CHAPTER XXXIII.--_San Diego's Sentence is Irrevocable._
After waiting in the reception room for nearly two hours, Don Marianoand his two friends were at last ushered into the presence ofex-Governor Stanford. He was so well hid behind his high desk, thatlooking around the empty room, Mr. Holman observed:
"Well, I hope this is not to be a second stage of waiting."
Mr. Stanford arose, bowing from behind his desk, said:
"Be seated, gentlemen. Excuse my having kept you waiting." Then seeingthat there were but two chairs near by, and only one more at thefurthest corner of the room, he added, going to bring the chair: "Ithought that there were chairs for you."
Don Mariano, too, had started for the same chair, now that its existencewas discovered, but the Governor got there first, and brought it halfway, then the Don took it and occupied it.
When all were seated, Governor Stanford said in his low, agreeablevoice, which any one might suppose would indicate a benevolent, kindheart:
"What can I do for you, gentlemen?"
Don Mariano laughed outright. The situation struck him as beingeminently ridiculous. Here was this man, who held pitilessly theirdestiny in his hands--held it with a grip of iron--and not one thoughtof the distress he caused; he, through his associate, Huntington, waslavishing money in Washington to kill the Texas Pacific, and thus snatchaway from them (the three friends) the means of support, absolutelydeprive them of the necessaries of life, and he asked them what he coulddo? and asked it with that deep-toned, rich melody of voice whichvibrated softly, as if full of sympathy, that overflowed from a heartfilled with philanthrophy, generosity and good will. This was a sad andcruel irony, which to Don Mariano made their position absurd, to thepoint of being laughable.
"This is like laughing at a funeral," said Don Mariano, apologetically."Please pardon me. What made me laugh was that I felt like answering youby saying, 'Governor, you can do for us all we ask.' But--but--"
"Say it out. But what?" said the Governor, smiling.
"But will do nothing for us," finished Mr. Holman.
"That is to say, for San Diego," added Mr. Mechlin, afraid that it mightseem as if they came to ask a personal favor.
"Ah! it is of San Diego that you wish to speak to me? Then, truly, Ifear I can do nothing for you," the Governor said.
"But you can hear what we wish to say to you," Mr. Holman interposed,with a sickly effort at smiling.
"Certainly. But really, gentlemen, you must excuse me for saying that Iam very busy to-day, and can only give you a half hour."
They all bowed.
Mr. Mechlin and Don Mariano looked at Mr. Holman, as it was understoodthat he would be spokesman. But Mr. Holman's heart was leaping with theindignation of a lion, and then shrinking with the discouragement of amouse into such small contractions--all of which he in no way mustreveal--that for a minute he could not speak.
"I suppose the San Diego people wish me to build them a railroad, isn'tthat it?" said the man of power, slowly arranging some papers on hisdesk.
"Or to let some one else build it," said Mr. Holman.
The Governor colored slightly, in evident vexation.
"Tom Scott, for instance," said he, sneeringly. "Take my advice,gentlemen, and don't you pin your faith on Tom Scott. He'll build noTexas Pacific, I assure you."
"Then why don't you build it?" asked Mr. Mechlin.
"Because it won't pay," was the dry reply.
"Why won't it pay? We have plenty of natural resources, which, ifdeveloped, would make plenty of business for two railroads," Mr. Holmansaid.
"Only the San Diego people say so. No one else thinks of San DiegoCounty, but as a most arid luckless region, where it never rains."
"That is the talk of San Francisco people, Governor, because they wantall the railroads to come to their city, and nowhere else," said DonMariano.
"We have less rainfall in Southern California, on an average, but onaverage, too, we get better crops than in the northern counties in dryyears. How it is I can't tell you, unless it be that a given quantity ofrain is all that crops require, and above that it is superfluous, orelse that for certain soils a certain amount of rainfall is all that isrequired. It is undoubtedly true that in dry years more crops have beenlost in some of the northern counties than in ours," said Mr. Holman.
"Perhaps, but when we have such magnificent wheat country in ournorthern valleys, it isn't to be supposed that we can give any attentionto San Diego."
"If our county does not take the lead as wheat-growing, it certainly cantake it as fruit-growing. We have no capital to make large plantationsof vineyards or trees, but what has been done proves, conclusively, thatfor grapes, olives, figs, and in fact all semi-tropical fruits, there isno better country in the world."
"That may be so, but you see we are not engaged in the fruit-growingbusiness. We build railroads to transport freight and passengers. We donot care what or who makes the freights we carry."
