The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1866-10-05
For the Clarion.
The New Orleans and Jackson
Railroad.

The approach of the session of the Legisla-
ture would seem to invite and justify the
discussion of those subjects in which the
State is interested, and upon which its pros
perity is materially dependent. The recent
conflict in which the country has been en-
gagged has dissipated its capital and pros
trated all its material interests, and it is,
therefore, the first and paramount duty of
the Government to look well to all those
things which may tend to revive its com
merce, develope its resources, and quicken
into life its industry. First and most efiica-
tious as the means of effecting these iupor-
tant results is that the lines of communica-
ton between the different portions of the
State should be conducted in snch a manner
that, while protecting the interest of those
directly interested, they should not forget
their obligations to the Government and
people granting them these franchises
There is no theoTem NOR universally recog-
Missed than that governments, in granting to
corporations special and exclusive fan
chses, are influenced not by desire to bene-
fit few and selected persons, but that, re-
cognlSlng and protecting the advantages
bDdB Will result To JiicSe individuals That the
great object in granting these franchises is
with the expectation that their employment
Will enure to to the benefit and prosperity
of the country, ana as a corollary from this,
a high obligation rests upon all corporations
never to employ the privileges which have
been granted them as to violate the mo-
tiVes of the grantOrs in comforting them.
1t is a melancholy treism, that corpora
tiOns have no souls, and hence, that they too
often, in following out the ends of selfish
and designing men, forget the obligations
to the country that warmed them into life
And | fear this is especially true of some, if
not all, of our Railroads. Instead of that
enlightened policy which would prompt
them to stimulate industry, a&d quicken III
to life the dormant resources of the country
and from the general prosperity which they
would thus aid in promoting, gather their
tithes; their object seems to be to rip open
the goOse,-gather the golden eggs without
any regard TO the sufferings of the people
and the desolatiou and death of the country
policy thus at war with the obligations
which they owe to the Government grant
ing them their privileges, may, for IA time,
fill their Golfers and feed their parasites and
favorites; but rs commerce is regulated by
fixed laws, such a policy must soon drive
from them the trade,-the very blood that
gave them life.
The high tariff for passengers and freight,
support, and this is especially true of the
New Orleans and Jackson Railroad Here
tofore, each year, this Railroad was extend
ing its influence farther and farther into the
country, thus adding riyulct TO rivulet to
swell the mighty stream of its business; but
now each day chronicles the loss of its trade
and unless more enlightened policy shall
influence its managers, its trade viii soon
be confined to a narrow strip along its line.
In granting to this Road its charter, and
in pouring out TO it its treasure, the State of
Mississippi had a right to expect that the
charges on its commerce would be leSseued.
and that the dormant resources of the conn
try would have been walked into life Has
this expectation been realized Pass on the
western side of this Road, and you Will find
a large section of country that heretofore
brought their produce and travel to this
Road, now seeking the old outlet by the
Mississippi river; while on the eastern side
the bales of cotton are lying under the gins
thus deprivng the country OF that much
capital, awaiting the uncertain and precari-
Gus navigation of Pearl River. And why is
this because the Railroad is charging from
81 to s. per 100 miles transportation ON a
bale of cotton, a tax SO onerouS that the la
Dor of the country cannot stand it. While
the tariff on cotton is so high as TO be driY-
ing it from the Road, to seek its old cham
nelS of transportation, the tariff on all the
other productions of the State is SO high rs
to amount to prohibition of their ship
ment The industry of the country is thus
stifled, and all the resources of the State
affected by this Road, and the simple article
of cotton has TO lie dormant and inactive
The magnificent forests of pines that line
the Road that would give employment to the
industry and bring wealth to the State has
to stand in their primeval condition the
delightful climate, the pure water and those
numberleSS things that would WOO the deni-
zens from the cities to locations on the road.
all lie wild and unimpToved because of the
high and eXorbitant charges made by the
road. Had this road gathered wisdom from
the experience of the West, and placed their
tariff of charges for passengers and freight |
within reasonable bounds, the axe would |
have been heard in every pine forest. the
sound of machinery at every station, and the |
whole line of the road would have been |
dotted with happy and prosperous cottages |
and wealth and population would have |
flowed in the State and the business of the |
road would have been limited alone by its |
capacity of transportation. But unfortu- |
nately a policy as suicidal to the road as It |
is TO the city of New Orleans and the State |
OF Mississippi seems to rule.
While the policy of a high tariff of pas /
sengers and freight is to be regretted as in |
imical to all concerned, yet if report he true, |
some of the high officers of the road have |
the dogma "that so long as an |
employee meets the requirments of the road, |
the road will not enquire into his deport- /
ment towards the people," Such a position
separates the road from the peo-
pie and makes it disregard all its obligations /
to the government that granted it its rights |
and privileges But this article has alrea-
dy extended beyond the limits that had /
prescribed and fear viii trespass too much /
On your valuable space.
With your permission | shall pursue this |
subject and point out wherein the interest |
and laws OF Mississippi have been disregar- |
ded MACON