Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-03-04
MERCHANTs' HEETING YESTERDAY
-FHs ONLY RECOURSE LEFT MEM.
nrETa-Eln m nIE

sity for railway lines west Of the Missis-
sippi. There was never a clearer dem
onstrstion Of this fact than was given
yesterday by the action Of a large num-
Der OF merchants. The wisest and best
Of the city assembled in the hall of the
Chamber Of Commerce. Naturally and
necessarily the wealth of these West
oTn and Southern States Is drawn,
by iuexorable laws, into New York.
Railroads east OF the Mississippi
competing with one another have
reduced through freight charges
TO a minimum. If Memphis roads
do not reduce these charges, they
lose the whole Of this business given to
the river or to McComb's railway lines.
Whatever profit is gained by our roads
on this business enables them TO make
pro rata deductions upon local freight
charges. The people see this evil ana
complain bitterly, and 20 what extent
the railway managers may be culpaole,
and how far merchants justly condemn
railway managers, are inquiries already
elsborately discussed in these pages
Let the Legislature do what it may,
the fact stsres US palpably in the
face that commercial wealth is drawn
by au irresistible force toward
the East, and that Memphis hourly loses
control Of trade originating east of the
city by means Of the very agencies
created that the city might be Infinitely
-aggTandized. These evils suggest, Of
course, their own remedy. Memphis is
nearer New York and the ocean than
Arkansas or Texas, and the very laws of
trade that force the whole wealth of
Western Tennessee into Louisville,
Cincinnati, Baltimore and Philadelphia,
when the same facilities of commerce
exist, viii force into this city the
wealth, trade, traffic and travel of
the imperial West. The very law that
makes Brownsville sell TO Louisville
viii make the village within fifty miles
shreveport, and Shreveport itself, trade
with Memphis. This gravitation of
wealth and commerce toward the East
is recognized everywhere, and st. Lsuis /
and Chicago never grew great till, obey |
ing it, they extended railways into re-
mote Western States and Territories |
The very same principles prevailed, and 1
the very same tears were shed, and the
very same groans, OF those borne
down by the intclerable burdens
Of four per cent. taxation, were heard In
st. Louis, that yesterday bathed Mr..
Gstes's face in tears aud agonized the |,
chamber Of Commerce. II wss met. |
ing at the confessional. Three sc,oarste
acts done yesterday by these T.lerchants.
and unanfnously approv.ed, were the
natural oulgrowth OF or commercial re-
lations be re defRe6. and Of the condition
Of our rade. A committee was ap-
pointed 30 CANVASS the city in behalf OF
q cash absorption Of two hundred thou
sand d Ollars for the road proposed to be
1ullt ~ Colonel Trezevant for the relief
oi White river valley, and then it was
lgr Aed that every possible agency should
be- employed TO insure the immediate
cons truction Of a road TO Shreveport and
of another to Kansas City.
If these three roads be built, Memphis
becomes the rival OF st. Louis. From
any point IN Texas the distance to New
York is less through Memphis than
through St. Louis by one hundred and
tifty TO three hundred miles. St. Louis
then compete with Memphis for
the wealth and trade of the empire
southwest Of Us. To the extent that
the Gulf States must interchange
products with the new Northwest,
Memphis is unrivalled as market for
this interchange. Our eastern railways
constitute a perfect system diverging to
every point Of the compass, and make
the most attractive point for
the distribution Of grain, bacon and
-four, in the valley of the Mississippi.
BY means of this Kansas City road
Memphis becomes an original market
where flour aud bacon will be sold at
inst cost and when this is done Mem
phis commands without a possible
rival the trade of five South
ern States. The necessity for the
Selma road was found in the
fact that it made Memphis the distrib-
uting point for wealth to be borne hither
from Kansas City.
Must Memphis be baked Of its pur-
pose in building these eastern roads?
Have We borne all this taxation in vain?
And after accomplishing so much, must
we taUlely surrender our homes to tax
gatheters? We can take no step back
ward. We cannot stand still. Inan-
itioY is death. There was wisdom
la the action Of the Chamber Of
Commerce yesterday. The three roads,
and not one single road, must be built.
There need be no jealousy and no
narrOw-minded selfishuess. The three
western roads must be constructed, and
at once. Our city debt is not great, and
that Of the county is trifiing. Twelve
hundred thousand dollars must be given
away 10 turn backward the tide of mis-
fortune. Five hundred thousand dol
lars in bonds must be given absolutely
TO the first road, that shortens by one
hundred miles the railway distance to
Shreveport, aud the same donation Of
the same sum on the same terms 10 the
builders Of a road toward Kansas City.
Colonel Trezevant should be employed
t. secure the subscription Of two hun
dred thousand dollars, which he would
have made 20 the White River Valley
road. He i- eloquent, well known, and
can easily accomplish the task be pro-
poses 10 effect.
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RIGHTS 9F STEAMBOAT OWNERs-
ARh EBAs CIEEL-RIGEIIs BILL.
The rivers of Arkansas are highways
Of Tennessee and Of all the people of all
the States. The State of Arkansas can