The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-03-28
Md Il fhere Was ANN moyemet in WASH


and il there was any moyemet in Wash
ington to cut off the New Orleans Pa
cific from Congressional aid, it must
have been made on the part Of the Mo
rey- Brewster Baker ring, which intro
duccd the Senate bill This bill had
different incorporatorS and different
purposes from those Of the House
bill. which il now before Mr..
Kellogg. We have no doubt that Mr.
Wheelock is entirely correct in his sur
mise that there was a purpose to cut of
his road but if there was, we believe it
was on the part of the incorporators of
the Morey- Brewster Baker Company,
and not on the part Of the North Louisi-
ana Company, whose bill passed both
Houses Of the Legislature, and over
which this controversy has arisen.
We are entirely certain that Mr..
Whoclock has committed u great
mistake in attributing bad faith
and disposition on the part of
the people Of Shreveport to throw off
the New Orleans Pacific or to injure
New Orleans. Among the Shreveport
incorporators of the North Louisiana
Railroad are John G. Moncure, n.
Gregg. Il. NJ Johnson, A. II. Leonard.
VIM. Robson, w. j. Fork, A. Boarman,
Jos. Boisseau, w. H. Elstncr and Ben
Jacobs while the incorporators in the
other parishes, appointed at the sugges-
ton Of Hon. A. i. George and Hon. f..
+. Kidd, are planters and merchants on
the line of the proposed road. We have
known these gentlemen well and init
mately for years they are among the
first citizens of the community in which
they live; they largely represent its in
tegrity, property and intelligence. Diff
ferences may arise between these gen
tlemen and other gentlemen, as is the
case i'm this instance. but they will dis
play no bad faith under any circum-
stances.
In Shreveport, and among these very
gentlemen, there is fixed opinion that
rail connection between their town and
Now Orleans is necessary to their inter
est In the Memphis Convention,
which preceded the st. Louis Conven-
ton, New Orleans had no representa-
tives. Shreveport had there an able
and energetic delegation, who induced
the Convention to recommend aid to
the New Orleans branch, as well rs to
the Vicksbprg and Memphis branch OF
the Texas and Pacific. At st. Louis,
the Shreveport delegation, to a man.
insisted upon the New Orleans branch
as equal in importance to Louisiana
with the Vicksburg branch. And to go
further back, when the Shreveport
branch of the Chattanooga road was
port people were ready to aid it literally,
as soon as it was under way. When the
Backbone road came to the front as
bOl,d .fdc enterprise, Shreveport men,
eager for rail connection with New
Orleans, voted it subsidy of $500, 900
in bonds, then worth something. Again,
when tho Louisiana Central loomed up
in the spring of 1874, and it began to
look like business, Shreveport, poorer
than then in 1870, was ready to aid it to
the extent of four hundred thousand
dollars. Aud now, that the New
Orleans Pacific presents itself, Shreve-
port offers to guarantee it two hundred
and twenty-five thousand dollars
nearly as much as New Orleans has
subscribed If the terminus is made
there. We think these facts indicate
Il strong desire on the part of the
Shreveport people to aid railroad con
ncction with this city. Misconceptions
have arisen between the Shreveport men
and the New Orleans Pacific men, but
the fact of that misconception cannot
destroy the inference of good will on tho
part of Shreveport to u New Orleans
road, established by the facts we have
noted. We write this article in the in
terest of both roads in the interest of
Louisiana. Both roads are needed one
by the people of Western Louisiana, one
by the people Of North Louisiana; and
both by New Orleans and Shreveport.