
tetallUh millttry and Post roads. Is. in the onlnion
of ths undersigned, an attempt to prevent the ob
vious purpose or a power intended for the public
ood to private ends. Ths United States are
lound to provide fur the general defense, but tt
does not follow that they may construct or operate
a railroad for the exclusive benefit of a private cor
poration, necause they may ultimately aud In some
possible contingency want to use It for a military
ixii pose, any more than thevmavs-o Into nartner.
ship with a stock raiser because horses are neces
sary in war. The United States have power to reg-
States, but it does not follow that thev mav lndoraa
uio ireurn commerce ana commerce between the
the notes of a shipbuilder or merchant by wav of
tlmulatlng and encouraging businena. The un.
ueratgned is unable to perceive any distinction in
principle between these cases and the demand of
the projectors of this railroad for a loan of the Gov-
ernment cedit to the extent of many millions, with
wuwu to prosecute private speculation.
DANOEB OP SUBSIDIES.
Ths railroad company which asks for this en
ormous appropriation of credit presents no claim
upon me public wnicn entities it to exemption
tmiu tne general rule, ins enterprise is eeeen-
tiauy a private one, and the company has already
received from the United Rtata an. I tha flt nt
Texas a auffloient basis of credit to have built the
road, had Its assets been prudently managed.
a he undersigned i not unmindful of ths fact
at a later period a different rule of construction
prevailed from that which In the earlier days of ths
republic, and which is now hers Insisted upon.
and unrestrained
never will be hon
Undelegated power Is necessarily unregulated
Power usurped never was and
honestly administered.
But it Is submitted that this belief affords no
sufficient Justification for the guarantee and sub.
idy asked. For were rt tendered, as it is not, that
this enterprise is essentially of the Sauthern char.
acter with which It Is attempted to be stampe d, no
reason can be built upon that fact which may not
be urged with equal force as a reason wbv the Gov.
ernment should equalize between the lately contend
ing sections all the losses resulting from "our un
fortunate civil disturbances."
becobo or the democratic pabtt.
Ths statement of the tualorlty that the Govern
ment of the United States, In view of the quantity
of lands given to It by tbe Southern States, has been
nnjust to the South in the bestowal of bounties, la
believed to find IU refutation In the character of
the men who before the war represented that sec
tion. They were too sensitive as to the rights of
their section to be satisfied with lees than was right
fully theirs. The undersigned Is not advised as to
how the Texas and Paciflo Railroad Comnanv an.
quired ths franchise and right of way by which it
is authorised to construct Its railroad from Fort I
Worth to El Paso, In ths Stale cf Texas, whether by
grant from the State of Texae or by purchase from,
or consolidation with, ths Memptia, El Paso and
Paciflo Railroad Company, nndef tbe fourta sec
tion of ths act of March , 1871, entitled, "An act
to incorporate ths Tssaa Paciflo Bail road Company,
and to asd In ths construction of Its road for other
PYnthe"cae of Tsvts vs. Oray, 1 Wallace, page
903, United States Supreme Court decided that tac
Memphis, El Paso and Paciflo was a surviving cor
poration, with all Us property in possession, and
all its faculties unimpaired. This franchise and
right of way the company propose to m.rtgsge to
Indemnify the Government for Us guarantee. It
becomes a material fact, therefore, to know if it
was ever acquired In either of the modea suggested,
or otherwise, and whether it has been forfeited cr
lost with ths Texas land grant. Tbe uadersinned
expresses no opinion upon this question, which
was not considered by the committee, but submiU
that due regard for the interests of the Govern
ment demands that before any guarantee la made,
baaed in part on a mortgage of the said franchise
and right of the way, the House should be Informed
and advised as to ths title to what Is proposed to be
mortgaged.
WIT AM) I1UM0K.
Matteks of interest Conpoae,
Flouii seeds Kernels of wheat.
A riohtino book The dictionary.
SnLii life Manufacturing whisky.
A sigj? of spring i To let."
Still waters run for 15 cents a glass.
A full May sure Thirty -one days.
Can a growing red nose be called
beak-coming ?
The croquet expert : This
maiden all for lawn.
The best perfumery is not
scent from Cologne.
18
the
always
Now is the time to put your hens
under londs with a coop on.
