The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-09-10
The Southern Pacific.
Early vse,os for a ceafras Lane prese"
Necessity FOR d Southern Line.

The Southern Pacific.
Ear,v V;e,os for a Central Lane = Present
Necessity for a Southern Line.
The St. Louis Globe Democrat OF the 9th
instant makes strong argument IN benai
Of the Southern Pacific railroad and against
the present Pacific railroad, from which came
that opposition through Mr.. HUNTINGTON
which Senator JOHNSTON cited with compia-
cency as strengthening the opposition 70 1ae
Southern Pacific in Virginia a great h''s'
take. The Globe. Democrat says:
"Tbe failure of all attempts to secure com S,nes
mon Justice from the monopoly we nav
built up along the northern route, lnun.as
ton's} and especially the late conspiceeo que
failure of the attempt at an ubiucation ~ ~. .so
Interests Of the Kansas faclne aua ,n sto
RI. foreground and enforce the conviction
tha, there is but one way in which u can oe
hrouoht TO a satisfactory conclusion tine
building of q competing line along The SOUTH
ern route"
The Globe Democrats charges that the pre-.
sent monopoly has -'f killed the TRANSFORM.
"nental trade By extravagant freights, and
"hss become thoroughly northern hne os
refusing fair connections with other ROADS
sand compelling trade to rendezvous at CHI
"cago." Certainly, the Chicago Interest,"
along with Mr.. HuNT1SGToN, earnestly OPP
poses the Southern Pacific; very naturally,
but we differ with Senator JOHNSTON IN COM
NEEDING their example.
st. Louis cries aloud for reiief from tne
northern monopoly and for competing
route along the southern line. Compeetlon
in the trans-continental routes they claim Us
due 10 the nation, and they demand tue
hni,dine of the southern line as due to tne
soptb. They declare that the northern or
present line was built during the war, Whlie
the southern States were not represented IN
Congress, and they declare that that roao
could not have been constructed had tnose
States been represented. TWenty'siX years
o.o Rr.roy and bis constituents advocated
central line from St. Louis. TO San FRANCISCO,
with branches to Chicago, Memphis, ana
6, Louis. Their idea was that this line
would be national. But the War Congress,
fearing that even this central line would De
TOO far south for safety, authorized that far
thcr north, which was built by the Caiiior-
MIA Bank, HuNT1kGToN and colleagues, ana
tine Credit Mobilier, under Axes. Now that
has turned out to be q northern monopoly
and the middle line calls for protection.
Now that the road is built we think that
one advantage to us grows out OF II, ana II
is that the southern line is made all the more
necessary. A central line, under the appear
ance Of nationality, might have imposed bur.
tbeps that would have been endured much
longer than will be those imposed by line
c,earlv scctional-a line in which the South
shares not the advantages, and Which mas De-
come 90 obnoxious to the Middle States that
thew will heartily combine with the South in
building the southern line, which has the adj
vantage Of the best location to be found be-
tween the Mississippi and the Pacific. When
that road is built we shall have COMPETITION
and central line, without competitor
would not have rendered ompetitlon- the
oreat protector Of the people-unneces'
sary.
ing array on the subject in publishing an able
apseal In behalf of the Southern Pacific line
from the Hon. I. Fl. STURGEON, OF st. Louis,
together with the resolutions Of the Council
of that city in 1s49, and the famous speech
of Colonel BENTON, delivered before the Ma
tiopal Convention held in St. Louis in Octo.
Der, 49-twenty-six years ago. Colonel
BENTON, with pecularities which brought
down upon him the bitter hostility of bis
political adyersaries, was q man OF great
ability. He possessed grasp of intellect
that distinguished him amongst the giants
OF his day. His speech on the Pacific rail-
way cannot be read without admiration al
this time.
Mr.. STURGEON opens the subject of the
Southern Pacific line with the following we'll
aimed paragraph:
"Whilst Congress last winter was honestly
investigating the sCi edit Mobil:er affairs OF
the Pacific roads, and the subsidies OF the
Pacific Mail Steamship Company, it seemed
to me that these companies enjoyed 1t as
clever dodge on their part to create such a
prejudice in the public mind as would in
definitely postpone aid to road the con-
structon of which would put an end to their
extortions from the public"
They well knew, says Mr.. STURGEON, that
to delay action would greatly promote their
interests by postponing the construction Of
ga railroad that would reduce rates at least
zone half the day it should be completed /;
"aud thus we see that the members OF Con.
"gress had scarcely reached home before the
"pacifc roads and steamship company
"unite TO nearly double rates upon the pub.
sic" MIR. STURGEON continues:
"This investigation dodge into their own
delinquencies to defeat the early construction
OF competing line may do to play of once,
but trust that the next Congress will not
allow it to be enacted second time in the
interest Of these companies, who use it TO
perpetuate their monopoly and to defeat the
construction of riUdl line, whereby the
people of the North and of the South, of the
East and of the West, could travel and have
their business done with the Pacific coast at
less than half the rates now charged, and
over a road that will be free from interrup.
tons OF snow-blockades all the year round"
Mr.. STURGEON, as follows, puts the claims
of the Southern Pacific line on high national
grounds:
1T IL not the southern and central States
alone that are deep|y interested in the con.