THE PACIFIC RAILROAD INIQUITY.
On the first day of July, A. D. 1862, the charter of the Union Pacific
railroad was passed. It contains, among others, the following
provisions, to-wit:--
"SECTION 2. That the right of way through the public lands be, and the
same is hereby, granted to said company for the construction of said
railroad and telegraph line, and the right, power, and authority, are
hereby given to said company to take from the public lands adjacent to
the line of said road, earth, stone, timber, and other materials, for
the construction thereof. Said right of way is granted to said railroad
to the extent of two hundred feet in width on each side of said
railroad, where it may pass over the public lands, including, all
necessary grounds for stations, buildings, workshops, and depots,
machine shops, switches, side tracks, turn-tables, and water stations."
The right of way was reduced to one hundred feet for each side of the
railroad, by act of congress of July 2, 1864, and the right to take
material for the construction of the road was limited to ten miles on
each side thereof, by the same act. By this section the company is
allowed to take from the public lands all the material needed in the
construction of the road; to strip the lands, and leave them naked for
the people. The real value of the lands is given to the company; the
refuse left for the American people.
A part of the third section reads as follows:--
"That there be, and is hereby, granted to the said company, for the
purpose of aiding in the construction of said railroad and telegraph
line, and to secure the safe and speedy transportation of the mails,
troops, munitions of war, and public stores thereon, every alternate
section of land, designated by odd numbers, to the amount of five
alternate sections per mile, on each side of said road, on the line
thereof, and within the limits of ten miles on each side of said road,
not sold, reserved, or otherwise disposed of, by the United States, and
to which a pre-emption or homestead claim may not have attached at the
time the line of said road is definitely fixed. Provided, that all
mineral lands shall be exempted from the operation of this act; but when
it shall contain timber, the timber is hereby granted to said company."
By the act of congress of July 2, 1864, this act was so amended as to
grant ten alternate sections on each side of the road, and to grant to
the company the iron and coal found within ten miles of the road. The
reader will notice the reasons given for this grant. 1st. To aid in the
construction of the road; a legitimate reason. 2d. _To secure the safe
and speedy transportation of the mail, troops, munitions of war_, &c.
Twenty sections of land per mile are given to the company for the
purpose of securing the safe and speedy transportation of troops, and
above enumerated articles. It has been said that a poor reason is better
than no reason. Of all poor reasons given for an act, this appears to be
one of the weakest. The reader will not be able to discover its force.
As we progress, we will find that from its inception this Pacific
railroad charter, and amendments, were "conceived in sin, and brought
forth in iniquity;" that, in its provisions and grants, it presents a
state of facts which stamps the whole scheme as a base fraud upon the
public, planned by men who were seeking to enrich themselves at the
expense of their country; and that congress, either from inattention to
the interests of the people, or because the spoils were to be divided,
granted the company the precise charter that was to enable it to plunder
the public without hindrance.
That we may not be regarded as treating the subject captiously, let us
concede that the reason given was a good one, and that the grant of
lands would give security to the transportation of the mails; still the
thought presents itself that a grant of lands to the value of $15,500
per mile would be ample aid for the people to give to this company, in
the construction of its road. It is not a government work, owned by the
public, operated and controlled by the government. It is a private
enterprise, and while all persons see the necessity of a railroad
connection between the Atlantic and Pacific states, but few will indorse
the policy of the government giving to this private company more aid in
lands and money than the entire cost of the road, or more than it would
have cost if built by private capital. And when it is found that this
large grant is made without any equivalent, that not even the mails,
troops, or munitions of war, can be transported over the road without
the payment of just such rates as this private corporation chooses to
charge, the conclusion is inevitable that the good, not of the public,
but of the corporation, was the controlling motive in affording it aid;
that the untold millions of subsidy bonds, and vast tracts of land
wrongfully taken from the public, and given to this company, was but
placing the interests of the whole people, in their social and business
intercourse across the continent, at the mercy of a soulless
corporation.