"Exactly. But surely there cannot be any reason why, if San Diego shouldhave freights and passengers to be carried, that we should not have arailroad."
"Certainly not. If you can get it, do so, of course."
"Then, Governor, that is why we came to talk with you. _Is San Diego'sdeath sentence irrevocable?_ Is it absolutely determined by you that SanDiego is not to have a railroad?" asked Mr. Holman.
"Well, that is a hard question to answer. No, perhaps for the presentSan Diego will _not_ have a railroad," said he, with cool nonchalance.
"What do you call _for the present_? How long?"
"That is a harder question yet. You see, if we effect a compromise withMr. Scott, we will keep on building the Southern Pacific until we meethis road, and then, as all the Eastern freight can come by the SouthernPacific, there will not be any necessity of another railroad."
"In other words, San Diego must be strangled. There will not be anyTexas Pacific?" said Mr. Holman.
"No, not in California," the Governor calmly asserted, passing over thesubject as of no consequence, if a hundred San Diegos perished bystrangulation.
"By the terms of the Southern Pacific charter were you not to build toSan Diego?" asked Mr. Mechlin.
"Yes; that is to say, through San Diego to the Colorado River, but thatwouldn't suit us at all. Still, I think that after a while, perhaps,when we have more time, we might build to San Diego from some point ofthe Southern Pacific that we see is convenient," said he, as if itdidn't matter what the terms of the Southern Pacific charter were,knowing that Congress would not enforce them.
"A little branch road," observed Mr. Holman.
"Yes; that is all we think is necessary for our purpose."
"Then to sum up, what we must understand is, that San Diego cannot hopeto be a western terminus of a transcontinental railway; that all we mayhope to get is a little branch road from some point convenient to theSouthern Pacific Railroad." Mr. Stanford bowed. "And yet," Mr. Holmancontinued, "by right, San Diego is the terminal point of atranscontinental railway, and San Diego ought to be the shipping pointfor all that immense country comprising Arizona, Southern California andNorthern Mexico. We are more than five hundred miles nearer to thosecountries than San Francisco, thus you will be making people travel sixhundred miles more than is necessary to get to a shipping point on thePacific."
"So much more business for our road," Mr. Stanford said, laughing, in adignified way, and slightly elevating his eyebrows and shoulders, as ifto indicate that really the matter hardly merited his consideration.
"But without asking or expecting you to take any sentimental orphilosophic or moralizing view of our case _as a benefactor_, will younot take into consideration, as a business man, the immense benefit thatthere will be to yourselves to have control of the trade which will bethe result of uniting Southern California with Arizona, with theSouthern States and Northern Mexico, and developing those vast countriesnow lying useless, scarcely inhabited."
"Oh, yes; we have thought of that, I suppose,
but we are too busy uphere. We have too much business on hand nearer us to think of attendingto those wild countries."
"Then, Governor, let some one else attend to them. We have only one lifeto live, and, really, much as we would like to await your pleasure, wecannot arrest the march of time. Time goes on, and as it slips by, ruinapproaches us. We invested all our means in San Diego, hoping thatColonel Scott would build his railroad. Now we see plainly that unlessyou withdraw your opposition to Scott we are ruined men, and many moreinnocent people are in the same situation. So we come to you and say, ifyou will not let any one else build us a railroad, then do build ityourself. It will save us from ruin and give you untold wealth. We willbe glad to see you make millions if we only secure for ourselves ourbread and butter," said Mr. Holman.
"Our bread; never mind the butter," said Don Mariano, smiling.
"Why, you at least have plenty of cows to make butter," said Mr.Stanford, addressing Senor Alamar, evidently wishing to avoid thesubject, by turning it off.
"No, sir, I haven't. The squatters at my rancho shot and killed mycattle, so that I was obliged to send off those that I had left, and indoing this a snow-storm overtook us, and nearly all my animals perishedthen. The Indians will finish those which survived the snow."
"Those Indians are great thieves, I suppose?"
"Yes, sir; but not so bad to me as the squatters. The Indians kill mycattle to eat them, whereas the squatters did so to ruin me. Thus,having now lost all my cattle, I have only my land to rely upon for aliving--nothing else. Hence my great anxiety to have the Texas Pacific.My land will be very valuable if we have a railroad and our countybecomes more settled; but if not, my land, like everybody else's land inour county, will be unsaleable, worthless. A railroad soon is our onlysalvation."
"That is bad," Mr. Stanford said, looking at his watch. "But I don't seehow I can help you San Diego people. If Mr. Huntington effects somecompromise with Mr. Scott, we will then build a branch road, as I said."
