New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-05-23

| ana vera cruz as easily as rom buffalo,
Dunkirk or Erie to Duluth or Milwaukee,
and much easier than from Philadelphia
or Baltimore TO Liverpool or Bremen.
We made an elaborate exposition Of the
argument and evidence in this case, be-
cause We desired to bring forward a propo-
sition by which the capital and interests
of the inboard rail lines could be brought
to aid certain public enterprises at the
South. We are gratifed at the adoption
of the idea by the St. Louis Republican.
We are. sincerely gratifed atits copying
some principal facts from US without &C.
knowledgment OF the same Thus:
There is already direct daily mail ser
| vice between New Orleans and New York,
| and it would cost the government no more
| to send the Mexican mails over this route.
| The service is paid for by the mile. The
| saving would therefore be the difference
between $500 miles Of ocean mail service
and 900 miles across the gulf. With the
passenger traffic. the savings in the mail
service and lessened insurance on freight,
there is IN favor Of the line practical bonus
! OF two millions and a half of dollars.
enough in itself to start the enterprise.
When any copyist is willing to take re-
sponsibility for the facts and matter
which We have furnished, and considers
the larceny of sufficient value to conceal,
we are more encouraged than even if credit
had been honestly given. We accept an
Endorsement by our contemporary Of our
suggestion, though it seems to have a con-
fused idea that the work ought to ''recom-
mend itself 10 the serious consideration of
the government and ''enlightened CAPT
talists." Our intention was to commend
it to neither. What We claim forour sin
vention, . in the language Of patentees, is
the idea of combination Of railroad COM
panies for the purpose of obtaining mail
contract, from our own and foreign gov
ernments-of buying, building or hiring
them to put on a joint stock ferry from
New Orleans to Vera Cruz, as the mail
and passengers have been carried from
Columbus to Cairo, under the nose Of the
St. Louis Republican
We wish the valley press to compre-
bend this suggestion. 1t has nothing to
do with Congress or capitalists. 1t
appeals in the case stated to S35, 900, 600
actual investments, to some ten or twelve
corporations, located along a line repre-
sented by ninety-three votes IN Congress.
Instead Of pressing a lobby scheme for
mail pay, we propose that these rich and
powerful corporations shall do in this
case what they are doing in similar cases
elsewhere. We propose that they will So
icit Congress; that they will drum for
travel and specie shipm ents: that they
will recommend this inboard route over
their roads instead Ct the coastwise route |
with its delay and insurance. We pro-
pose to reunite the South to the res. of |
Union by the only known cement-tLe /
development Of material interests COM
mon to combined interests. The article
employed BY the st. Louis Republican has
been submitted to the chief railroad au-
thorities to whom it was addressed, and |
their reply when received Will be pub
ished.
Ii the principle suggested be well re-
ceived. we had intended making g similar
estimate Of the longitudinal roads from
st. Louis, Chicago Cincinnati, Louisville |
and Detroit, together with the navigation
interests on the Missouri, Mississippi and |
Ohio rivers, all tending to and terminal
ing at New Orleans I. viii be for these
interests to combine and demand mail !
contracts between New Orleans and Rio
Janeiro and also to .Aspinwall. :.
proper tine We shall explain the argu-
ment and evidence. To these the st.
Louis Republican is welcome, with or with
out acknowledgment. II the original idea
be successful, it is a matter Of no conse-
quence to US who shall claim the cc4t.i. Of
having carried it out.