“Why not?”
“Because it would have seemed to us impossible that you could have succeeded.”
“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 than the Colorado River, he shall not be able to get the interest of his bonds guaranteed by our Government, which means that he will not have money 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't you let it help ours?”
“Who told you that?” said he, with an angry expression, like a dark shadow passing over his face. “Who told you that the Government helped us to build the Southern Pacific?”
“The Government gave you a grant of many millions of acres to help build it, as the Central Pacific was constructed with Government subsidies, and the earning of the Central Pacific were used to construct the Southern Pacific, it follows that you were helped by the Government to build both,” said Mr. Holman.