Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-11-19
EEMPHIS APPEAL
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1875,
THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD
AND THE CONVENTION TO-DAY.

at ten O'Clock, depends whether there il
to be a Southern Pacific rsilroad-dis-
tinctively so-not merely in name, but
in location, terminal points, and the
men who shall be selected to control it
The work before the convention Il
broad and plain enough, embracing, a.
it does, the needs and demands OF the
south 70. an outlet to the Pacific, con-
Meeting link between San Diego and
the southern Atlantic seaboard cities
and those of the gulf. The delegates
understand this, and that it is not the
particular interests Of any city that they
are sent here to consider. They know
also that they are not here as treaty
makers, charged with mission to nego-
tiate with Colonel Tom Scott, or to
make alliances with contemplated or
existing lines Of railroad. They are
here to answer the public will as it
has been given expression to in the
northern as well as the southern pa
pers, under assurances from journalists
and politicians of both sections that 8
purely Southern Pacific railroad stands
chance for congressional subsidy that
the project Of Colonel Tom Scott
never will receive. Even st. Louis,
where Colonel Scott expects to find his
controlling strength, candidly resolves
in this spirit, asserting her ability to
make such connections with the South
ern Pacific railroad as she may desire.
We accept this assurance, and hope our
delegates to the st. Louis convention
will remember it in whatever may be
presented in that body looking to the
fuTthersnee Of the great enterprise. st.
Louis in this resolution has met the OBJ
jections OF the whole south to Colonel
Scott's scheme, and confirms US in our
settled opinion that it is a south ern and
not q northern-southern or southwestern
railroad that is wanted. We accept in
good faith the assurances of st. Louis,
and trust that they will be fully con-
firmed in the convention of the twenty.
third, as we have reason to believe they
will be in the convention to-day. The
only possible point of conflict being thus
removed, it remains for the convention
to-day to emphasize the declared wishes
of the people of Virginia, Georgia, North
and South Carolina, Alabama, Missis-
sippi, Louisiana, Florida, Texas, Arkan-
sas and Tennessee, as those wishes
have from time to time found
expression in the public journals.
How strong has been the express
sion, and how earnest the purpose Of the
people in behalf Of this enterprise, may
be gathered from what we publish this
morning. 1t will be seen that we are
quite borne out in the position we have
taken, and that, as is usual with the
APPEAL on all questions affecting the
interests of the people of the south, we
are In full and complete sympathy with |
them, having no reserves, and utterly |
opposed to all entangling or endanger-
ing alliances, whether with Colonel |
Tom Scott or any one else. In coming
before the country with the Southern |
Pacific railroad subsidy bill, We must do
so with clean hands. We must be able
to show that we are not associated, con-
nected, or in any way allied with |
present or prospective railroad
enterprises; that we ask the subsidy for
the benefit Of a southern railroad that
for climatic and commercial reasons has
become necessity to the whole Union;
because such a road would furnish the
shortest line from Europe to Asia, and
would largely stimulate and influence
immigration to the south; and because
its construction is due to the south as q
measure of fair-play, and an equivalent
for the three Pacific lines subsidized for
the north by the government. As the
able correspondent of the Petersburg
(Va.) LadeZ-APpeGlsays: "With the nat
ural advantages of the route, the liberal
land grants already made by the State
of Texas and the United States, and
with the aid which congress is solicited
TO bestow in favor OF such line, it will
be an easy task to build and equip tru-
ly Southern Pacific road under the aus.
pices Of the government Of the southern
States, and there is enough southern tai
ent TO locate, construct and operate it
successfully. II, then, we are to have a
Southern Pacific road, as a measure of
toIeASC " ZIG SoutI, 1cl uS aSh lOI dH0 |
only accept southern road, in deed as
well as name, in southern territory and
controlled by southern men, so located
that the whole south shall be equally re-
lated thereto. But il this measure of
Justice is to be seized by parties alien to
her interests, and perverted to the use of
other sections and the aggrandizement
Of set Of spectators and railroad stock
jobbers, then it were better that we have
no Pacific road till sense OF justice
gives us something more than the hol-
low mockery Of name" The Southern
Pacific railroad, let US sum up, as q
measure Of justice to and for the especial
benefit Of the southern people, "should
be located wholly in southern territory;
1t should be free from any entang-
ling alliances, which might be calcu-
lated to interfere with the a.