New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-06-02
INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE.

clusively occupied with selling the fifth
extra edition of the latest Washington
news. 1t has been their further mis-
fortune that the Democracy has claimed
the decline of New Orleans as the most
fragrant example of Republican misrule,
and have charged every mercantile failure
and cargo diverted to another port to that
cause. They have argued that this decline
could be arrested by change of party
rule. The people are therefore unin-
structed in the value of railroad connec-
ton with the fields of production and the
markets of SALE The terrible RESPONSE
bility has therefore befallen these Demo-
cratic physicians that the nostrum Of
party change has failed to restore the
health of the patient, and that from want
of intelligent preparation for the only
remedy the people have rejected it. These
are propositions SO plain that an attempt
at explanation embarrasses. To say that
heat emanates from the sun is readily
done; to explain whence arises the caloric
and how it is transmitted would puzzle
philosopher, and his trouble would be
enhanced by the stupidity Of the inquirer.
To explain why railroads increase the
population, industry and wealth of city
would be extremely difficult, because the
inquiry implies degree of ignorance en-
tirely incompatible with a capacity to
comprehend anything. We may say,
what every one should be supposed to
know, that all over the world the inland
transportation by rivers has been super
seeded by railroads, and that voyages by
sea are made by the expensive means of
steam instead of by the cheaper means of
sail. In the United States the cities of
Chicago and Baltimore have no interior
connection by rivers. The one has risen
within sixty years from q lake-shore viii
lage not larger than Biloxi to a claimed
population of 100000. The other, also
without river connection and barred of
access to the West by the Allegheny
mountains, by virtue of her railroads
claims an increase from $4,000 up to
10000 people. Such cities as New York
and New Orleans, which owed their
former prosperity to waterborne CON-
merce, have lost their rate of progress,
are stationary or have declined. If, thus,
the water cities are stagnant or decline,
while those which rely upon ocean and
overland steam communication grow with
unexampled prosperity, why should we
be expected to write book to explain
why this is the case? My neighbor Gull
tivates sugar crop on a plantation no
more fertile than mine. He introduces
steam pillow or employs fertilizer end
makes more to the hand or arpent than I
do; does it not become question of COM
parative cost Of production and profit?
1t is the case with Chicago and New Or
leans, and the only inquiry should be
into the question whether it is cheaper to
leave city to decay or resort to the only
known process by which city can be
built up.
1t is great misfortune that the public
mind seems rather competent to find OBJ
jections to modes of improvement than to
appreciate their value. It can be for no
other reason that every measure of public
improvement ever introduced among us
has met with strenuous opposition. We
now End objection offered to the connec-
ton between the railroads and the grain
elevator. 1t seems to proceed from small
street railroad corporations, which have
themselves encountered this jealousy Of
change. 1t is opposed by the transfer in
terests of drays and agencies A railroad
company may have spent fifty millions Of
dollars to bring commodities from the
most distant interior. 1t may have pro-
vided through trains, and carried at low
rates along the whole distance, yet on ar
irving at the terminal port the roed is
required to submit to q charge for hand
ling and carriage half mile equal to its
charge for transportation fifty miles. In
/ the unfortunate perversion Of the press
the people Of New Orleans have not been
taught that if any obstruction be inter-
| posed to the rapid transit Of trade through
the city. it will take another Of tbs seven
or eight lines between the East and West.
They should know that Philadelphia and
Baltimore, BY simply providing for trans
fer without charge, have compelled New
York to do the same, and that now no
Western shipper OF importer halts his
goods at tho outports At oil.
The people have not been informed
that Chicago does not consien her ez-
ports Of grain to New York, but to Liver
pool direct, and that Baltimore and Phil
adelphia have double the imports in value
that va have. and, IN the single article Of
bulk grain, each Of them exports five
times as much IS New Orleans does. Are
We expected % explain Why this Is aoG
We need only afarn Ehe fact that twenty
fqus-twe44 Obs e 4esse--i assrasea7s..
crosses The Miasissippi and Ohio rivers %
ils way TO aud fron he worlds marSsaa
We can not wEisa say tusthar eamT on
! thlz suhieet shan . say hat steam Is prs.