New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-03-04
Our Commercial Situation and the REM

EDITOR REPUBLICANS:
Had the rough, unpalatable but bent fetal
advice of the Hon. Matt Carpenter, given
some years since, i. Q. 'let the d-n politics
alone aud attend to your business" been
followed by our people in the spirit with
which it was given, what a different com
mercisl position would we occupy to-day.
We have for years sat down complaining
of fraud, corruption, tyranny, excess of |
taxation and numerous other causes, coolly |
waiting for something to turn up to induce |
others TO come to our relief, in place of |
looking the situation boldly in the face, de- !
vising ways and means of extricatiop, and
building up the waning trade of cur city
and the agricultural interests of the State.
While 1t is true that misehievous, reck-
less legislation and oppressive taxation
have to a certain extent contributed to
impoverish our people, it is also true that
the actual and main causes Of depression
from the loss of our former commercial su-
premacy are more deeply seated and neces.
sarily more radically felt and difficult of
correction. Excessive taxation can be
more easily endured in prosperous times
when we have an active business, and all
classes, property holders, merchants, me.
chanics and laboIing men better able to
pay five per cent taxes than they can under
the present depression which has now ex-
listed for several years past pay one-half
per cent.
The diversion of produce to other mar.
ket3, which, in former times sought this.
necessarily followed the completion of the
numerous lines of communication inland to
the Atlantic seaboard cities, and the ex-
tended increase of area of the country by
emigration from Europe and the more pop
ulous Eastern States, has been the main
producing causes of the difficulties under
which we have labored.
1t is app aren't to every thinking CONNER
| Cisl man that no river or ocean route can
successfully compete with the all-rail route
which is easily proven by considering, in
the first place, the item of insurance alone,
which on bulky cargoes even, such as cot
ton, is difference of an eighth cent per
pound in favor of the all-rail route, and en-
articles of greater value, of course, much
] larger increase of percentage on the cost,
to say nothing of the saving Of interest by
| gain of time, and, secondly, what is of far
greater Importance to the small dealers, the
advantage of keeping limited supply of
| goods on hand, being able to fill M any de
| ticiency in stock at certain time as his ne
| cessites require.
| Again it does not eeem to occur to our
| people that as the area of country ex.
| tends trade centres of necessity change.
For instance, it is only within few years
that all the iObbing business of the entire
country was done by the cities of New
York, Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore and
New Orleans, whereas at the resent time
the cities of Cincinnati, Chicago, st Louis,
Louisville, etc, import their own goods di
rect, using the seaport cities only as inter.
mediate forwarding polnts, thus supplying
not only their own retail trade, but jobbing
to the entire country adjacent, intermediate
and beyond.
| Now what is the remedy-certainly moi
standing on the street corner discussing the
chances of this or that individual for each
particular office; not by relying on Demo
cratic majority in the House of Represen
tatives at Washington, as indicated by theil
recent rejection of the Republican Senate
appropriation of $5OO,OOO for mail con
tract hence to Brazil; not by reliance OF
the Democratic Representatives of the city
of New York, whose interests are antagO
| 30 uho
have and will continue to oppose any ant
all measures looking to the advancement O.
our immediate commercial and maritime
interests; but by united endeavor on thu
part Of our people to induce the Re
publican administration to urge oul
claims on Congress fer simple justice
rendering us that aid and assist
ance which we so much need Il
complete the Shreveport railroad the
Houston road, the Texas Pacific road, tn,
building of the levees of the Mississippi
river, from this point to Cairo, under tn,
supervision and at the cost of the genera
government, the appropriation Of subsidier
for mail contracts to Brszilian, Contra
American and West Indian ports, this beinl
the natural channel for that trade, 1t being
the shortest ocean route and less liable :,
boisterous weather.
These are the measures that should bt
urged and adopted, without which we car
never regain our former position, and have
no hesitancy in asserting that it can be ac
oomplished if We will only be true to our
selves, cease that constant grumbling oyel
the inevitable and put our shoulders to tht
wheel, pulling together until we extricatt
ourselves from the ditch.
Had the same amount of money that has
been wasted during the past few years in
useless show and parades on our public
streets been expended for legitimate relief
it would have gone far to at least put ont
of these vital measures in suocessful opera
tiOn. The days of miracles have long since
passed, otherwise we might look for g
change without effort on our part.
GEORGE A. FOSDICK.
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