Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-04-20

success, we have had recocrse to eveYv
fair and legitimate argument to convince
the citizens on the Indiana part of this line
as well as those living in Cincinnati. that
it was their duty and interest to aid IL
by their subscriptions The NEST success
ful argument-the one that met with the
most favor was that that showed ours
good Nashville as well as local line. tt
has been our custom, Mr.. President, in
discussing our enterprise before the pub-
liz. and IN the newspapers to refer to your
city as an important railroad center-a
railroad center of 5000 miles of already
built road, and that the different lines in
tersectiDg here as a common center were
Independent lines, under their own con.
troll and In full sympathy with the inter
ests of your city This fact, with your
geographical position, makes of your city
the most important distributing point in
the Southwest, and must make of if an
important manufacturing and commercial
city. It is net my province or de-
sire to say aught against any party or
corporation. But it is nv dutv as an
officer OF railTosd seeking connection
with your city, and desiring from this pro-
posed connection a large part of its
merit and value; to express to you our de-
sire that you maintainl intact your present
railroad lines and connections. Especially
as delegate to you from the Board of
Trade and Chamber OF Commerce of Gin.
cinnati, 1t Is proper should express to
you their solicitude on this subject. Per.
hsps no city in the West can better appre-
ciate the real value of the question before
you than can Cincinnati. She has suffered
In her material prosperity as a city bv
railroads in two ways. First. Some i'm
portant lines of railroad that should have
passed through her and thereby contribute
to her prosperity, have entirely missed her.
while other roads at one time tributary to
her commerce, now being owned and con-
trolled by cities north and west of her.
are used and controlled in their interest.
while Cincinnati is to the managers of
some OF these roads only as a country vii
iage or cross road station. You, gentle
men OF Nashville, msy learn lesson by
the history of Cincinnati that she learned
IN the severe school Of experience. Profit
by an example, and avoid the same disss-
trous results to your commerce and the
general prosperity Of your city.
1t is easier to avoid errors than to COR
rect them after they are once committed.
Cincinnati now fully comprehends the re-
suit Of past neglect on this subject. But
it is much harder and much more expen-
sive to retrieve these errors than it would
have been to avoid;them in the beginning.
Inc value OF Southern UTauo no uIry IN
the continent appreciates more than does
Cincinnati, nor are any more desirous of
securing it. And no merchants or manufac
tulers can do better by you than ours pro
vided we can have transportation on equal
terms. In evidence of the desire of our
citizens to have commercial relations with
the people of the South, refer to the vote
of $40, O,0a0, 600 by our citizens to establish
Southern road. In their Efforts to secure
charter, the trustees of that fund have
not bsen successful. The result of their
efforts for the future cannot be predicted.
Their request for charter was reasonable
and just. Now, a great practical
question before cur citizens is, what
shall be done. What is known as the Rock
port and Cincinnati Railroad, says we will
establish q new line of railroad to Nash
vile. Just here let me say that we ar
dently wish that kind Providence would
put it into the hearts of the custodians of
that O,000, COO fund to appropriate por-
ton Of it in this direction. The line of
railroad for which have been working in
cessantly for two years is, in the Judgment
of wise railroad men, a necessity.
The interests of commerce demand this
line. You need tive need it, A fact
none will question is, that a general rail.
road competition is desirable.
There are facts and laws by which the
interests of commerce are governed and
promoted. One of these important facts
is competition.
The public welfare, generally, is promo
ted by healthy, active competition, and
different lines of transportation are essen
tial to this competition.
The growing power Of corporations is 6
question the a mericGL psCpia should con-
sider, and the oppressive power of rnonop-
olies we all understand. It is evil, and
only evil continually,
Common carriers are recognized by the
common law-and their duties and powers
prescribed.
But how far the public interest should
be controlled by one corporation or mo-