The New Orleans Democrat. (New Orleans, La.) 1875-1876, 1876-04-06
NEW ORLEANS AND PACIFIC RAIL.
ROAD.
An Argument Against Levying Tax
For IT,

from the elementary principles OF poll
zeal economy that this road, IL con
pleted by funds raised In this city b
taxation, would In no degree contribut
to its prosperity. / shall Ia the turtle
consideration of the subject no longe
refer to that science by which alone tn
effects OF this read can be deduced wit
logical precision, but confine myself t
few practical views OF the question
oil OF which strengthen my conviction
Of the utter inutility Of this road as
means OF rendering this city prosperous
In plain terms, the advocates OF thi
road assert that our Frustrated bushes
is entirely due to the fact that railroa
has been constructed running from s,
Louis into Texas, taking away a portion
OF the production of that State wbic
formerly came To us, and that the Ne,
Orleans and Pacific road, when com
pleted, will restore to us this lost trade
and, Of consequence, our lost prosperlt.
with 1t.
maintain that the burden Of proc
lies on those who advocate that tax b.
imposed on the property OF this city t.
aid in the construction OF this road. (,
show that the decline of our prosperit,
was due to the completion OF the st. Louis
road that the trade will come here IL thu
New Orleans and Pacific road Ia com
pleted; and finally, il the freight is
brought here, that 1t will contribute
under the circumstances, to make us
prosperous
There has been no attempt by any.
thing bearing the semblance OF an argl-
meDt to prove one Of the above positions
to be true but j am met on every side
by the assertion, repeated with childish
iteration, ut will be sure to make us
prosperous. THAT and nothing more. -
Now. assert, that we in New Orleans
are justified in doubling, nay, in disbe-
lieving that railroads will be Of any ad-
vantage to us. Our past experience with
them warrant the belief that they will be
OF no appreciable advantage.
The beneficial effects OF railroads is
argued from analogy; but what analogy
can be so complete in all its conditions
as that other railroads running into this
city and they do not justify the belief
that railroads constructed by the same
means, taxation will be Of any advan-
tage whatever.
But it is alleged that this road will be
different from those other roads, which
have VIGOROUSLY failed to increase our
wealth, because this road goes through
productive country, and 1t is asserted
that in few years it will bring down at
least 100000 bales of cotton, which
would otherwise go to st. Louis. and
that this trade alone would go far to
produce the effect predicted
The whole force OF this reasoning is
destroyed by the fact that, up to ten
DAYS ago, 343 900 more bales arrived in
this city than were received up to the
same period last year. If prosperity
will be brought about by increased
freight. II would be immediate; but no
man can say with truth that we are as
prosperous as we were last year-on the
contrary, We have been going rapidly
downwards, without momentary
refiux.
The above fact Of itself proves that
diversion OF the Red River trade is not
the cause of our disease, and OF conse-
quence all the business claimed for this
road will have no effect in curing It.
II Is said in argument that many cities
have prospered i'm consequence OF rail
roads running into them-St. Louis and
Chicago, especially. It can be peril
nently asked, how is 1t known that the |
prosperity of these cities Is due to rail
roads? The mere coincidence OF two
events does not in the slightest degree
prove that one is the cause and the other |
the effect. The true cause OF the wealth |
or poverty OF q people cannot be logi- |
cally attributed to certain circum-
stances merely because the wealth or |
poverty, in its inception, was contempo-
raneous with these circumstances. So
those who have claimed that the growth |
OF cities was due to railroads it might
be asked, did cities never become pros
porous and increase rapidly In popula-
ton without railroads? Under the rail
road mania, it would be difficult to ac-
count for the growth OF cities all over
the world, during past ages and in pres
ent times. The growth Of New York,
Philadelphia, Glasgow. London, Lowell
and nearly every city in Europe or
America, was quite as rapid before rail
roads were in use as it has been since.
This is notably so of New Orleans; nor
did railroads contribute to the marvel
GUS growth of San Francisco.
do not mean to imply that railroads
will, of themselves. retard the growth Of
cities; but do assert that in all cases
cities do not become more prosperous in
consequence OF their introduction, and
that cities have become great and are
vet increasing in prosperity, which are
In no sensible degree indebted to rail
roads.
A great many Intelligent persons, OF
excellent business capacity, In consider
munity which builds them, seem to lose
their ordinary business intelligence,
and apparently think that railroads are
different from all other instruments,
and, seemingly, are entirely ignorant Of
the fact that il they are constructed
from capital raised from community,
they may be detrimental rather
Than conclusive to its interests. These I
persons ignore tho fact that a railroad !
Is like every other productive enter
Prise; its results are measured by its '
gains or losses, after allowance has
been made for the usual rate OF interest ,
on its cost, its running expenses, super {
added to fund which must be sufficient '
to keep it in repair and make good its I
deterioration. s
Hence, railroad is Of itself neither {
an advantage nor disadvantage to a t
community; If it fills the above require
meIts, and makes money, 1t is benefit, c
otherwise it is a loss, as a diversion of s
capital into an Improbable channel. |
nbult by the voluntary acts OF CAPT q
talists seeking profitable investment I
U Will, in all human probability, be q q
gain to the community but, on the con- |
trary, IL capitalists will not aid the i
enterprise voluntarily, but taxation will
nave to be resorted to, then it is in the r
Alghest degree probable that the road u
Will be loss rather than gain to the 6
community.
II railroads, instead OF costing money, y
we're built by capitalists from abroad, !
Of we're the spontaneous gifts OF Heaven, '
men 1t would be more than probable L
fkA.. l. l.