American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1868-01-18

" STATES ihaue nee, boHnt tOrW.i
u again in the march of human pr,
gress and municipal We It'll, an
I make of Mississippi as of all thes
Southern States, grand and stron
Old commonwealth, of which on
chi dren will be proud and which tn
world will know, to fear.
THE RAILROADS.
no ,ss call"l. the attention of the pub
high tariff rates, now established
the Railroads in this State. Their,
are cert in rule. of charges which W,
frankly own, We are unable to md II
stand, and which as they bear h r :
~, and az we conc' i've, unu|ily OF
the planters AMI merchants of thi,
city and county, we IT anxious t.
have explained and changed. We
would not be understood as person
ally oppose to the present managers
of the Railroads f. III mating at this
point; but il any Determinations r.
m ltt by their chief men which work
injustice aud Injury to the citizens OF
this county, our duty as Il public
prompt protest against the injury
done, and an exposition Of it to the
public. Ii there ever WIS a time in
the history OF this country when rig
d economy was accessory to indi,
vidual and aggregate success, in bus
ness OF all kinds. that necessity now
exists. The people of tins couutry
have been robbed and Swindled-
=" beaten, bobhed and thumpcd by
enenitS and misturtnncs of all kinds,
until now they are amo t in the dies.
peiation of poverty, a condition OF
tininc a distress which is notifying
and eXasprra,ing to AN almost I'M,
belrable degree, when they reflect
tnat the very public Improvements
which have been constructed with
their own hard earned wealth, for
the purpose of increaSln. the facll
ties OF trade, are turned into huge
engines of rXtortion and injustice.
For instance, Il planter OF Madison
C 1uutN has one hundred bales Of cot
ton to ship, he haulS il to Canton and
u the depot TO send to New Orleans,
the freight on that cotton to the city
is tour hundred and fifty dollars,
about one-tenth of the value Of the
prof. A planter in Holmes coun-
ty has the same number of bales and
LauS them to WAYS Blutf, to be
to New Orleans. the trei ght
ITO n Ways Buff, or Pickea's STA
ton, some twenty five or thirty miles
farther than Canton from New Or
leans, is only three hundred and fit-
zen dollars-.Our Il .llarS and half
I bale from Canton, and three dollars
md fifteen cents from Picken'S Sra
j N. Ii this arrangeme, is just or
qlitable to the people of this conn
y, we confess that we are at IA loss |
o understand il. We desire justice |
II least 10 he done to our porerty- !
debt laden and hard pressed
planters.
Again, in the matter OF travel: II
itizpn of New York, OF Cincinnati ct
chicago. can travel over the MiSSlS-
ippi Railroads at two and IA half OF
hrep cents mile, and native ol
he State, living on the line of the
Dad, built in a great measure with
is own money, has To pay five cents
mile. If any discrimination Is
Iadr, We are of opinion that it should
e in favor of-0ur own ciIizrns. The
ity of New Orleans and the State of
.ouiSiana, control the management
{ the New Orleans and Jackson
bail Road, and il they have a regard
,r their own interests, they will call
non the Board of Directors to bring
bout 4ome change in the conduct of
Ie corporation, to rectify the Q
rongs and give relief to our people.
he gross receipts per annum OF the
cw Orleans, jackson and Great
orthern Rail Road, amounts to a
illlon and half dollars: what 10 ;
Dne with this immense revenue
hey pay their engineers and EN- !
Ioyees no more than Northern rail I
,ad companies do; their charges
re almost double those in the North |
N States; why is it and how is { ! +,
he planters and merchants of tins
,ctiou demand an explanation. !
New Orleans feels the effects of |
lis state of affairs in the falling off {
her trade, in the absence OF visit
rs, aud in the general stagn ltiOn of :
usi ess. The merchants of the cres- a
INT city ought to know, amd if they 4
0 not, they will soon find out that u
0 city ever held or controlled any |
ind OF trade, or patronage, which it !,