Mississippi palladium. [volume] (Holly Springs, Miss.) 1851-1852, 1851-10-24
Trims OF TEE PAILAEIUM.


ting individual prosperity, whilst it contrib
uted at the same time to the revenue of the
COZ nty and Sta.e.
| | might also refer TO the fact that the
construction of this road will involve a die
bursement of perhaps at least $1,000 per
mile; and estimating the length of the
branch and the main trunk as above. the
building of the one would be the means of
scattering some Sloo,0oo and the other
DOUBLE that sum among The citizens Of our
county.
Were there any satisfactory reason to
believe that the branch, when constructed
to Holly Springs, would sTop there as its
permanent terminus, this would in some
measure strengthen the position of those
who favor a branch; though We should ev-
en- then look in vain TO the history and ins,u-
encc of branch roads elsewhere for much
to encourage. But that Holly Springs
scoaid be permanent terminus, no one can
seriously suppose. If the traffic of the
branch were of sufficient importance TO
make the road profitable, this would of it.
self render the continual ton or extension
of the branch certain and if the traffic
were not sufficient to invite and Justify this
extension, tie branch itself would soon be-
come sickly languishiRg concern. and the
locomotive would ere long make way for q
second rate naate team Should the branch
ever be extended THROUGH Holly Springs,
and the main road be built upon its present
location, the local traffic ofthe town would
necessarily disappear, and there would be
"a long farewell to its prospects of COM
mercial importance.
! 1t Is worthy of remark that some Of
those who are so determined to adhere to
the present location and are not very scrupu-
lous as to the means of accomplishing their
object, whilst they aScribe the origin and
continuation of the opposition to the action
of the Board to'.a few malice ntents abou,
Holly Springs" at the same time under
take to make it appear that the branch
will be the making of the town, whilst the
main trunk would inevitably destroy it -
Surely those who resort to such a mode OF
argument permit their zeal to ou.run their
judgment when they presume they will
be able in this way to convince the town
people that their village "malcontents" are
about to destroy their local interests and,
by the same sort of 20 SIC, satisfy the people
of the country that their whole object is
to build up the town, without any regard
to the general interests of the country
Now the fact is, as have before said
that the permanent interest of both town
and country are indentical in this matter,
and there is not, in my Judgment, soli-
tary citizen of the county whose interest it
is not to insist upon the main trunk as long
as there is a shadow of hope that we can
get it, and if, after every effort to secure
this result is exhausted we fail in our OBJ
ject, then | am for the branch upon the
prineipl of the old adage that "half loaf
is better than no bread In our action
upon this subject we should not forget that
railroads are pr oducing, and are destined
to produce an entire revolution in the CON-
merce of the world. They are, to very
great extent, superseding navigable
streams, and the same causes that have
heretofore built up large commercial towns
and cities upon the banks of those streams,
within future build them up along the line
of the railway. Where two important
lines of railway cross, or form junction
with each other population and capital will
inevitably be attracted to the point as
commercial centre, and those are the ele-
n,ents Of tie city A market is establish
ed, labor diversified, manufactures spring
up, commerce expands, and an influence $
radiated all around which stimulates pro-
ducton, and imparts value TO that which
was before comparatively worthless.
Let us apply this obvious principle 10
our own case. Should this road be built
where it is at present located, it will attract
from our State its population and capital
and transfer them to the line of the road
in Tennessee. The revenue of the County
and State, ins,ead of being increased, will
be drained and impoverished, and we must
be content, for the future, to break tie
bread of dependence, and acknowledge
our allegiance to our neighbors of the ad-
joining State. Should the Jackson and
Holly Springs rail road, which now looms
upin the distance, ever be constructed,
instead of benefitting the local interests of
Holly Springs it would only strip it of It's
local traffic and transfer it to the point of
junction with the Memphis and Charleston
road, which would soon become the Allan
ia of Tennessee. On the other hand. should
the Memphis and Charleston road be built
IN conformity with the charter as it now
stands, we secure to ourselves the benefits
to which have alluded in the increase of
cur population, our capital, our resources,
the value of our land, and the revenue Of
our State and County and then should
the Jackson and Holly Springs road be
built, the point ofjunction, with all its
great accompanying advantages, viii be
within our own County.
The Counties of Marshall, Tippah and
Tishamingo, and the State of Mississippi.
have much deeper interest in the location
I of this road as simple question Of rereaae
than is generally supposed The AUDITORS
Report shows that the state tax in the coun-
ties Of Warren, Kinds, Rankin, Madison,
Scott and Copiah, before the construction
of the Vieksburg and Jackson rail road.
which is now used by these counties, was
I in the aggregate only S12, $50; whilst the
aggregate of state tax for the same coun
ties in / $40 was $57, $40, or an Increase Of
358 per cent. The state tax for the counties
of Lawrence, Pike, Marion and Amite.
which derive no benefit from the road, was
in the aggregate, before the construction OF
the road, s7,082. and in l849 was only
$40, 789. or an increase of but So per cent.
That this very large increase of the state
revenue in those counties using the rail
road is to be anscrihed mainly to the infiu-
ence exerted by the road cannot be dispu-
ted. and even more striking instances,
where the roads have been more efficiently