Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-27
WHAT SHALL BIZ DONE WITH
THE RAILROADS. sss
An Important question fer the Legis
Iature-spirit of the Press:

II
An Important question fer the Legis
! Iature-spirit OF the Press.
From the Clarksville Tobacco Leaf Aug. Is.
| The question of greatest Importance
to the State, and one which is likely to
engage the serious attention of the next
General Assembly, is the present condi-
ton our railroads. Tennessee has spent
large sums Of money in fostering her
railroad enterprises, and become over
whelmed with debt. Such has been the
bad management and wholesale swim
ding by parties controlling our roads,
that instead of being source Of income
to the State, they have actually become.
a burden on the Taxpayers; and so
thoroughly disguised are the people with
the bold, openshanded frauds, committed
upon our great railroad interest. that
some are considering the practicability Of
either selling or leasing ali roads that do
not meet the interest on their bonds, to
responsible companies.
That such policy will be strongly
urged upon the Legislature, and that
rings are already organized to lobby
the measure through, we have no doubt.
II, however, we are not very much miss
taken in the material composing our new
Legislature, this programme will be
grand failure. The people IS a general
thing have elected to the General ASS
sembly representative men, who have an
interest in Tennessee, who are too wise
to be gulled, and too honorable to be
bribed to 60 for q measure that must
prove so ruinous to the future pros
perity of the State as this. Had we COM
panies in Tennessee able to purchase
these roads, identified in interest with
our people and the future prosperity of
the State, such policy might be very
well but as we have not, and must look
to outside capital, the "Ieasing'' or "sell-
ing'' our railroads would, in our opinion,
be equivalent to selling the State or in
other words, placing our commercial in,
terest in the hands and at the mercy of
outside corporations who have an inter-
est of their own to subserVe.
Railroads are great instruments in the
hands of monopoly to build up one
section or place, to the detriment of an
other, and are generally handled in such
a discriminating manner as to escape the
notice or observation of the public, in eff
fecting such results-ClarksVille has had
little sad experience by the practice of
this modus operandi. But one instance
alone can we cite (since the Memphis,
GAINESVILLE and Louisville Railroad
passed out of the hands of Mr.. Lewis,) |
in which GAINESVILLE has received the les |
climate benefits of her road, to which |
she is at all times entitled, to enable
her to compete successfully with rival |
markets for the produce and trade of the
immediate surrounding country, and
which also proved a corresponding bene-
fit to the people who desired to ship heir |
produce to the nearest market for the
cheapest rates.
This we have before referred to, which |
arrangement was affected through the
kindness of Mr.. Shepherd, Superintend.
emit of the Edgefield and Kentucky, and
Evansville, Henderson and Nashville
road, who saw the justice in it and was
disposed to accommodate the people |
along the line of his road, and freely CO.
operated with Capt. Meek, of our road,
in giving the farmers of Todd and Chris
tan counties cheap rates to this place on |
tobacco. To the credit Of these gentle> |
men, this programme was strictly ads |
hered to throughout the season, nOtwith>
standing efforts were made to change it ]
for the benefit Of others.
We now observe from five to six trains |
per day passing over our road, and
GAINESVILLE not able to control one OF
them for the benefit of the local trade
north and east Of US. Citizens whose
business force them to come here, are
compelled to remain a day and two
nights, or come the old.fashiOned way
on horseback.
We may observe on the other hand,
while GAINESVILLE is exering all her
energy and using all the facilities at her
command, struggling as for life to gain
her natural position as commercial
mart, Louisville is easily coming her
millions by the favorable operation of
he- railroads-now the most powerful
corporation in the cOuHtry-ready and
and anxious with her millions to pur-
chase or lease all the Railroads in Tenn
esseee. This is all legitimate and right.
We do not blame Louisville or the rail-
road company for using these advan~
tages to promote their prosperity, and do
not speak of it through any unkind
feelings towards either, but merely to
illustrate the effect that the sale of our
railroads would have upon the State.
Nashville would certainly be the great
sufferer, and would in few years be
reduced to a mere country town. A
general depression would overspread
the State; that public spirit which now
begins to animate our people under the
new regime, would be destroyed, and
the people would never realize the be ne-
fits anticipated. Now is the golden ops
portunity for Tennessee. By the pro-
per legislation she may, in the next ten
years, double her population, make her
cities, build up her manufactures, and
develop her great resources, and be pos
sessed with untold wealth to pay her in
debtedness; We need our railroads oper-
ated in the interest of Tennessee and
Tennessee towns, to assist in our great
progress, in which Southern Kentuc ky,
and other adjoining States must be
equally benefited.
Rather than sell out, let US initiate
the policy of Louisville and the Ken
lucky Legislature towards her railroads,
and enable our roads to initiate, or rather
inaugurate the policy of the Louisville
and Nashville Railroad Company.
The true and only safe policy, in our
Judgment, for the Legislature to pursue,
is to place the roads in the hands of the
stockholders and require the Board OF
Directors to execute bond with good
security for the payment into the treasury
monthly Of reasonable portion of the
gross earning to meet the interest on the
bonds, and in case they fail, appoint a
Receiver under the same requirements,
(Receivers are not such bad things after
all, if they are honest men and required
to comply with the law and We venture
that not single road in the State will
fail to meet its interest promptly.
In order to aid the General As
sembly in arriving at the proper course
Of legislation on this important question,
80 ,ro,,1d c,,rooo1 auaru rai1rOad