The donations we have already noticed are the "right of way;" the right
to take all building material within ten miles of the road, and the
grant of twenty sections of land per mile. But this is not all. Section
five of the act provides: "That for the purposes herein mentioned, the
secretary of the treasury shall, upon the certificate, in writing, of
said commissioners, of the completion and equipment of forty consecutive
miles of said railroad and telegraph line, in accordance with the
provisions of this act, issue to said company bonds of the United States
of one thousand dollars each, payable in thirty years after date,
bearing six per centum per annum interest (said interest payable
semi-annually) which interest may be paid in United States treasury
notes, or in any other money or currency which the United States have,
or shall, declare lawful money, and legal tender, to the amount of
sixteen of said bonds per mile; and to secure the repayment to the
United States, as hereinafter provided, of the amount of said bonds so
issued and delivered to said company, together with all interest thereon
which shall have been paid by the United States, the issue of said bonds
and delivery to the company shall _ipse facto_ constitute a first
mortgage on the whole line of the railroad and telegraph, together with
the rolling stock, fixtures, and property of every kind and description,
and in consideration of which said bonds may have been issued." As we
shall hereafter see, this section was amended by act of July 2d, 1864,
so as to allow the company to issue its own bonds to the same amount per
mile issued by the government, and to subrogate the government bonds to
those issued by the company, thus making the bonds issued by the company
the first mortgage bonds.
Section six provides for the transmission of messages by telegraph, and
the transportation of the mails, troops, munitions of war, supplies, and
public stores for the government, giving it the preference at all times,
"at fair and reasonable rates of compensation, and not to exceed the
amount paid by private parties for the same kind of service."
Section eleven reads as follows:--
"That for three hundred miles of said road, most mountainous and
difficult of construction, to-wit: One hundred and fifty miles
westwardly from the eastern base of the Rocky mountains, and one hundred
and fifty miles eastwardly from the western base of the Sierra Nevada
mountains, said points to be fixed by the president of the United
States, the bonds to be issued in aid of the construction thereof shall
treble the number per mile hereinbefore provided, and the same shall be
issued, and the lands herein granted be set apart, upon the construction
of every twenty miles thereof, upon certificate of the commissioners as
aforesaid, that twenty consecutive miles of the same are completed; and
between the sections last named, of one hundred and fifty miles each,
the bonds to be issued to aid in the construction thereof shall be
double the number per mile first mentioned, and the same shall be
issued, and the lands herein granted be set apart, upon the construction
of every twenty miles thereof, upon the certificate of the commissioners
as aforesaid, that twenty consecutive miles of the same are completed;
provided that no more than fifty thousand of said bonds shall be issued
under this act to aid in constructing the main line of said railroad and
telegraph."
This vast amount of bonds was issued to the main line of the road,
which, as will be seen by an examination of the first section of the
act, terminates at the western boundary of Nevada territory. This
company, under its charter, gets $50,000,000 in bonds; its charter does
not authorize it to construct the whole road to the Pacific, but to the
western boundary of Nevada, where it meets the Central Pacific railroad,
built by a company chartered by the legislature of California. Fifty
millions in bonds, with the privilege of subrogating the security for
their payment to a like amount issued by the company as first mortgage
bonds on the road, with the grant of lands above named, the right of
way, and the right to all building material within ten miles of the line
of the road; this is deemed a fair provision for one company. In order
that no charge of selfishness, or want of charity, should be brought
against congress, it next turned its attention to other companies.
Perhaps it was thought promotive of the interest of this corporate
power, now controlling the government, that there should be unity of
action and purpose; that its strength should be so great, and its
ramifications so extensive, that neither private persons nor the public
would dare to resist its demands. The necessity for a railroad from the
Atlantic to the Pacific states was not the only consideration
influencing the law-making power of the country. This fact is clearly
apparent from the provisions of the charter, for numerous branch or
spike roads are included in the charter, and provided for in the land
grants and subsidy bonds.
Let us look at the "Central Pacific railroad company," of California.
