The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-12-27
rmE TEXAS Ann PAoirIC,

A strSng Memorial ~ liz Behalf from,
theh.. Louis Hoard of Tlade, aud a
unanimous indoTa emeHt by the mer.
CHANTS Exchange.
Bhc Senate AMI House OF Rcprcaen-
m'roQfhe UaHed S'dies of America,
IN Coagress Assembicd
We, tho undersigned, Il committee
appoinlod by the Union Merchants
Exchange Of the city Of st. Louis,
respectfully pray that tho aid essen.
taI to u speedy completion Of the
Texas and Pacific railroad 10 the
Pacific coast, and Of tho Atlantic
ana Pacific toa junction Herewith
rot further west than tho lO5th
meridian, may BIO granted by the
government. This they ask because
sound national policy requires II !;
because equal justice to all sections
Of our common country requires IL,
and because IL il needed TO revive
Frustrated industry and to develop
tho resources by which the heavy
indebtedness Of the government and
the people may DO discharged
A southern frontier Of 1900
miles is defended only by n series Of
military posts, A railroad near
that frontier would greatly reduce
the cost Of guarding it, A report
from the house committee on mill.
tary affairs shows that in 1869 over
100000 would have been saved
each year in cost Of government
transportation to New Mexico alone
had thore been II railroad thither,
For lack Of supplies, General Sher
idan's army was unable to reap the
fruits of its victory In 1860 on the
Wichita, between the lines Of the
very roads proposed Their com.
pIeton would add 4 chain Of settle.
monts for the defense of the whole
frontier. Enabling the government
to quickly concentrate its force upon
any threatened point, it would de
minsh the force required. --'
Indian ravages have well nigh
excluded industry from belt Of
territory along this frontier, over
300 miles wide, and covering about
100000 square miles We have no
other territory Of Ike magnitude
equally rich in mineral or ngricul7
tural resources, and equally favored
in climate. Nearly tho whole of
New Mexico is over 4, 900 feet above
the level of the sea, and little Of
Arizona is less than 1000 feet
Consequently large districts Of these
territories have mean annual
temperature below 50 dcgrees-that
of Trenton or indianapolis, Moro
than two.thirds of New Mexico and
one.third of Arizona has mean
temperature below So dcgrecs-lhat
of Washington--and nearly the
whole of New Mexico and half of
Arizona, below 80 degrces-that of
Nashville or Norfolk. Yet this
region of delightful climate and
boundlcss wealth is almost closed to
enterprise and industry. Forces
sufficient to protect that region
could not now be maintained with
ont enormous expense. In the two
wears 1964,5, S2S, 900, 600 We're spent
merely for transportation of supplies
to troops on the plains The rail-
way would greatly facilitate the
movement of troops and supplies,
and save great expense in opera
tons against hostile tribes. But
the chain of settlements which a
railway creates is the only perma-
nent protection that can be given to
this broad belt Of territory. When
secretary of war, General Grant
declared that "the completion OF
these roads Ito tho Pacific will 20
far towards tho a permanent settle.
mcnt of our Indian difficulties, and
in the broad belt traversed by the
Omaha line results have justified
his statement The locomotive is
peace. And if Great Britain sends
an army thousands Of miles to pen
citrate Africa and rescue six British
subjects, shall notthe United States
do something to give peace and pro
lection to settlers and miners scat.
tered over 100000 square miles OF
its richest Territory?
Sound national policy requires
competition in transcontinental rail-
way traffic. A single route uhre.
strained is monopoly. Control of
routes by the government is nm evil.
Competition would effect great saw
ing to our people in the cost of this
traffic. Neither government nor
commerce can afford to rely upon
one line only, certain soon to be
overcrowded by increasing business,
and liable to blockade by snow. The
proposed route, with its saving IN
distance and time, its lighter grades
and curves, and constructed mt the
present low rates for labor and ma
terials, without those interruptions
from storms which, according tf
the report of the chief engineer
"often doubled, and even treblet
and quadrubled the cost OF a por
ton" of the Omaha line, would b'
able to reduce rates so as to draw