The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-08-01
REVOLT OF THE MERCHANTS.


Up-"Shan the Government Run the
Railroads or he Run by Them s"-Tbe
Rings Striving to strange New York.
Unclo Sam's Fast Freight Line to
Chicago.
There Is no class in the community 30 reluctant
to unite Tor the correction Of laHcied wrongs as
the mercantile. The merchant princes Of New
York, the men who have by their bold enterprise
advanced the city to Its proud position as the
metropolis Of the New World, are indeed ''s0w to
anger" and when they do stand forth 70 cham
pion principle or in defence of cause their &C
ton is certain to prove neither nasty nor trivial.
Yesterday reference was made to the initiation
OF movement, dating from the Grocers' Board Of
Trade, which already f0reshadows
MOST MoMENToUs UPRISING
against the steadily increasing oppression or the
railway monopolists. An organization has been
quietly erected and the membership is being &C
lively recruited from every class or mercantile in.
terest. This Mercantile Association has been
formed in pursuance OF q recommendation Of "The
American Cheap Transportation Association
which took form at the Aston House. on the 9th and
7;h OF May last at the instance Of o delega-
ton from the Western Changers. Mr.. josiah
Quincy, Of Boston, was elected President Of this
National Association; r. II. Ferguson, OF Troy,
Secretary and +. b. Thurber, Of New York, Treas
urer. The cardinal thoughts expressed in the res
buttons adopted by this body at its organization
are "that the great material want OF the day ID
relief from the present rate Of transit on American
products and that cheap trans portatiOn, both OF
persons and properly, is essential to the welfare
and prosperity of the country"
In combining, the merchants OF New York have
TwO-FOLD OBJECT IN VIEW:
to prevent the diversion Of their legitimate trade
to rival cities and to benefit the entire mass OF
producers and consumers throughout the country
by securing an economical system OF transporta-
In consequence OF the remarkable discrim,na-
tons made by the railroad and fast freight lines in
favor Of Boston, Philadelphia and BALTIMORE and
in view OF the prospective completion OF the ship
canal system Of Canada, certain branches OF trade
IN New YORK are already or seriously
ship in any Of the trunk roads TO the West, while
Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia capital is
Neither the Erie nor tile Vanderbilt Interests ally
themselves VITA those OF this city whose patronage
is their 81 I Of 20 e ERIE Is
the tonnage offered to 1t, and the Western shipper
Is thus almost compelled to find another market,
when he would naturally prefer New York. The
difference in 1reights between the seabOard cities
THE LEAST ATTRACTIVE MARKET
for buyers, and in order to retain their customers
merchants here are obliged to assume this differ
ence in the freight tarlG themselves, thereby
t nnreasoaable inasmuch Is New York alone has
always been a better customer to the railroads
than the three rival cities combined the IN,
others is papable irrespective OF the fact
that she Is nearer to chicago, st. Louis,
west by some H two hundred mes than Boston,
and practically no further OF than Baltimore or
Philadelphia. the HSosac Tunnel e, viii afford Bos,
harshy for New York interests. These are some Of
the points OF local importance that require atten-
ton; but the purpose Of TING Mercantile Associa-
ton is also TO Inquire into and
CHECK ABUSES
connected with the handling OF freight resulting
in what IS known as ''shortage," and TO urge upon
the city the necessity OF building suitable docks,
wherein consignments can be placed without being
cumuated filth. In regard to practical solution
Of the great question OF cheap transportation, it Is
probable that an appeal to Congress will be made
to authorize the building by government OF
A NATIONAL RAILWAY
from New York to Chicago the road to be OF the
throughout and devoted exclusively to the for
warding Of freight 1t is suggested that private
their own rolling stock on this r0atand to pay toll
therefor, precisely as the cinals are operated
BY this means the actual cCsS OF transportation
could be discovered which is now an impOssibllity.
the government would have to keep the road IN
repair, as the canals are now maintained by the
States to which they belong Practically the great
public highway would be to the people Of the whole
country what the Erie Canal has proved to the
State OF New York-a means OF growth and wealth
out OF all proportion 10 the nrSt Cost great tnouBn
WHO SHALL RUN THE RAILROADS
Inc merchants CUuSlueT budI tile uuesJlOu VI tHc
hour is shall the government run the railroads
or be run by them
Practically three.fourths OF the State and
national Legislatures are controlled by the enor-
nous railway interests OF the country, and 1t Is
deemed important to press The issue az all points
at once whether the people at large shall be further
oppressed by railroad rule or whether that form OF
tyranny shall be displaced While the chance Tor
dong il remains. Active preparations are making
for public demonstration by the New York mer-
chants at Cooper Institute, when the case will be
formally submitted for popular examination.