The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1875-01-02
THE TEXAS AND PACIFIC.
A Strong Memorial I'm Its Behalf from
the ~. Louis Board Of Trade, and n
Unanimous Tndoraement by the Mer-
chants Exchange.

tunutmOus tuuorNcmeht by tUe Wef
chants Exchange.
To the Senate and House of Represen
tatiUeS ofMo United States Of Americd
in Congress AsSem6led.
Wo, the undersigned, n commltte,
appointed by the Union Merchants
Exchange Of the city Of st. Louis
respectfully pray that the aid essen
tial to speedy completion of th,
Texas and Pacific railroad to The
Pacific coast, and of the Atlantic
and Pacific to junction therewitl
rot further west than the l05tf
meridian, may be granted by tht
government. This they ask because
a sound national policy requires it
because equal justice to all sections
of our common country requires it
and because it is needed to revive
prostrated industry and to develop
the resources by which the heavy
Indebtedness Of the government and
the people may be discharged.
A southern frontier of 1900
miles is defended only BY a series OF
military posts. A railroad near
that frontier would greatly reduce
the cost of guarding it. A report
from the house committee on mill
tary affairs shows that in 1869 over
81 100000 would have been saved
each year in cost of government
transportation to New Mexico alone
had there been a railroad thither.
For lack of supplies, General Sher-
idan's army was unable to reap the
fruits of its victory in 1869 on the
Wichita, between the lines of the
very roads proposed Their com
pletion would add n chain Of settle
ments for the defense Of the hole
frontier. Enabling the government
to quickly concentrate its force upon
any threatened point, it would de-
minish the force required.
Indian ravages have well nigh
excluded industry from II belt of
territory along this frontier, over
300 miles wide, and covering about
100000 square miles We have no
other territory of like magnitude
equally rich in mineral or agricul-
tural resources, and equally favored
in climate Nearly the whole of
New Mexico is over 4 900 feet above
the level of the sea, and little of
Arizona is less than 1000 feet.
Consequently large districts of these
territories have II mean annual
perature below 80 degrees-that
of Trenton or indianapolis. More
than two thirds of New Mexico and
one-third of Arizona has q mean
temperature below So degrees-that
of Washington-and nearly the
whole of Now Mexico and half of
Arizona, below so degrces-that of
Nashville or Norfolk. Yet this
region of delightful climate and
boundless wealth is almost closed to
enterprise and industry, Forces
sufficient to protect that region
could not now be maintained with
ont enormous expense. In the two
years 1864 5, S2S 100000 were spent
merely inrtransportation Of supplies
to troops on the plains. The rail-
way would greatly facilitate the
movement of troops and supplies,
and save great. expense in opera
tons against hostile tribes. But
the chain of settlements which "a
railway creates is the only perma-
nent protection that can be given to
this broad belt of territory. When
sec. ciary of wa, General Grant
declared that the completion of
these roads e. tho Pucifi,) will go
far towards the II permanent settle.
ment Of our Indian difficulties " and
in the broad belt travcrscd by the
Omaha line results have justified
his statement The locomotive is
peace. And if Great Britain sends
an army thousands of miles to PEN
etrate Africa and rescue six British
subjects, shall mol the United States
do something to give peace and pro-
lection to settlers and miners scat
tered over 500 900 square miles of
its richest territory2
Sound national Ir,licy requires
competition in transcon,inental rail
way traffic. A single route uhre-
strained is monopoly Control Of
routes by he government is an evil.
Competition wonld effect great saw
ing to our people in the cost Of this
traffic. Neither government nor
commerce can afford TO rely upon
one line uply, certain soon 10 be
ovcrcrowded by increasing business,
aud liabIetv blockade by STOW. The
proposed route, with its saving in
distance anl3time, its lighter grades
and curves, aud constructed at The
present low rates for labor aud ma
terials, without those interruptions
from storms which. according 10
the report of the chief engineer,
soften doubled, and even trdhled
and quadrublcd the cost Of por-
ton" of the Omaha line. would be
able to reduce rates so Us To draw
TO this trahsroniineniai rnntc an
enormous traffic between Europe
and Asia, which now g,e- by sea
The overland route. saves about