New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-07-25

gradually overcome the prejudices ove1
which civil rights laws and constitutions
amendments have not and never can hav'
any real power.
FAR THE MOST DANGEROUS MONOPOLY
The singular simplicity with which The
Common Council has permitted itself tt
represent the applications of water, whar
and lottery monopolists, and the fact thai
to party bearing the name of Democracy
the most undemocratic deeds become law
tul, justifes us in experimenting the further
grant in monopoly of one Of the only re-
naming franchises which can be granted
| away. This grant is sketched in the fol
| lowing abstract Of the petition Of the cor
porators:
! Meeers. A. L. Slavscr. L. Cormier, Jules
A. Blanc. Jacob Van Wickle and Thomas
! Herndon ask to be granted right OF way
along certain streets, in order to construct
on the leyee front double track railroad
for the transportation of cotton and other
merchandise connecting presses and snip
Tbs right OF way to begin at batture on
levee at Louisiana avenue. The track is
intended By petitioners to extend the whole
length of the levee, and be carried along
streets convenient to cotton presses. Then
follows various specifications. The cars TO
De fiat, and drawn by mules and horses.
Freight rates not to exceed twenty five
cents per bale. The work on the road to
be CONNIE need within twelve months, and
carc fO rim Nv January / 1877.
The RICH. of way to be given for thirty
years, W hen the road and all OF its equip.
ments is to be taken by the city at an ap
praised value.
The streets through which the tracks
pass to be kept in good repair. la case OF
crevasses, etc. the cars to be placed at the
command of the city for transportation OF
repairing materials.
Accompanying this petition was d paper
setting forth the advantages proposed to be
derived from !evee freight railroad and
also map OF the proposed route.
With the concessions of wharf control,
such grant as is implied in this applica-
ton may be perfectly fatal to the efforts
of New Orleans to sustain the competi.
ton Of rival cities. each of which offers
the most perfect terminal facilities to all
Western trade, imported or exported. 1t
is impossible to tell from the names pub
lished in such petitions who are the par.
ties really in interest. The dead head
parties. more like the large trout, are very
sly and cautious. They lie under the
rocks and tree roots and never dart at
the prey until its seizure is secure. Who
knew that the gas monopoly would have
gone to Baltimore or New York? Who
suspected that beneath the pretended an.
nuity to give our people any other ''cheap
gas" than that emitted by political ora.
tors. their large design to tax ''the peo-
ple' more than a million TO pay for the
very monopoly that the same people had
just given away to Baltimorean or New
Yorker.
Let the Common Council. then, scru-
tinize this grant, and it may be found to
contain the means OF blocking up our
river commerce more effectually than any
bar. 1t may be seen that while Captain
Eads is piling brush and planting piles to
deepen the outlet channel, messieurs these
corporators are so incumbering the
wharves and ievee' that there will be no
emit to cross the bar. We. without
any other knowledge Of the scheme than
is conveyed in the abstract quoted, warn
the Common Council to scrutinize tie
nature and nativity Of this scheme, and
hesitate lest the levees and the wharves
pass entirely beyond the practical control
Of the city. With this caution the Coun-
eli need not be surprised to learn that
We regard the Improvements proposed rs
he most important to the commercial ex-
stence Of New Orleans which could pos.
'ibly be devised. We repeat tina: New |
Orleans has lost he1 monopoly Of |
the Mississippi valley
rade. and mus. now compete |
With other outports which have
arge share of the same trade. TO
meet this competition New Orleans may
'e required to give free. or nearly free
wharfage. She must give shelter to trans.
er goods, and must take off all transit
harges and delays. New Orleans has
cry large force Of men and animals EN-.
'loyed in making this transfer between
he river boats and the ship. 1t has been
ways plain that if rail facilities could be
rovided for moving these treights for the
tx or seven miles occupied by the boats
nd shipping: if as in London. Liver.
DOL, Brem en-, Bristol, Baltimore. Phila.
elphia and other large cities, there could
G system Of railroads and magazines.
18th local steam engines to transfer
bling and other freishts New Orleans
ould compete favorably with any OF her
walls. Il would follow that there would
g an additional force given to agricul-
Ire by liberating manual and animal
Dor. and great reduction of city ex-
enses by delivering the streets from the
astruction Of heavily loaded vehicles. So |
3parent are these necessities, that long
efore the war many of our most respon.
bic citizens, Of whom we recolect the
ames OF Zachar;e. Peters. Watts and
hers. asked charter to lay down tracks
arallel with the levee with switch turn
Its On every slip. Such system is now
eeded, and the whole heavy freights in
nded for transfer should be trucked by
'rd trains and dummy engines from one
ID Of the levee' to the other whenever