The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-11-09
THE TRUTH STRONGLY PUT.


Illinois Central Railroad, who has charge Of
the st. Louis and Chicago Railroad, and who
has reputation for railroad experience and
knowledge equal to that OF any other gen.
tleman In the country, gave large assem-
blage of our principal merchants, capitalists
and citizens at Grunewald Hall, on Wednes-
day evening. very serious talk, which
ought to command the attention of our whole
community.
This people have rarely had the truth SO
plainly and impressively put to them. Mr..
Clark is not of that class Of speakers who
seek to delude, fatter and humbug their
audiences. He is practical. plain-speaking
man, of keen observation. large experience,
frank and manly address. 1t requires
just such a man to demonstrate that this city
ought to Withdraw from her preten-
sions as q great commercial mart,
and yield to the claims of her COMPETE
tors for the trade of the Mississippi valley If
her capitalists have not the enterprise and
liberality {2 to subscribe the five hundred
thousand dollars asked to secure railroad
connection with Texas and Arkansas. With
out such connection and avenue Of trade, he
justly and forcibly remarked that our popu-
lation was too large one, by one hundred
and twenty-five thousand, to be subsisted
upon the trade which will be left to us when
we conclude to depend upon our old water
ways, and refuse to avail ourselves of those
agencies by which our Northern rivals have
diverted the trade which we once enjoyed. It
would be vain and useless to give ct length
the arguments and facts in support of this
proposition and averment.
OF what avail are all the endeavors, the
deep and jealous interest exhibited in secur-
ing deep water exit from this port to the sea,
If the produce of the great valley, which
once contributed so largely to our commerce,
s diverted to other ports and marts What
need of Eads' jetties and the Barataria canal,
when, If this process of diversion goes on, as
it has gone on for several years past our
trade shall shrink below even its present re-
duced proportions2
And this danger and calamity will be due
to the wretched closeness and narrowness
which refused to raise the sum Of half a mill
lion Of dollars, out Of an assessment of a hum
bred millions and an actual value Of a hundred
and thirty millions, to complete the road which
will arrest this enormous and ruinous diver
sion of trade from our city, which will restore
our former commercial prosperity, and place
New Orleans in the position which nature and
her founder so wisely designed for her, of the
great commercial emporium and mart of this
great valley.
To say that our people have not the money
to invest In this enterprise is idle mockery
There are hundreds of citizens whose incomes
exceed ten and twenty thousand dollars per
annum. There are few who expend half
these sums in their necessary expenses.
What disposition do they make of their sur
plus income? They surely do not hoard it.
Do they invest it in securities and stocks ?
II So where can they find better security and
stock than in road which must add, SO
largely, to the values of all property and of
all trades, and which, on the showing of SO
practical man as the vice president of the
most successful and prosperous railroad in
the valley of the Mississippi, must prove one
Of tie most profitable and remnnerative
which has ever been constructed and put in
operation on this continent.
1t Is now made obvious to our people that
unless the subscription now asked Is fur
nished, and very promptly, this enterprise
will be abandoned. It is a great folly and
delusion that anybody else will come to our
aid in this work. If with the means at hand
we refuse to carry forward the enterprise.
the shame, the misery and ruin must be our
own