The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1875-10-07
TOM SCOTT AND JAY GOULD,S WAR
IN TEXAS.

|
construction of the Texas Pacific Railway is
endless. Tom Scott would outrival Jay
Gould, who wields mightier power than
most kings, and not content with what he
has, would grasp and control the telegraph
lines, and thus control the press, and presi-
dental and other elections. Tom Scott has
blundered Jay Gould has made no mis-
takes, Gould robbed Erie, was forced to dis
gorge several millions, bought the Tribune,
then began the investigation of the Pacific
Mail Steamship swindle, and, reducing the
market value, bought its stock, thus secur-
ing absolute control of the water route from
New ork to San Francisco. He had ac-
quired, in the meantime, supreme mastery
of the stock of the Union Pacific road, and
thus controls both routes between the two
oceans, and is now making both pay He
fixes his own rates of transportation, and,
of course, speculates for himself in the
necessities of New York and of San Fran
cisco. How to release the country from
the grasp of the insatiate monopolist is the
question Tom Scott presents for the consid-
Grafton of the people and country. So in
finite is the interest of Northern and South
ern communities in the creation of a high
way to compete with the two routes of traffic
and travel, held and throttled by Gould,
that everywhere, save to. the extent that
Gould's gold and patronage and power are
omnipotent, the representatives of the peo-
pie are disposed to make any reasonable con
cession to assure The immediate construction
of the Southern Pacific Railway. The OBJ
lection to the scheme, as defined by Tom
Scott, weighs nothing in the eyes of the
wealth and intelligence and commerce of
the country. The road is to dIverge north
from about the one hundred and fourth
parallel of longitude in Western Texas,
and from that point it becomes part and
parcel of the Pennsylvania Central, which
extends to st. Louis and controls the Allan
tic and Pacific line from st. Louis TO the
point of intersection with the Southern or
Texas Pacific. From this point of intersec-
tion of these two roads the trunk line passes
through Fort Worth and Texarkana and
Marshall and Shreveport, and through
Vicksburg and through Memphis. Through
these cities to New York there are no con-
solidated railway lines in the hands of one
corporation, and the whole trade and traffic
from the Pacific will diverge over the ATTAIN
tic and Pacific, and Pennsylvania Central, and
until Southern railway routes be consolidated
and rates of charges in both directions and
over both these lines, be made the same
by law, this trifling objection to Scott's
| plans must subsist. But the difficulty may
be easily obyiated by an amendment of the
proposed Congressional enactment and the
whole strength of the South and West in
Congress, except to the extent that Gould
and Hunhngdon's Credit Mobilier controls
congressman, may be consolidated in be-
half of Scott's scheme. This Texas and
Pacific road assumes an importance like
that of the Mississippi river to the great
States which constitute its valley. 1t be-
comes tie central channel from which nu-
merous tributary railroads and wagon roads
dlverge to all points at which the farmer,
| grazier, woodsman, or miner can make
labor profitable with the aid of transporta-
tion facilities.
To sum up the case, including, by the
way, certain points which We have not the
space just now to define, but capable of
easy demonstration, the project of South
ern railroad TO the Pacific can be accom-
plished only with Government aid. The
Government will risk nothing by granting
the aid required to build it; it can be built
at less than third of the cost of the
existing line, and can be operated proper
tionately more cheaply; it will furnish
much the shortest transit across the CONT
nent; it viii never know the ice and snow
barriers of the Northern route; it will
open the best part of our Western terri .
ries and States to settlement; it will IN
crease foreign immigration and attract for
eign capital, and be of incalculable adyan-
taee % the trade interests of the whole
country by breaking up formidable monpo-
lies, aud greatly reducing the cost of trans
lportation between the Eastern and West
ern divisions Of the continent and between
the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.