The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-26
To the People
N {, ~ ORI,E VS.


that my name should appear with singular
| prominence In connection with the Legislative
| fraud eliminating in the Senate on the close Of
! its late session. To make this Ineligible. and
| without any intention to anticipate coming
events az well as to throw some light on what
! have the best reasons to consider tbs purpose Of
the attempt to charter what Is called the North
| Louisiana Railroad. | shall trespass a little
upon the puhics attention.
! Every one is aware. IN this community. that
among the moro disgraceful means of running
tho people If tho state. was the bes'owal of enor
| NOUS privileges. accompanied with bonds. in
| dorsed by tho State, was by a'ts simnhtively or
| really passed by tho Legislature at hetime be
| ing Among sucliffayored vianies The New Or
leans. Baton Rouge aud yirksburg Back
| bone" road. and the Fickshurg. Ouachita and
Shreveport road. were conspicuous The former
| was also the favored beneficiary of the United
| States Congress 10 tho extent If land grant Ut
| 1000. 900 Of acres OF this Backbone" concern,
| beyond this Senator West has made it prominent
| IA rider" to SCOTS sham Southern Pacific
| railroad bill little more need be said and the Su
preme Court decisions will explain the character
! Of tho twin cheat the Vcksburg. 0uaohita and
Shreveport concern. when tho New Orleans
| Pacific Railway was first proposed, aud before
| IL had vet taken a recognized place In the pubic
| mind ia a possible success, 1t was soon that the
| backbone" investors In contingent eXpe"tan-
cies would not quietly abandon pretensions
! they had never really by substantial acts. es
tahlished u right to put forth. The charter.
| franchises. books. etc. Of this swndle were IN
| the keeping Of Mr.. Gaylord. htother-i in law of
Pomoroy of Kansas, who. II seems, had been IN
the pool to get the land grant and such appro-
priations from tho Legislature Of this State IA
| they knew how to trade FOR This Mr.. Gaylord
| Ia aI aS rpprrGpntHttNH
ring II was thus these concerns stood at tn"
| time of tho st. Louis, or otherwise.
Tom Scotts railroad convention. 1t was
| deemed judicious on the part ol the
New Orleans Pacific railway drec-
tors to have representatives there Of their body.
| Accordingly three members appeared there Tor
| them and ON the representation ef one OF them
the vice president Of tho company-it was con
concluded that the Scott movement was really
| designed to secure by any means tho exclusion
Of New Orleans from all direct participation in
any and all benefits that might inure to tho
| Texas Pacific from Congressional legislation.
The question then was. how could this grand
| contamination surely and without detriment
to the main design DO accomplished. The
Backbone" cheat had been ventilated to an
extent that alarmed Scott and West for
the safety Of their success in The Scott Texas
Pacific aud thoy must try some other eXpedient
Their faithful henchmcu on Red River and in
tho Legislature hcro were trusiy aud reliable In
any pinch" but they must devise the plan ot
action. othcrwisn the Now Orleans Pacific rail
way would very soon have the field to itself
Scott is said to have been the purchaser Of
them bonds Vicksburg. Ouachita and shreyc-
port ralroad-of which the Federal Supreme
Court had expressed 80 instructive an opinion:
and IA they had been among the lucky funded
obligations the suews Of war wcr ut once
available Hnneo came the seheme ,ool the
| Backbone and MesHrs. Ray and Ludeling's
well known concern.
Scott and West are not the men to- wait for
proyideners they push affairs with celebrity
and that they might not lag or any chance be
lost their associate Mr.. Morey, Congressm man
from this State. was speedily put in reausition.
Tho latter II il pretty generally understood.
was quite equal to- his instructions, and in the
State House it was soon known among tho lend
ors that a telegram had been received by Judge
J. o. A. Baker, of Guaehita, from Mercy. order
ing exchange Of names Of neorporators to suit
the duumvirate at Washington. and giving list.
in the telegram, of those to he substituted. Also
telling Baker SO tho announcement had it. IT,
hurry the bill through. that Scott and West had
determined to make it the terminus Of the Toxins
Pacific in Louisiana. Do my fellow citizens
then suppose that with this additional evidence
Of SCOTS and Vests determination to shut out
our city from all participation in the largosscs
they hope to whocdlo or eytort from Congress.
that l. tho President Of the peoples road The
New Orleans Paciilc-was To stand with folded
arms and allow them to complete their work.
unmatched and unopposed2 If So. then let Thorn
read rs follows:
As II stop preceding all negotiations. the com
mitee of shreveport, acting in behalf Of the
parish Of Caddo and city of Shreveport. re-
nounce all connection with whit Is known rs the
New Orleans. Baton Rouge and Nieksburg road.
and bind themselves to obtain the support of the
parish of Caddo and city of Shreveport to the
substitution Of the New Orleans Pacific Railway
for tho New Orleans, Baton Rouge and Vicks-
burg road in the bin now pending before Con
grsss. known M the Texas Pacific Railway bill.
The Board Of Directors Of the New Orleans
Pacific Railroad Company ngtee that Shreveport
shall be tho Northwestern terminus of their road
and 1t shall be stated in their charter. with
the right to build branches as they may sec fit. |
after the mpleion Of the main linoto shreve-
port up .,l the following oppressed conditions.
cure the passage through the Senate of this |
state nj this present session. and the signature
leys Joint resolution memoriatizing Congress |
to substitute the New Orleans Pacific Railway :.
ms the proper rond to receive national AID. IN
place OF the New Orleans, Baton Rouge and
Vicksburg road.
Furthermore. the Shreveport committee bind
themselves to use all their influence to aid the |
New Orleans Pacific Hallway Company to secure |
such legitimate Legislative aid ~ they may have |
already applied for or in tho future sock 10 ne |
quire.
Furthermore the city of Shreveport shall sub |
scribe not less than S25 1000 cash. payable in in |
stallmcnts Of not less than ten per cent every |
thirty days, to tho capital stock Of the New Or |
leans Pacific Railway Company and donate
them suitable grounds for depot purposes etc. |
Furthermore. the parish Of Caddo shall pro-
cure for the company the right Of way Of not less |
than 100 feet. through the parish. free Of charge.
and shall subscribe not loss than s20o.0O one
fourth of said amount. say 1000. shall be paid |
In work to be done the road from Shreyc-
port toward Mansfield. and any amount over
the s25 900 subscribed by the city Of Shreveport |
shall be also expended In work on the road Of |
grading and procuring croSs-ties. etc. within |
the present year, mt tho same price allowed by |
the company for similar work done on the
lower end of the line when certified to by the |
company's chief engineer. The remaining !
si5O.00o shall be paid in like manner as the
other parishes, which may subscribe to the !
stock OF the company
Furthermore. in case national aid is accorded |
to the New Orleans Pacific Railway before the
road Is built, the subscription Of the city Of
Shreveport and the subscription of Caddo parish
shall DO considered cancelled. it being, however
always understood that in the event Of any other
line other than the New Orleans Pacific Railway
being authorized and subsidized by the Congress
Of the United States to connect Shreveport and
New Orleans AZ u branch Of the Texas any
other Pacific railway. then and in such case il
shall be optional with the New Orleans Pacific
Railway to build their road to Shreveport or not.
T.. Il. WHEELOCK.