The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1866-10-11
For the Clarion.
The New Orleans and Jackson
Railroad.

ANitNONus
The approach Of the session Of the Legisla
ture would seem to invite and justify th
discussion of those subjects in which th'
State is interested, and upon which its pros
perity is materially dependent The reeen
conflict in which the country has been On
gagged has dissipated its capital and pros
traiod all its material interests, and i is
therefore, the first and paramount duty o
the Government 20 look well TO all thos'
things which may tend TO revive its com
merce, develope its resources, and quicken
into life its industry. First aud most cflica
tious as the means of effeoting these impor'
tant results is that the lines of oommunica'
ton between the different portions of the
State should be conducted in such 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 theorem NOR universally recog.
missed than that governments, in granting to
corporations special and exclusive tian-
ehises, are influenced not by desire to bene-
iit few and selected persons, but that, re.
cognising aud protecting the advantages
that will result To these individuals that the
great object in granting these franchises is
with the expectation that their employment
will enure 70 10 the benefit and prosperity
Of the country, and as q corollary from this,
"A high obligation rests upon all corporations
never to employ the privileges which have
been granted them so as to violate the mo-
tives of the grantors in comforting them.
II is 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
10 the country that warmed them into life.
And fear this is especially true of some, ii
not all, of our Railroads Instead of that
enlightened policy which would prompt
them TO stimulate industry, and quicken in
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 bc.tO rip open
the goose ,--gather the golden eggs without
any regard TO the suiferings of the people,
and the desolation and death of the country.
A policy thus Mt war with the obligations
which they owe to the Government grant
ing them their privileges may, for a time,
fill their Golfers, and feed their parasites and
favorites but as 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, |
is driving from our railroads much of their |
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 ana farther into the |
aid tv -,
swell the mighty stream of its business; but |
now each day chronicles the loss of its trade |
and unless u more enlightened policy shall |
influence its managers, its trade will soon |
be confined to n narrow strip along its line |
In granting to this Road its charter, and /
in pouring ont to il its treasure, the State of |
Mississippi had a right to expect that the |
charges on its commerce would be lessened |
and that the dormant resources of the coun.
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
river; while on the eastern side,
the bales of cotton are lying under the gins,
thus depriving 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 Ia
Dor of the country cannot stand it. While |
the tariff on cotton is so high as to be driv-
ing it from the Road, to seek its old chan
Dels of transportation, the tariff on all the
other productions of the State is so high as
to amount to a prohibition of their ship
ment The industry of the country is thus
4 Ill a q q
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 primeyal condition i; the
delightful climate, the pure water and those
numberless things that would WOO the deni-
zens from the cities to locations on the road,
al lie wild and mimproved 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 unf0rtu-
nately policy rs suicidal to the road as IL
is TO the city of New Orleans and the State
Of Mississippi seems to rule.
While the policy of high tariff of pas
,engers and freight is to be regretted as in
mical to all concerned, yet ii report be true,
some of the high officers Of the road have
the dogma 'that so long as an