"And what if there is no compromise?"
"Then, of course, there will be no road for you--that is to say, noTexas Pacific in California."
"Why not, Governor? 'Live and let live,'" Don Mariano said.
"You don't seem to think of business principles. You forget that inbusiness every one is for himself. If it is to our interest to preventthe construction of the Texas Pacific, do you suppose we will stop toconsider that we might inconvenience the San Diego people?"
"It is not a matter of inconvenience--it is ruin, it is poverty,suffering, distress; perhaps despair and death," said Mr. Mechlin. "Ourmerchants, our farmers, all, the entire county will suffer greatdistress or ruin, for they have embarked their all in the hope ofimmediate prosperity, in the hope that emigration would come to us,should our town be the western terminus."
"You should have been more cautious; not so rash."
"How could we have foreseen that you would prevent the construction ofthe Texas Pacific?"
"Easily. By studying business principles; by perceiving it would be toour interest to prevent it."
"We never thought, and do not think now, that it is to your interest toprevent it. But even if we had thought so, we would not have supposedthat you would attempt it," Mr. Mechlin replied.
"Why not?"
"Because it would have seemed to us impossible that you could havesucceeded."
"Why impossible?"
"Because we would have thought that the American people would interfere;that Congress would respect the rights of the Southern people."
Mr. Stanford laughed, saying: "The American people mind their business,and know better than to interfere with ours. All I can tell you,gentlemen, is that if Mr. Scott does not agree to come no further thanthe Colorado River, he shall not be able to get the interest of hisbonds guaranteed by our Government, which means that he will not havemoney to build his road--no Congressional aid at all."
"You seem very sure of Congress?"
"I am sure of what I say."
"But, Governor, the Government helped you to build your roads, why don'tyou let it help ours?"
"Who told you that?" said he, with an angry expression, like a darkshadow passing over his face. "Who told you that the Government helpedus to build the Southern Pacific?"
"The Government gave you a grant of many millions of acres to help buildit, as the Central Pacific was constructed with Government subsidies,and the earning of the Central Pacific were used to construct theSouthern Pacific, it follows that you were helped by the Government tobuild both," said Mr. Holman.
"You are talking of something you know nothing about. The help theGovernment gave us was to guarantee the interest of our bonds. Weaccepted that help, because we knew that, as private individuals, wemight not command the credit necessary to place our bonds in the market,that's all. As for the land subsidy, we will pay every cent of its pricewith our services. We do not ask of the Government to give us anythinggratis. We will give value received for everything."
"That is certainly a very ingenious view to take of the whole matter,and so viewing it, of course the killing of the Texas Pacific seemsjustifiable to you," said Mr. Mechlin.
"Carlyle, in your place, would not view your position like that,Governor," said Don Mariano, rising.
"Nor Herbert Spencer, either. His ideas of what you call businessprinciples are different," added Mr. Holman.
"Pray, what would those great thinkers say?"
"Carlyle would think you are much to blame for flinging away amagnificent chance to be great and heroic. Carlyle worships heroes, buthis idea of heroism is not only applicable to warriors and conquerors,but to any one capable of rising to a high plane of thought or heroicendeavor, doing acts which require great self-denial for ourfellow-beings, for humanity's sake, with no view or expectation ofreward in money," Mr. Mechlin said.
The Governor smiled, and with the least perceptible sneer he asked:
"And how does Mr. Herbert Spencer differ with my ideas of businessprinciples?"
"He differs in this, that he thinks that commercial honor, businessmorality, should be based on strict rectitude, on the purest equity.That so soon as any one in the pursuit of riches knowingly and wilfullywill injure any one else, that he then violates the principle upon whichcommerce should rest," Mr. Holman replied.
"But that is absurd. Would he stop competition?"
"Not at all. Competition generally has the effect of securing thepreference to whomsoever deserves it. No, what Mr. Spencer maintains isthat monopolies should not exist when they have become so powerful thatthey defy the law, and use their power to the injury of others. Thefundamental principle of morality is then subverted," said Mr. Holman.
"Fundamental morality forbids us to injure any one because we would bebenefited by that injury," said Don Mariano.
"The same old axiom of the French revolution, that 'the rights of oneman end where those of another begin.' Danton and Marat sang that to themusic of the guillotine," said the Governor, a little bitcontemptuously.
"That is so; but you see, Governor, the devil might sing psalms, and itwon't hurt the psalms," Don Mariano replied.
