The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-05-04
TO THE MERCHANTS OF BALTIMORE

TO THE MERCHANTS OF BALTIMORE
INTRODUCTORY EXPLANATION
propose 10 address you in series of numbers
question of the restrictions and Determinations imposed
on the commerce of this city passing the Baltimore
ana ohlo railroad The argument upon these pociesr
has led me to discuss the and rghtfu interests of
Baltimore in regard to her Western trade and finally 10
fu and clear exhibition of the fatal committed by
ne directors OF that company in reference trans
ohio connections of their road with the city Cncn-
natl.
These questions of high moment and of a large inn
port to this city They but dimly seem and i'm
perfectly comprehended and in the obscurity which sur
rounds them injury and danger your commerce has
arisen IL IS my ambition in these numbers to make these
subjects inelligible to the plaines understanding
In the relations of this city with lower belt Of the
AsslSSlpp every energy of the Baltimore Ohio Rail
road should be exerted to the enlargement
he OF intercourse In the strong rivalry
Boston New York and Philadelphia, handle the agri
cultural produce that centres at ST. Louis Cincinnati
Baltimore needs to husband every strength her position
gives her She is these great of trade by
100 miles than either of her rivals ard this advantage
il retained gives her the heavy tonnage those people
by high commission from Providence.
NY purpose in these numbers is to explain you c1y
ls that TINS rich comUerce has not reached this city,
and ho,c is that rival cities have seized upon it, ept
your stronger c aim Your vigilance should sensitive
70 every wrong done your for history of
the world has presented aggressive rivalry than
Is now forced upon you.
COMMERCIAL BATTLE TO BE FOUGHT
In this gigantic struggle, the strongest city with the
best appointments, must prevail 1t b@hooves the mer-
chants of Baltimore therefore to trip for the for
close hand to hand fight with parties in MANY re-
spects their superiors 1t is contest where bone and
muscle Baltimore must hold every inch of
her elevation, and yield of her advantage She
must fight the fight with limbs unshackled and Jisncnm
bered of every obstruction.
In my judgment this policy of discrimination has ba
ayed the strength of this city and surrendered to her
rivals In ths struggle for commercial life, this policy
has ignored and cast off of perfect
1t has spiked guns; and enables YOUR enemies TO
mock your manacled strength they convoy fleets Of
lch commerce under the shadows of your ortresses
- rHIs POLICY HAS SUSPICIOUS MARKS ABOUT IT.
inns Poicy has marked features upon it, and is Of
such neXpcfbie mischief to the interests of Baltimore
as well as to the road ITSELF that it has awakened dis
trust of the motive which has imposed it on the
1t thought that some interest perhaps to the gen
erai interests of commerce. has controlled the Coun
els OF the road and influenced its adoption 1t is the de-
sign Of these numbers to explore this policy in all its
chiefs. e " 40 Aii'
proceed now to explain the manner in which This
Po'cy oi aiscrimnaion affects the intercourse Bal
timore with the Mississippi Valley Cincinnati is graot
Where the mass of the Western trade tends and
has to pass in its transit the Atlantic markets The
tonnage OF Cincinnati will therefore fully illustrate the
beues Oi tbn be @ will now suppose dialogue
and the high authorities that rule the spolcies of tho
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. WV
The object of the merchants of Cincinnati; ia t so,
e produce to the best market by the cheapest
ance The object the Baltimore merchants aim to achieve
IS 10 get TINS produce call four into their warehouses
taxed with the least practicable of transit Cincn
matt and Baltimore therefore have one homogeneous in
erest-the cheaPenng Of intercourse The Legitimate
junction of the Baltimore Ohio Railroad is to foster
me commercial interests of its city by the simple
policy of conducting that commerce over the road ar b
lowest charge consistent with fair profit to its stock
holders These are in brief the respective relations of the
COME Us REASON TOGETHER.
