The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-05-22
PRICE. FIVE CENTS.

railroads. ' 'oo" 'o' 'o'VoA "''.A
ana the board declare matters are
soeIins worse every day, which is un-
true, Ior they are really improving.
9; The next section of the pamphlet is
How tne city will be benefited" They
assert That the building OF this railroad
Will restore New Orleans to her former
prosperity"
"It will bring to our city four hundred
thousand bales. OF cotton that have been
diverted by railroads which have their
termini In Northern cities.''
10 prove that this Is not necessarily
true, we have only to look at the brsf-
ness OF the magnificent railroad built
over level plain to Mobile, and tapping
the hearts OF the great cotton States OF
mississippi, Alabama, Georgia. and Ten.
nessee. "a field infinitely wider and
richer In products than that appealed
to), and yet has 1t accomplished so
much
Ever since. the close Of the late war
causes have been operating to divert the
cotton trade OF this rich region OF coun-
try, which any commercial mind ought
to be able to comprehend without grasp
Ing at the chimera OF railroad wanted.
bile road the same exaggerated prom
sss OF hundreds Of thousands of bales
OF cotton were held out, but as yet they
have not come, and notwithstanding we
have tapped with O fine road the great
cotton empire named, values OF every
kind have steadily declined down to the
very moment when the dawn OF better
government has broke upon us.
II this can be truly said of the one
n S,f txxxx - 1.
millions OF bushels OF grain, the meat,
hides. tallow, hay, ETC., 50 eloquently
treated OF.
6. The next clause Is "The opposition
OF foreign property holders"
IT / did not have before me the
printed manifesto OF the Board Of Di-
rectors Of this projected railroad, Z
could hardly believe that any set OF in
telligent gentlemen in our community
could 80 far wander from q proper ap-
probation Of our troubles, or 50 far for
fellow men Gf they are unfortunate
enough to be ''foreign property hold
ers') as to hold them up to scorn, cover
them with the unjust opprobrium Of de-
and suffering Of our popula-
ton, +" of being narrow minded
foreign property holders" Of desiring
to establish @ g favored caste, with
absolute power to control the destinies
and override the interests of the great
laboring Masses" OF refusing to con-
tribute at all to the welfare Of our city
while holding forty millions Of It's
property, of expending the revenues OF
their Investments here in foreign
communities" Of leaving the people.
from whose sweat they extract the
large profits. to. struggle against the
adversities and obstacles against which.
by their narrow and selfish policy, they
defense and eventual triumph" - in
fine, OF being both fools md knapes.
Alas the frailty OF humanity. Lauda-
BILE zeal has crazed this board, and they
have DER r-leaped themselves. What lis
this poor foreigner doing that is not
done by every man on the board, viz.
investing his money as seems to him
best, and spending (if there 10 any to
spend) as he pleases Do none Of this
board take their thousands of revenue
to the North or to Europe every summer
eigners," or, what Is worse, domestic
enemies? Have none Of them any in
vestments Of what they have earned
here at the North or even abroad
But because these men are " foreign
ers," have they no rights like our own,
and which we are bound to orespect-aye,
even to protect? II they oppose taxa
ton to build this road they are no worse
than am. oppose II, too, and with
all my head and heart, and have lived
here nearly thirty years, spend all /
make here, and have earned right to
as good an opinion from my fellow citi-
zens as any man Of the board. Ii these
foreigners" are fools and knaves, then
am [, and thousands who think as / do,
not one whit better. Tx /. who simply
advocate the right to do with my earn
ings as please. am entitled to the re-
spect of the community, then are these
foreigners" entitled to the same.
But what would this board do? Force
these foreigners to sell out their forty
millions OF property and take the
money away? Who OF us can buy it2
| Or IL the sale could be effected, would
| they have forty millions sent away and
forty millions Of our means drawn from
the demands Of trade and sunk in real
estate? The board claims to be .'busi-
ness men," There they stand before
Won, fellow voters follow their lead!
But this attack on the foreign prop
erty holder is the lowest demagoguery
imaginable; it is worse; it Is COD1n,,t,s-
ism, and the cheeks OF every true
American citizen who reads 1t should
tingle with shame. For my part pass
| beyond the feeling OF shame, and am
indignant that any man or men should
thus despise the intelligence OF the
voting masses and wantonly appeal to
their passions. Poor opinion indeed
have this board of the ''toiling masses"
| over whose wrongs they are showering
the tears Of the crocodile Fellow
voters Ttn,eo danaos ct do,aa ferentes.
fear the Greeks bringing presents-of
this kind.
7. The next clause Is, "How was it In
Cincinnati?" and the board then tells
| us Of the glorious sacrifice to the South
ern Railroad on the part OF the saga
cious citizens Of that enterprising CITY,"
| Ii were not discussing serious SUBJ
ject I think I might safely venture to
kill the board with the old weapon of