The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1873-08-28
From the augusta COnstitutioialist
The CHICAGO Movement.

From the augusta C0a,stitutionalist.
The Chicago Movement.
Beyond all doubt, not only Chicago, but the
whole of the great West is moving in the mat
ter of closer commercial intercourse with the
South and greater facilities for intercommuni-
cation. Nor is this to be wondered at. The
South is the best customer which the West has
for its agricultural productions. The chief
market for western corn, -four, bacon, mules
and horses is the South. Take away the South
ern demand for these products and what would
become of the Western farmers? Ask any
western man to indicate his best market, and
he points to the South. True, by far the larger
portions of Western products find their way
South through Eastern markets. The West
owes the East for imports, and RENTS for the
exchange agricultural products. The South is
dependent on the East for credit, and receives
these Western products in advance. To the
South the cost of these products is high-very
high. To the West, the price realized is low
very low The Western farmer suffers by low
prices; the Southern farmer suffers by high
prices, the very high prices Of these selfsame
articles. The chief element of the less to each
is transportation and the necessity for the in
:ervention of Eastern middle-men, bankers,
brokers and capitalists. If the West could
trade directly with the South, exchange her
products for the sterling exchange which South
ern cotton produces to pay for her imports,
clearly there would be great saving to both;
for, beside getting rid of the increased cost of
circuitous transportation, nearly double the
application of the principle Of the fox of the
fable in adjusting an equal division. For to
the West the East says: ave must take off
from the value of your articles for balance"
And to the South ""We must take off a dis
count on your sterling bills, and consequently
on cotton, for the same reason" Clearly, then,
it is to the interest of both of these sections
that this corroding Intervention should cease,
and the two sections should possess ample
facilities for trade and commercial intercourse
which would allow to one an increase which
would bring profit, and save the other from
consuming loss We are not surprised, there
fore, that Western farmers should form
"Granges" and demand lower rates for trans
portation and increased facilities for direct
commercial intercourse with the South. NUr
are we surprised to see Western leading men
advocating new: and direct routes for railway
lines to the South-forming corporations to
effect this object.
In yesterdays issue, we gave letter from
the Hon. Robert Rae, of Chicago, to Henry
Moore, Esq, of this city, touching the recent
movement to this end. By this letter we sec
that a corporation has been formed and Presi-
dent Vice President and Board of Directors
stress upon this act. Charters in Indiana are
obtained by simply depositing with the Comp
troller of the State and the Recorder of the
place where the design of the corporation
originates written statement of the object of
the association, and an express account that
the charter is sought by those who are willing
and intend to carry OUT the design set forth.
But we do place much stress upon the char
acter of those who form the corporation. This
corporation, we learn from some of our citizens
who have visited Chicago and inquired into the
matter, Is composed of individuals Of large
means and great energy and enterprise, who
would not to be likely to embark in an enter
prise without the promise of profitable success,
and of railroad corporations north of the Ohio,
who, now destitute of friendly Southern con-
nections, can promote their prosperity by
building connecting links. We do not under
stand that this corporation purposes to build
all the roads, or any particular road, to the
Southern Atlantic Coast. But we do under
stand that they propose to reach a point in
Tennessee, which will afford them the opportu-
nifty of connecting with the system of railroads
y
Gulf, on one hand, and to the Atlantic on the
other, expecting that cooperative efforts will
be made when connecting links are wanting to
supply deficient links. If our information and
views are correct and we believe that they are,
it does not follow, as a matter of course, that,
without effort, the city of Augusta, although
named in the title as the objective point will
become so de .tacto We know that line has
been projected to meet this Western movement
from our sister city Macon. 1t is very well
known that the projected Greenwood line seeks
available connection through North Carolina,
using the Western extension of the great GEN.
tral railroad line which is being steadily pushed
to completion by that State. We have lately
published the proceedings of meetings, held to
stimulate the construction of railroad from
Abbeville to Aiken, South Carolina, connecting
with the South Carolina railroad at that point,
and seeking a connection with Port Royal by q
further extension. 1t is apparent, too, that one
great object of the Chicago movement is to Sc
cure direct participation in the tropical trade,
to exchange corn and other articles for Cuba
sugar and coffee, and other staples of tropical
production which now only find their way
through New York city; and we know that while
Charleston projects line of steamers to Ha-
vana a company of Northern capitalists have
issued their circulars respecting line of steam
ers from Pensacola to the same port. 1t is By no
no means certain that Augusta, although possess
ed of commanding position, can force the con.
struction of q line through her gates; but she
may be switched off by the superior energy of
those to the right and to the left of her. We
would, therefore urge this matter upon the at
.ention of our citizens. Probably, by "a SUBJ
scription of two or three hundred thousand dol.
lars, she can avoid such danger, and secure the
of two new railroad lines-one.
The Hartwel, saving valuable and long es.
.ablished trade, now threatened by the comple.
lion of the Atlanta Air Line Road, and the
other, bringing a new trade of fifty thousand
,ales of cotton, the Greenwood.
We suggest that the time for decided action
,y our City Fathers and our citizens has ar
lived. Awake, Samson! The Philistines are
lpon YOU