This company received its charter from that state, was duly organized,
and as we are informed, was at work on its road when the charter was
granted by congress to the "Union Pacific." But congress, not to show
partiality, in the ninth section of the charter of the Union Pacific,
provides for the Central Pacific as follows:--
"The Central Pacific railroad company, of California, a corporation
existing under the laws of California, is hereby authorized to construct
a railroad and telegraph line from the Pacific coast, at or near San
Francisco, or the navigable waters of the Sacramento river, to the
eastern boundary of California, upon the same terms and conditions, in
all respects, as are contained in this act for the construction of said
railroad and telegraph line first mentioned, and to meet and connect
with the first mentioned railroad and telegraph line on the eastern
boundary of California."
Here is a company building its road exclusively in a single state, under
a charter derived from a state having the exclusive control of its own
affairs, and not subject to the legislation of congress, or the
administration of the general government, like the territories; yet
congress, that it may aid a great monopoly, assumes control of the
matter, reaches out its hand laden with the people's land, and the
people's money, and says to this California company: "If you will unite
with and become a part of this giant monopoly we are creating to crush
the people, and will accept the provisions of this act and render fealty
to the general government as the 'higher power,' we will give you twenty
sections of land, and subsidy bonds to the amount of sixteen thousand
dollars per mile, with the privilege of issuing your own first mortgage
bonds for an additional sixteen thousand dollars per mile for every mile
of road you build in the state of California." Of course this California
company accepts this tempting offer, and in addition to the fifty
thousand of subsidy bonds for sixteen thousand dollars each to the Union
Pacific, an additional sixteen thousand dollars per mile is issued to
the Central Pacific, all of which, as we will show, principal and
interest, will in the end come out of the pockets of the people. The
uniting of these two companies, and the completion of their roads and
telegraph lines, afforded to the country and the government (provided in
all cases they paid to the companies the amounts they charged therefor)
a road for the purpose of travel, and transportation of freights, and
secured a _"safe and speedy transportation of the mails, troops,
munitions of war, and public stores thereon,"_ and if the construction
of the road was aided for that purpose, it would seem to have been
accomplished, and as a matter of justice to the public, no further
burdens should have been imposed upon the public. Two companies had been
provided for at the people's expense, and all that was demanded for the
prosecution of the public business had been effected. But there was
danger that other through lines of railroad might be constructed across
the territories that might become rivals of this giant monopoly. The
Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad company were across the state of
Missouri, looking to the west. The Leavenworth, Pawnee, & Western
company were preparing for action. A road was crossing Minnesota and
Iowa to strike the Missouri river at Sioux City. Any or all of these
roads might become rivals. To prevent such a catastrophe, and to retain
for all time to come an absolute and exclusive monopoly, these companies
must be absorbed, or at least rendered harmless. To assist this scheme,
congress is called upon for further aid from the public lands and
treasury. The response is all that could be desired. It gave the final
blow to competition, and left the people powerless in the grasp of this,
the greatest monopoly in the country. A monopoly created by the servants
of the people, and enriched with spoils taken from the people, in
violation of every principle of right and justice, had been created by
act of Congress, and to insure it the absolute control of the country,
anything promising competition must be absorbed. To accomplish this
object, the same act, section nine, provides: "That the Leavenworth,
Pawnee, & Western railroad company, of Kansas, is hereby authorized to
construct a railroad and telegraph from the Missouri river, at the mouth
of the Kansas river, on the south side, so as to connect with the
Pacific railroad of Missouri to the aforesaid point, on the
one-hundredth meridian of longitude west from Greenwich, as herein
provided, upon the same terms and conditions in all respects as are
provided in this act for the construction of the railroad and telegraph
line first mentioned, and to meet and connect with the same at the
meridian of longitude aforesaid; and in case the general line or route
of the road from the Missouri river to the Rocky mountains should be so
located as to require a departure northwardly from the proposed line of
said Kansas railroad before it reaches the meridian of longitude
aforesaid, the location of said Kansas road shall be made so as to
conform thereto; and said railroad through Kansas shall be so located
between the mouth of Kansas river as aforesaid, and the aforesaid point,
on the hundredth degree of longitude, that the several railroads from
Missouri and Iowa herein authorized to connect with the same can make
connection within the limits prescribed by this act, provided the same
can be done without deviating from the general direction of the whole
line to the Pacific coast."