"We have made you waste your time talking to us, Governor," said Mr.Holman; "can we not hope that you will reconsider this matter, andexamine more carefully the advantages of making San Diego the directoutlet for all that country that needs a railroad so much? Believe me,sir, such road will bring you more millions than the Central andSouthern Pacific Railroads. If you do not build it, and prevent Col.Scott from building it, sooner or later some one else will, for itstands to reason that such a magnificent enterprise will not be leftneglected after other less advantageous routes are tried. Then you willhave the regret of having spurned this golden chance."
"And besides the chance of making millions for yourselves. Think of theblessings you will bring to so many hearts who are now sadlydiscouraged, and will be desolate if our hopes are frustrated," Mr.Mechlin said.
"Corporations have no souls, gentleme
n, and I am no Carlyleanhero-philanthropist. I am only a most humble '_public carrier_.' I donot aspire to anything more than taking care of my business," Mr.Stanford answered.
"But, Governor, you cannot be indifferent to the distress your actionwill cause?" insisted Mr. Mechlin, with sad earnestness.
"As for that," replied Mr. Stanford, smiling; "if I don't cause distresssome one else will. Distress there must be, bound to be in this world,in spite of all that your philanthropists might do or say to preventit."
"But do you not think that if all and every one of those who have it intheir power to be beneficent were not so indifferent to human suffering,but were to be benevolent, that then the combined result would be greatalleviation and diminution of human distress?"
"No; because those who have power to do good are very few, and theimprovident, the vicious, the lazy are in myriads; and they and theirfolly and vices and improvidence will, forever, more than counterbalancethe good that the beneficent might effect," Mr. Stanford asserted.
Mr. Mechlin arose and turned towards the door. Mr. Holman followed hisexample. Senor Alamar looked sadly at the floor, saying:
"Well, Governor, I am sorry we have failed in bringing you to our way ofthinking. Time will show who is mistaken."
"Oh, yes! Time will show. We can't cast any astrological horoscope atthe birth of a railroad. All we can do is to take care that it thrives."
"To clear away competition."
"Exactly. The country is not settled enough yet to divide profits.Besides, we think that Eastern people ought not to build any roads tothe Pacific Coast, when we of California are ready to do it. Let TomScott keep away. We don't build roads in Pennsylvania."
"But are you sure you will always be able to prevent a competing road?Would it not be cheaper for yourself to build than to fight Tom Scott?"
"No indeed. For the present, it is cheaper to fight. It don't cost somuch money to make friends," said he, smiling.
"You seem very confident of success."
"Money commands success, you know."
"Yes, money is everything! And it weighs not a feather, all the ruin andsqualor and death you will bring to a people who never harmed you! Not afeather's weight, as against the accumulation of money for yourselves,"said Mr. Mechlin, forgetting his usual consideration for others'feelings.
"If I did not cause this misery you apprehend, some one would. Be sureof it, for there will always be misery in the world, no matter whocauses it," the Governor replied, with an air of being satisfied withhis philosophy, inasmuch as he was to be exempt from human suffering, nomatter who went under.
Mr. Mechlin, still lingering sadly, and veiling his great disapprobationof Mr. Stanford's practical philosophy, said:
"Mr. Herbert Spencer also, in elucidating his principles, reminds us ofthe fact that 'Misery is the highway to _death_, while happiness isadded life, and the giver of life.' Think of this, Governor. Surely, youdo not wish to make us so miserable that you cause _death_! Yes, deathfrom poverty and despair. Poverty, overwork and discouragement are thecauses of sickness and death oftener than it is supposed, and this Mr.Spencer also maintains unswervingly."
"You have a very vivid imagination; you color up things too dark," saidthe Governor, also rising.
"I hope you will not be sorry to have thought so. I hope you will notregret that you closed your heart and your mind against us, againstjustice, humanity and reason." So saying, Mr. Mechlin slowly walked off;then at the door he turned, and lifting his finger, said to Don Mariano:"I feel a prophetic warning that neither you nor I will ever see lightin this world. These men--this deadly, soulless corporation, which, likea black cloud, has shut out the light from San Diego's horizon--willevermore cast the shadow that will be our funeral pall. But let themlook to it, they might yet carry their heartless rapacity beyond limit.The mighty monopoly, that has no soul to feel responsibility, no heartfor human pity, no face for manly blush--that soulless, heartless,shameless monster--might yet fall of its own weight." So saying, Mr.Mechlin walked away, as if he intended this prophecy to be a partingsalutation to the men who had blighted his life and made him utterlyhopeless.