The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1869-03-31
Southern Pacific Railroad.
ID ULIICI u I
MARSHALL. TEXAS, March %, 1869.

MARSHALL, IEAAs, March - 1901.
Messrs. Editors:
The interest which Won feel the city OF Shreveport
its future prosperity and the character OF lis leading
business men, will cause you doubt to notice, and to
appropriately reply to the sbjoined article ~ which
find in the Tyler Index of the 10th inst
The author speaks evidently by authority, and with
the preudiees of interested party and is either
leading officer of the road ora gentleman III the fnil
confidence and interest of It's managers. Why lie should
have selected Radical newspaper, and one among the
most odus of its class to have made this uncaed tor
attack requires explanation | say uncaiied tor be-
cause it was generally understood and stated IN
your paper, that the difficulty between the railroad
company and the merchants of Shreveport had been
adjusted There is plain ntmation by this writer
that quite number of the merchants of Shreveport
are dishonest several of them alluded to- although net
named are referred to in such distinct terms that they
and many of their friends will know who they are. 1t
might be appropriately asked in this connection, that
while this writer is prouse i'll his charges OF dis
honesty against the merchants Of Shreveport are the
skirts of his company clear? Have not suits been
brought and judgments obtained in lower court, at
Marshall Texas for exactions by this company tor I'M
lawful charges
There is another point Of greater signtie ance
in this anonymous, but "by authority" article III tue
Index There is plain ntnltion that the present
terminus of the road is to be moved down the river,
thus leaving Shreveport out in the cold Mr. God,
the editor of the Index has letter in the same paper
embracing eieit 'i't
such project is in serious contemplation. How will
this be taken by the merchants aud property holders
of Shreveport? Are they willing to surrender their
interests to set of SPECTATORS who prospective
fortune little lower down the river, and who recog
Mise no interests but their own9
The State of Texas gave this company bonus of
ten Thousand two hundred and forty acres OF land to
the mile and loaned it large sum of money at almost
nominal interest, besides endowing it with franchise
within itself stupendous fortune. Louisiana has been
scarcely less liberal and in extraordinary privileges
more So. And vet this writer acknowledges obliga
tons to the PUBLIC; claims that g the road built
with the money and is for the profit of the stock
holersn when it is notorious that the donations loans
and privileges given them by the States Of TEXAS and
Louisiana are Of value than the entire cost o!
the road. He las the boldness to assert that the
company has the right to conduct business in its
way regardless of law and CUSTOM aud that those
g who are not pleased with its regulations need not
parOtse itn lie further asserts "that the company
should be sustained in all its reasonable measures,
rogatng themselves the sole right to judge of what
is reasonable This is decidedly cool, if not refresh
ing He might have gone beyond this, and
Stated that the company had sought 10y legal qulboes
to evade the of its charter, to increase lis
charges beyond what the lazy allows. Such an attack
i'll paper of the character Of the Index, at such
time, and from such source and before the
pany has been in existence long enough to get used
to its swaduIing clothes, is Il fair index Of what
may expect Of its exaeton when they get old enough
to walk alone
The article spoken Of Will be found in another col
nm n n DAVIS naDnr--EdS