It is to be hoped it will be " Hew
and cry" with the timber thieves.
If homes chewed tobacco there would
be more horse-spittles than there are at
present.
"When a man has no bills against him
he feels as though he belonged to the
nobility.
England may be mistress of the
Cs," but she has never yet been able to
fairly master the lis.
How doth the little frog pipe up
Hit sad and tuneful lay ;
And from each swamp ad hidden bog,
He yelleth, " What d'ye soy?"
Bterstadt, the artist, once proposed
to Dr. Mary Walker. He proposed
that she get out of his studio, and she
agreed.
It cost $177,414.74 to supply our
troops with tobacco last year. Ux. But
it was not enough to give them a pipe o'
peace. Ph iladctyhia Bulletin.
A fervant girl, writing a letter,
asked her master if the next month had
come in yet; he laughed. "Well,"
said she, "what I mean is, has the last
month gone out yet ?"
Ghace Greenwood was standing in a
Washington horse-car, when a sudden
start of the car threw her over into a
gentleman's lap, when she said, I beg
ardon. sir ; but you see I am a Lap
ander." Ax old black woman, reciting her
speerunce," said she had been to
heaven. "Did you see any of decol
ored ladies dar ?" asked a young sister.
" Oh, you get out ; you s'pose I weat
in de kitchen when I was dar?"
A reckless individual propounds this:
"What is the difference between the
present excitement in England and a
push-cart?" Answer: "One is "war
feeling " and the other is " for wheel
ing. A pnysician says ins recovery is
very doubtful.
Dentist (to the old lady alxmt pur
chasing some false teeth) "For masti
cation, my dear madam, they can only
be surpassed by nature herself." Old
lady " O, laws, doctor ! I don't care
nothing about the mastication if I cau
only chaw with 'em."
CRUMBS FROM THE BREAKFAST TAJ1LE.
A "nobby" thing in boots corns.
Did you ever see a town that hadn't
the best brass band in the State.
Even Jo Cook cannot explain why a
chicken always prefers to be on tho other
side of the fence from a tramp.
Y hen the poet sang of something that
was " strong without hands, he proba
bly referred to butter.
A good deal of abuse is being show
ered upon the dollar, but it will never
get lonesome for the want of friends
buzzard or no buzzard.
Forty-seven thousand Canadians have
gone to Europe with the expectation of
getting to be sutlers in the Eastern war.
Peter Cooper is not obliged to have
his old clothes dyed and renovated. He
has 810.000.000 laid bv for damp
weather.
Which would you rather : Go to
Wheeling, in Virginia, to Reading or
Eaton, in Pennsylvania, to Warren, in
Ohio, or to Diggin, in California ?
Dr. Gleason says the surest, quickest
and best means of stopping nose-bleed
is a vigorous motion of the jaws. So,
so, ah ! That accounts for the complaint
being almost exclusively confined to the
whiskered sex.
Political economy strikes a snag that
won't budge sometimes. The bulk of a
loaf of bread indicates with unerring
precision the condition of the times, but
the size of a tobacco quid never varies.
The talking machine is all very well
in its way, but will Mr. Edison allow old
Father Time to jump into the next oent
ury without making an effort to send
along a beefsteak-pounder that will make
future generations rise up and call him a
bully boy ?
The Moffett punch may helD a little.
to be sure, but, if Congress will only en
act that original poetry shall be recog
nized as a legal tender at 10 cents ter
stanza, this office will assume the nation
al debt and move into a marble bnildintr
at once.
The printers on the Philadelrhia In
quirer set up the "Night before Christ
mas" twenty years ago, and every year
since. Exchange. That is nothing.
We have a friend who sat nn avppt nicht
in the year twenty years ago, and has
every year since. He is a night-editor.
Tha Famine In India.
There are still nrmard of 2S0.00O
people on Government rHpf in India.
either emrdoved on nnhlin works or
being fed in canons nnd nnAnitals. and
the prospects of anv sraadT decline of
distress are getting more remote as the
season advances. PracticAllT the ef
fects of famine will nrcss on the Govern
ment resources for at least another year.
whu regard to the area of existing dis
tress in Southern India, certain parts of
ne ii vsore state are undoubtedly the
worst of all,
r
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