The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1875-03-31
The Ends Iluy the Rridgc.

Some weeks ago noticed IN article
In The HERALD on the subject Of II
free bridge, buying the bridge, or some
such. noticed in particular the ex-
tra privileges extended TO the editor ut
the wagon yards on account OF IL, and
especially his tilt with the horse trough.
Well, that IL all very nice and calcula-
ted 10 enthuse II man on the subject OF
wagoners' rights. But man, and more
especially an editor, should be certain
about which part Of him he wants to
have enthused before he accepts or sub
mits himself to such delicate humani-
ties. II IL u sad misfortune, as some
great man of old dlscoursed, that men
often get "let up ut the wrong end"
To buy the Dallas bridge, and of course
no other IL meant, and make II free
would be most desirable end for the
bridge company, il they could
sell II ut one hundred per
cent over cost, M they intend to do, If
they sell it, and ms they have II perfect
right to do, and should do, If any body
will buy 1t. IL would he no less de-
sirable lend" for the citizens Of Dallas,
us that would make each and every
citizen stakeholder, 80 far as the
profits of the tolls are concerned, to the
amount of his or her trade, and that
without any investment, risk or care.
1t is an "end" greatly to be desired by
the "wagoners," as they are called, but
who are no less than the farmers who
reside beyond the limits of Dallas
county, because they would not be
compelled to raise the money to pay
the toll till after they got their produce
into market, and then II those little or
big sharpers did "raise It," they, the
wagoners, would be feeling so large
and happy they wouldn't care -.
And there Is another body of men to
whom the "ends" will be most desirable,
/ mean the "end'' of the intolerable
burthens of taxation that will be inn
posed on the farmers of this county to
buy the bridge and keep it in order.
The interest on the bonds will run
without end. The lynx-eyed bond
holders will watch with solicitude the
maturing crops to see that their tith-
ings are secured. Generations unborn
will awake to find the tax gatherer,
like the wandering Jew, only in that,
that he lives forever, at his post with
bridge taxi inscribed on his banner,
and the people of that generation will
say "what bridge? Where is the
bridgeW and he will answer "Oh, the
Dallas BRIDGE people bought it to
make it free bridge, and 1t became so
onerous upon the farmers to keep it in
repairs that they prayed for the tim
bers to rot, the irons to rust and the
rocks to crumble into dust-their pray
ers were heard, the bridge is gone, but
the bonds remain anu the interest
continues to run. Tax, tax, tax! DO
anything and everything to tax the
people, which means the farmers; for
If the taxes do not ultimately fall on
the farmers, where do the balance of
mankind get the money to pay them
with? The Dallas bridge is exactly in
the right hands. The stockholders can
well afford to keep 1t in repair, and if
they manage it so as to offend the city
and the county it is their own misfor-
tune; it will only hasten the "end."
1t is an axiom of law, that "all fran
chises must yield to public necessity"
The fact that fine young city, flaunt-
ing its varied elegant proportions to
the world, while she treats large pro-
portion of those who contribute most
to her trade, wealth and glory with
great disrespect and injustice, is pre-
posterous. The bridge was q fine en-
terprise for Dallas, and very creditab'e
to the stockholders. 1t is u great con-
venience to the people of this, and all
the counties out west. And, most AS
suredly, there have been toll bridges i'm
all countries from time immemOrial,
and why not one at Dallas? There is u
toll bridge at Waco; wonder if any
body Is mad about that? There is a |
toll bridge ut ST. Louis, and Is it a bone |
of contention? If the city of Dallas |
would open its streets, and the county |
court would allow the people to open |
roads to the city much of the feeling
would subside.
II there is farmer in Dallas county
that favors any such action of the |
county court rs the purchase of that
bridge, he has no correct views of the |
public or his own private interests. If
the citizens of Dallas would by any
means impose that bridge on the far
mers of this county, they would be
capable of far greater Injustice than
subjecting them to the payment of
tolls and refusing them roads into the
city.
To buy the bridge and make it free
would take away the resources of keep
Ing up. 1t would ut once fall into
decay and he constant tax upon the
people TO keep it in repair. This, be-
sides a tax upon two or three times the
value of 1t to buy it, would be intolera-
BILE.
The law is that all franchises are to
give way to public necessity, and IL the
county wants a bridge 1t can build one
for one-halL and, perhaps, one.third
OF what the present one can
be bought at. Folly Is rampant, and
there Is no telling what the untbink-
Ing portion Of the people of this coun-
ty can be led to do, or what the CITY
people can do by the use of the large
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