New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-07-23


the latter range and the Sierra Nevadas-
require to be dipped out into the ocean on
either side. Production is not only SO vast
in amount. but it is SO unequally dis
tributed. OF the spring wheat grown
in the United States, Wisconsin and Iowa
raise nearly one-half. OF the winter
wheat. Indiana and Ohio produce nearly
grows one-sixth. OF the tobacco kentucky
raises nearly one-half. Nine States raise
nearly all the cotton consumed in this
country, and much of that consumed in
Europe. The cotton fabrics manufactured
in the United States in 1870 were valued at
$l57 100000. OF these $59,0OO,O0O were
manufactured in Massachusetts. OF course
the distribution OF these and the great
variety of other commodities necessitates
vast amount of transportation. Eleven
States occupying the Mississippi valley send
to market annually surplus of its cereal
products, equal to 300,00000O bushels. To
cheaper the carriage OF that single COM
modify by the amount OF only ten cents on
the bushel is saving of $30,0O0,000 to the
people.
Various expedients have been suggested
for lessening the cost OF transportation. In
some of the States it has been proposed to
place railroad fares and freights under the
control of the State. The objections to that
expedient are SO serious that 1t should not
be embraced if better one can be found.
The country is SO new, 80 raw, and so un.
developed, the demands for capital are SO
many and so urgent, that any policy which
would tend to drive capital from us should
be avoided if possible. The State is but the
aggregate Of the people in the State. The
people are the purchasers of transportation.
The railway companies have transportation
to sell. The law also holds railroad COM
panies to be common carriers, and go bound
| to carry for all when the price is paid. 1t is
now mooted question whether that price
shall be named by the companies or by the
people, the sellers or the purchasers of the
article. Which of these two parties is le-
gally authorized to fix that price is probably
determined by the laws under which the
| several companies are organized. But
which of them can, in fact, fix it ia differ
| ent question. 1t is manifest that it the COM
pany be allowed to fix the price they may
| demand too much. Vendors of all cOmmO-
| dities are very apt to want all they can get.
On the contrary, if the people or their
agents Ak the price they may set it too low.
| Purchasers are very apt to want cOmmOdi-
probable that either party to the transac.
tion would always hit upon the exact equiv
alent. The consequences of mistake
| would probably be found most in furious if
made by the people. If the company makes
| the mistake and charges too much, no one
is obliged to employ it.. The producer does
his own carrying before the railway is
| after it is built. So every company ls COM
PEELED by the laws of trade, even if muni-
| clpal law is silent, to carry products
| cheaper than the producer can carry them,
| or he will not have them to carry. The
company must also carry them at profit
| to the producer, else the producer will
| cease. The farmers of Iowa will send no
/ &bo mil
profit to the producer. The carrier must
earn money for the producer as we'll as for
himself, else he will soon have nothing to
carry 1t is as absurd for the railways to
demand more for transportation than the
producer can afford to pay as it was for the
| man in the fable to endeavor to get two
golden eggs each day from his goose. The
attempt to do so was death to the goose.
Under favorable conditions, indeed, the
carrier may demand and receive more than
fair share of the profits of production.
| Where such is the case, when the State
finds the producer makes but ten per cent,
while the carrier makes fifteen or twenty
per cent, it is very easy and perfectly
legitimate for it to say to the company,
the work you do can be done for less
money. We will pay you for your road
| what it will cost to build such another, or
you may keep your road and we will build
another So the people are not helpless
against exorbitant charges. On the con-
trary. if the people set the price and set it
too low, the consequences may be graver.
| The company has no option. It must &C
cept the price named or not run. If the
| rates named will afford slight return on
| the capital existing companies may con-
| tinue to run, but no more capital will en-
| counter like risks. If the rates will yield
| no return the road can not be run. Com
pany and community in that case are alike
| ruined. This expedient seems to be too
| hazardous to adopt If better can be found.
"Another expedient is to build a double
| track railway between the Mississippi and
the Atlantic, over which any party may run
/ trains, and all trains to run with the same
rate of speed. This is worthy of careful
! consideration.
| "But whatever may or may not be ex-
l pedient to De done, this much seems to be
| certain-if the national government is to do
! anything whatever to cheaper transporta-
tion only the Republican party can be relied
upon to do it. The Democratic party has
| foresworn all such labors. Long ago they
| determined the constitution would not per-
| NIT the government to remove an ObstIuc-
| ton from q harbor or river. 1t is vain to
| suppose they will find new authority to
| build canals or construct railways. But we
| are not left in doubt as to their present dis
| position. Two votes given during the past
session-one in the Senate, on Mr.. Win
dom's amendment to the river and harbOr
bill-will prove beyond all doubt that the
| Democrats, like the Bourbons, have learned
nothing good, even if they have forgotten
anything bad.
upon all these considerations, for all
| these reasons, we think you should send
\ Republicans and not Democrats to the
next Congress. If you cherish the deeds of
the recent past and would not see them
undone; if you respect the present and
would not disgrace it; or if you have hope
of the future and would realize that hope,
we urge you to send Republicans and not
Democrats to the next Congress"
| The address is signed as follows: Chand-
Ter, chairman of the committee, and thirty
eight Senators and Representatives, mem
| bers of the committee, the New York MEM
Der being Congressman Thomas c. Platt.
Whitely's Bureau to be Abolished.