It will be seen that one of the rival lines is given a premium of lands
and bonds to intersect with the Union Pacific near the east end thereof;
it becomes, for a consideration, a part of this great monopoly, and
abandons all idea of competition.
Section ten provides for a union or consolidation of the Union Pacific,
the Central Pacific, the Leavenworth, Pawnee, & Western, and the
Hannibal & St. Joseph companies; and section thirteen provides: "That
the Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad company, of Missouri, may extend its
road from St. Joseph, via Atchison, to connect and unite with the road
through Kansas, upon filing its assent to the provisions of this act,
upon the same terms and conditions in all respects, for one hundred
miles in length next to the Missouri river, as are provided in this act
for the construction of the railroad and telegraph line first mentioned,
and may for this purpose use any railroad charter which has been or may
be granted by the legislature of Kansas." The section also provides for
connecting this road with the main line. This company promised to be a
rival, but when congress is appealed to, $1,600,000 in subsidy bonds,
and two thousand sections of land are given it as its share of the
spoils, provided it will accept this trifle as an inducement to combine
its interest with this great corporation. This disposes of all rivals
south of Omaha. True the people have paid dearly for it. They, through
their servants in congress, have enriched a lot of unscrupulous men,
banded together for the purpose of plundering the public, and given to
these corporations the power to oppress the people for all time to come;
but as it affords a safe means of transporting the mails, &c., for a
consideration which the people must pay as the services are rendered,
the public should not complain. Congress thought the matter so important
as to require the gift of vast sums of the public moneys, and princely
donations out of the public domain, and as our legislators acted for the
people, and the companies have built their roads, the public must
submit.
But there was danger that the roads crossing Iowa and Minnesota might
compete with the Union Pacific. Sioux City was an objective point on the
Missouri river. West of that city, across the then territory of
Nebraska, a road could be constructed at comparatively small cost. This
line might become a rival, and it also must be absorbed. To effect this
object, the following provision was made a part of the fourteenth
section of this act: "And whenever there shall be a line of railroad
completed through Minnesota or Iowa to Sioux City, then the said Pacific
railroad company is hereby authorized and required to construct a
railroad and telegraph line from said Sioux City, upon the most direct
and practicable route, to a point on, and so as to connect with, the
branch railroad and telegraph line in this section hereinbefore
mentioned, or with the said Union Pacific railroad, said point of
junction to be fixed by the president of the United States, not farther
west than the one-hundredth meridian of longitude aforesaid, and on the
same terms and conditions as provided in this act for the construction
of the Union Pacific railroad, as aforesaid, to complete the same at the
rate of one hundred miles per year." The amendment made to this part of
the act in 1864, to which we shall refer in another chapter, materially
changes its provisions; and as we examine these provisions, we will
discover that all the unjust donations made of the public lands and
moneys are exceeded in this amendment.
Now, if the reader will take a map on which the railroads are marked, he
will discover that from Leavenworth to Sioux City all the railroads
running west are concentrated into one line, after leaving the
one-hundredth degree of longitude--the Burlington & Missouri railroad
company being made by the act of 1864 a part of the same great monopoly.
By the exclusive franchises and imperial wealth conferred upon it by
congress, this great corporation is given control, absolute control of
the business interests of the great west. This grand system of railroads
looks well on the map, and lends color to the plea that the wants of the
public and of the government justified this large outlay of money and
lands; but an inspection of the act chartering the companies,
consolidating them, and by law giving them unlimited control of the
interests of the public, will convince the impartial reader that the
interests of the companies, rather than the needs of the government, or
the welfare of the people, controlled the action of congress.
Grants of lands and exclusive privileges have been made to other
corporations, as also to states, for the purpose of aiding in the
construction of railroads; but our aim being to combat the policy
itself, as involving gross injustice and oppression, and to show its
effects upon the public, we have selected the Union Pacific and its
branches as the best illustration of the action of congress in making
these grants, and the companies owning this road and its branches as a
fair sample of the class of professed benefactors of the people.