New Orleans Republican., 1875-11-30
THE TEXAS PACIFIC RAILROAD.

patnotlsm OF approprlatlng large sun
of money for the South; and other speak
ers have stated the inequality of sectiona
gifts as seventeen millions is to hundred
and seventy-nine millions. We may re
mark at this point that the South may
charge its political agitation with much
of this difference. The South has pre-
ferred no formal application for an equality
of appropriations. Its influence has beer
confined chiefly to securing partition o
the spoils of national Office. We admire
both justice and patriotism, and think ali
legitimate patronage should be appor.
toned fairly according to the numerica
| representation of numbers. We are Ger.
tain that our most cantankerous Demo.
cratic opponents would not hesitate to &C.
cept the public money to which the colored
constituency entitled the South, however
much they might be disposed to exclude
this constituency from any participation
in the funds.
But Mr. Scott had perhaps as well be
perfectly candid since candor would not
impair the prospects of administering a
| government road made with government
money. This may be called Southern
road, because it traverses Southern terri
tory and terminates at one or more Pacific
ports. In giving the public Endorsement
to the construction of this road there are
some accurate observers who know that it
is Philadelphia and Pennsylvania rail-
road.
| "Having no connection with the con-
| cern over the wa." known as the Penn
| sylvania Central, says Mr.. Scott, but in
| tended to flank New York out OF the
Pacific and Gulf trade for the benefit of
Philadelphia, and TO aid the iron interests
of Pennsylvania by
The mining of the Ore the making of the
pig and the working up of so many tons of
rails, all of uhich must be made of ime,icot
iron or steel; the building OF engines and
freight and passenger cars needed to oper-
ate the line; the bridge and other materials
necessary for the road.
ANOW Ill hlk tAlo coUlACIu SpCtCu lutIS
is not one word on the subject of the
gauge upon which the Southern road is
to be built. Senator J. W. Johnston, of
Virginia, has written letter recently in
which he treats the consequences to the
Southern ports of adopting for the Pacific
road the gauge of four feet eight inches.
He explains the difficulty of transferring
any trade that is under way on this gauge
to the Southern roads, which are with
few exceptions five feet. He shows that
the chief interior connections of Savan-
nah Charleston, Norfolk and Baltimore,
with those of Mobile, Pensacola and
New Orleans, will all require tranship-
ment to put freights on, or of, the
Southern Pacific, and that the section
upon whose credit the road is constructed
will only derive advantages under an ex-
ceptional expense. 1t would perhaps be
more satisfactory to him to call the road
Northern road, and throw the cost of
connection and transfer on the North.
We were little surprised to see no de-
velopment of the gauge question in the
convention at St. Louis, and hope it may
be sign that the projectors have ad-
justed the question privately, and the
deus er machind may solve the difficulty
in some satisfactory amendment upon the
passage of the bill.
As far as New Orleans is concerned, it
will be extremely unfortunate if she
shall be compelled to change sleeping
cars, locomotives and freight trains at
Marshall, or wherever she may determine
to connect with the Pacific railroad. We,
in this connection, should call the atten-
ton of our merchants and Legislatures to
the final selection of the line upon which
New Orleans will draw her rations of
Pacific and Mexican trade or travel. 1t is
perhaps of more consequence to her than
who shall be the next Speaker.
That this gauge question has been in
formally passed over at the convention in
consideration of the paramount impor-
tance Of first getting the subvention, and
then deciding upon the manner in which
it is to be applied is probable.
Mr.. Isaac H. Sturgeon, of St. Louis,
has written to Mr.. John P. Laird, "a mas.
ter mechanic thoroughly acquainted with
the cost of changing the gauge and ma
chinery of railroad from five feet six
inches to four feet eight and half
inches, to know what that operation will
cost the Southern roads2 Mr.. Sturgeon
feels
That the time is rapidly approaching when
all Southern railroads that have the gauge
of five feet will find it to their interest to
change such gauge to four feet eight and
half inches.
Mr.. Laird replies that it will be ''a very
simple affair, and proceeds to state it at
about one thousand dollars per engine,
and small sum per mile and for freight
cars.
We by no means say that a uniform
gauge is not important We do not even
affirm that forty or fifty thousand miles of
Northern road should conform to the
gauge of twenty thousand miles of South
ern railroad, but we do say that some
initial arrangement should be made by
which Southern commerce shall be par
italy admitted to practical participation