Cincinnati wishing establish commercial connectior
with Baltimore, looks first to the item oftronoi,
She asks of the Baltimore road-which under This ra1;
maintains an agency in that distant cy-its total charge
lor ueiVefy OF her Hour She is told-"If -four is
passed through agency Baltimore we send over
the Central Ohio Railroad at total charge of az cepts
But if you pass through our agency and nreer TO send
1t by steamboat to road, charge rs cents barrel
put IN either case we require to be passed through our
Cincinnati. wishing to master the details of tbis or
rangemen then asks what part Of this cents comes to
your road as its clear net charge for transport from the
n he Cityp Dn1t
the gross cost of is freight from Cincinnati to its delivery
on your road passing through your agency hereg The
reply IS at the Baltimore road receives As and 10 cents
per barrel and that Consequently the cost of getting il
from Cincinnati through this agency over the Central
Ohio Railroad, is 80 and 4-lOhs of cent
Cincinnati knows that her will deliver -four
at Parkershurg for l6 cts. barrel and make profit
cs-alowng the odd cents to transfer from
the boat to the railroad Parkersburg her net saving
more and Ohio railroad:
CINCINNATI SPEAKS
do not wish to be entangled with your agency in
this city is it interest our Tonnage over
the Central Ohio Railroad. Your road and your cv are
nnaer no obligation to foster the interest of this Central
Ohio road Your legitimate business is to carry our trade
over your road and the As freight The
OF your city to be made factor and to Distribute for
us upon the waters of the Atlantic the productions of
western labor that aggregates here on our hands We
VIII glve TO your road at Parkersburg, Wheeling
the IS 6lO cts ask for transport to and
at this cost of transit, which less than anv other civ
offers your merchants shall be factors and in dstri
outon OF our produce they will whiten the waters of tho
chesapeake with multiplied canvass"
lhe cincinnati merchants then continue: "But we
must De allowed to elect our own mode Of reaching your
road at Parkersburg at Wheeling with our produce
II we take it by the Central Ohio railroad it will cost ms
90 cts out we can float it the Ohio river to Parkers
burg and place 1t for 20 cts per barrel We
wish to economize this 10 per barrel so we will send
our trade to your road in our own boats
Now, merchants Of Baltimore hear the answer which
the agents of Baltimore having supreme control of her
to the city of Cincinnati speaking this language Of com
mon sense Hearken to the reply weigh well its
every sentence. ~
BALTIMORE AMI ouIo ppn,,rz
CIEs ANNOUNCED.
ou speak truly" say these high func ionaries
"hen you say that the Baltimore Ohio road has no
special obligations foster interests of the Central
ONO road nor is Baltimore interested in that road But
policy that railroads shall railroads We have
therefore instituted antagonsm water transpora
non on the Ohio river. Whilst will carry YOUR flour
over our road from Parkersburg Wheeling for As cts
per barrel if you will send it by Central road
ana through the hands Of our agents our policy,
constrans US to Charge 81 per its TRANSPORT
you send it to us by of the Ohio in your own
boats Under this policy work cheaper by 81 40
CTS or the Central Ohio than we will for the river ton
mage
"Furthermore-in pursuing this settled policv-tb.
Baltimore and Ohio road will send all of its Western
bound trade, which it CONTROL over the Central Ohio
road to your city 1t would not accord with the spirit
OF our pocy to furnish this tonnage to your empty
boats We thus, by the action of this "pocy make It
your crest to trade with Baltimore the rail of the
The rejonder OF Cincinnati sums up the whole argu
ment for this city
CINCINNATI RRJoINs
Your road you has interest to foster this Cen.
tral Ohio railroad! Nor have the neonIa of R,Itrora
mhy tnen ths discrimination of charges in its favor
Why give to that bounty of 10 cts ner barrel On
our hour You can afford to take river -four to Baltimore
from Parkersburg from Wheeling as cheap as YOU can
carry Central Ohio our You give boats back
loading as conveniently as you give the to the
Central Ohio road What mysterious interest is it. that
thus mpes to hacke the tonnage of your road and
the commerce of city with this unnatural fvortism
for the Central Ohio rairoad?r
THE POLICIES TOO MUCH FOR CINCINNATI
we very much desire to trade with Baltimore, She
is our nearest and cheapest Atlantic waters
But We have large capital invested steamboats, on the
Ohio river. tbs our interest e give them employment
For nine months in the year. the only advantage Balt
Philadelphia in shorter naviqa
tion to Parkersburg over that to Pitsburg By this
bounty OF e cents given produce to the Ohio Cen
trail and worse STILL by throwing boats
ment the city OF Baltimore has from herself the
greater natural advantages of her position get en-
poyment for our boats and back from Pittsburg
by that route to the Atlantic produce reaches lar
ger and more attractive market -
Here, merchants of Baltimore is the whole argument
against this discriminating policy of the Baltimore and
oho alrectory Every word of that argument tells
tne mercantile interests of this city For the injury in
fcted on Cincinnati; she has a remedy Other avenues
gap 70 receive her tonnageoher cities welcome her
leeed commerce but the wrong done to Baltimore is
"ilhoul remedy ana without recOmpense.
DUTY OF BALTIMORE MERCHANTS
1t behooVes the merchants of Baltimore look closely
into this matter. They must examine in all its sur
roundn9s. Their road the creation of their
ambition has fallen under control of speculation and mn
interests mould its "policies The creature i.
made to forget its creator and its are now
erd to benefit other interests than those Of its parent
city.
Merchants of Baltimore the subject is well worth your
attention another number propose that this
discriminating policy, in favor of the Ohio Central
but 1t is carried to length actually to benefit
cities by discrimination against Baltimore.
A. j.. NJ