130 WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. 



our Atlantic coast; add to the national population, the national in 

 dustry and the national wealth; increase the taxable resources of 

 the country, add to its revenues and lessen the public debt. They 

 urged it was a public duty to utilize the enormous national capital 

 that now lies idle in the vast southern region between Texas and the 

 Pacific coast. They pointed to that vast national domain, capable 

 of producing untold quantities of corn, wheat, wine, cotton, wool 

 and stock; and which, from its want of accessibility and distance 

 from market, could not be profitably brought under cultivation. 

 This wealth, with the rich mines of gold, silver, lead, copper, and 

 coal in Southern Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Southern Utah, 

 Nevada, and Southern California, was shown to be unavailable to 

 the nation by reason of distance from mercantile centers and cost of 

 transportation. 



Justice to the Southern States demanded that they should have 

 the same rights and facilities to develop their material wealth and 

 increase their productions as had been extended to the Middle and 

 Northern States. Their products, cotton, tobacco, rice, and sugar, 

 are of great value to the nation, and the Northern and Middle 

 States have a direct interest in everything which has a tendency to 

 stimulate the growth of agricultural products in the South. 



Our military commanders, Generals Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, 

 Hancock, Meiggs and Ingalls, have all testified that the extension 

 of the railroad from our south-western frontier to the Pacific coast 

 is a military necessity, and that it would substantially end our In 

 dian troubles by the facilities it .would give the military to control 

 these wild and savage people. 



The bill indorsed by the National Grange, and which it recom 

 mended to the speedy action of Congress, does not ask for one acre 

 of the public domain, beyond what may be needed for roadway and 

 stations, nor one dollar as a gift from the public treasury, nor any 

 bonds, the principle or interest of which the government was ex 

 pected to pay, none of these were asked for but simply that the 

 government would guarantee an interest of six per cent, upon the 

 bonds of the road, to the extent of $30,000 per mile, agreed that 

 every guard and restriction necessary to prevent extortion, or un 

 just discrimination, or fraud of any kind, either towards the people 

 or bond-holders, should be placed^by Congress in the franchise. 



The security offered against loss on this guarantee is vast and com 

 prehensive. First, the road surrenders every acre of the valuable 

 lands hitherto obtained. Second, it gives the whole of its earnings 

 for transportation for the government. Third, it gives ten per cent, 

 of the entire gross receipts of the road. Fourth, in default of pay 

 ment the road itself becomes forfeit. Was better security ever ex 

 acted by capitalist ? 



The propriety and security of this great work was so apparent to 

 the members of the National Grange, that the vote, in regard to it, 

 was almost a unit. The Masters from Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and 

 other States, where Patrons have been contending so earnestly 

 against railroad monopolies, were so well satisfied of the benefits 

 and advantages to be derived from opening another great thorough 

 fare across our country from Atlantic to Pacific shore, and that 



