Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-12-01
n, M. u.,.,I IA Ald,,,.,n Of M,mphI.,

To the Mayor and Aldermen OF Memphhi
We have read the memorial Of Messrs.
Tom. Brinkley, and others, urging you
10 selI the city stock 10 the Mississippi
and Tennessee Railroad Company, TO the
lessees Of the Mississippi Central rail.
road, and TO donate them $4,000 oil
CITY bonds, Ia consideration Of their
building the road from here 10 Union
City. We are In favor OF building that
road, believing It would greatly benefit
Memphis, and would cheerfully grant
stock, bonds and right OF way through
the city, under such restrictions rs would
secure the OH ect in view; but we urge you
earnestly not 10 accsde TO the proposl-
ton In the shape il has been presented
The managers Of the Mississippi Central
road have Disseminated against Mem
phis interests ever since the completion
Of the road. or that We do not com
plain. The discrimination was legiti'
mate. We should have done the sane
in their position, for 1t is patent
the two interests are antagonistic,
and It is absurd TO suppose that the Mis-
sissippi Central, having 236 miles 10 op-
Grafton and in easy reach OF Paducah,
would deliberately aid in tho conslruc-.
ton Of another line that would be fatal
TO II, for if the argument OF the memo
rialists be true, the construction Of this
line will bring all the freight and travel
through Memphis and leave the Central
road above Grenada TO live as best 1t
might upon a slim local business. When,
therefore, the representatives Of this rival
and hostile line, ask us to place the Mis-
sissippi and Tennessee railroad in their
control. we have right TO know whether
their object is not, by holding this link,
to squelch all through business on the
Memphis line, and force it over the Mis-
sissippi Central, as they could easily do
in such case. We therefore urge as
means of guarding against such re-
suit, and Of developing their real inten-
tions, that the city enter into an obllga-
ton nop to transfer 10 them her stock in
the Mississippi and Tennessee railroad,
and donate to them $500, 900 10 bonds Of
the city and the right Of way through or
under the city, upon their first building
and equiping the road from Memphis TO
Paducah and paying to the city twenty.
Eve thousand dollars for the stock, and
giving q proper guarantee that no dis
elimination whatever shall ever be made
against the Memphis line; but let no
stock be transferred, nor bonds be issued,
till the road is built, the guarantee given
and the twenty-five thousand dollars are
paid for the stock. If they object to this,
we will be forced to conclude that their
purposeis simply to possess themselves of
the Mississippi and Tennessee railroad,
and let the building oftbe road from Mem
phis to Union City drop, for, practically,
You could enforce no obligation on their
part to build it. With the Mississippi and
Tennessee railroad in their hands, theycan
cut off forever all through business on this
line, and by high discriminating tariff,
they could even drive all the business
from fernando, South. You should con-
slider we'll before placing so dangerous a
power in the hands of those whose inter
ests are ininical to ours, and who have
hitherto welded power to our great detri'
ment II they mean what they say, they
cannot object to this proposition-and il
they do not mean it in good faith, we
have a right to know it. We feel the i'm
portance of building this road to Padu.
cab, and for that reason wish to guard il
properly, and to prevent any discrimina
ton hereafter against us.
Minor Meriwether, VIM. 81. White,
/. B. Kirkland, d. b. Molloy,
Ike A. Hood, James Elder,
J. T. Sharp, ]. ]. Murphy,
T. S. Ayres.