Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-11-09
THE TEXAS PACIFIC.
The Case Stated in Full by The
Hon. John C. Brown, Wee Pres
ident of the Texas Pacific
H. Il. Company.

! ident of the Texas Pacific
R. Il. Company.
AS an officer of the Texas ant
Pacific Railway Company, my at
tention has been naturally attracted
by a recently-developed opposition
at the South to the interests of thai
enterprise, which has manifested
itself in an open letter from Mr.
Langdon, of Mobile, in the proceed.
ings of the Savannah and Charles
ton Chambers of Commerce, and in
some newspaper editorials.
Exhibiting itself just before the
session of Congress at which the
fortunes of the bill in the aid of the
Texas and, Pacific railway will be
determined, and singulariy alike in
the grounds assumed by these very
different authorities, / can scarcely
fail to recognize that this hostility
derives its motive and it, strength
from the California monopoly.
The subject is one on which read
lily admit there may be reasonable
/ difference of opinion in the matter
of detail between honest and patri-
Otic men. But / have assumed a
very grave responsibility to the
people of the South in accepting the
! Vice Presidency of this company.
have in the past given some as
surance of my devotion to Southern
rights and interests. Trusted with
important duties, | think / may
venture to believe that discharged
them with fidelity, and not without
success, The people of the South
will not, therefore, think it un-
! natural if / now feel anxious to
satisfy them that in assuming the
/ position | hold it has been my
earnest endeavOr to serve, what [
believe to be, their truest interest,
as well as the best interests of the
whole country, and that in so doing
/ have not been deluded into
schemes which are hostile to their
| prosperity, nor induced to support
measures which are inconsistent
with tneir political faith.
The measure proposed is a very
important one. Upon it every citi-
zen has right to form and express
an opinion, and to insist upon full
discussion and explanation of the
objections which his considera-
ton of the subject may sug-
gest. To such considerations,
therefore, as are suggested by the
open letter of Mr.. L9ngdon, of
Mobile, l would reply respectfully,
recognizing the character of their
author and the gravity of the
reasons he urges, if they are sub
stantial. To the proceedings of
such bodies as the Savannah and
Charleston Chambers of Commerce,
I would accord the weight which
should attach to the opinions of
men experienced in Southern bus
mess and justly respected in COM
mercial centres, provided [ had the
assurance that their views were the
result of careful and impartial con-
Sideration. But I must feel some
hesitation in assuming their action |
to be representative when / find it |
predicated upon the argument of
a gentleman who, whatever be his |
character and ability, is the recOg- |
nized counsel of that great Califor- |
MIA monopoly which has spared no
pains, no labor, no expense to de- |
feat the completion of Southern
Pacific connection which is to bein-
dependent of its control. | there |
fore propose to lay before the South
el r people my views of their inter
ests in thisimpOrtant matter, subject /
to such depreciation or its worth as
they may think attaches to the fact |
that my maturest judgement and
my most earnest convictions are
committed to this enterprise, and !
whatever ability may possess and
whatever ambition | may retain
will find their fulfillment in its
success.
OBJECTIONS TO THE TEXAS PACIFIC |
BILL EXAMINED
The objections which, as [ under
stand these several communications,
are disturbing, or are intended to
disturb the public mind of the
South, are the following:
First-That the Southern Pacific
Company, of California, are willing
to build, indeed are building, such
connections as will secure a truly
Southern Pacific railroad, without
further assistance from the Govern
ment.
Second-That the bill in aid of
tllC 10AdS anu dCIllC IOdNl, HOW OC- |
fore Congress, does not secure such
certain advantages to the Soutii as
1t needs or claims, but places the
control of its traffic in the hands of
Colonel Scott, who repres, nts what
is charged to be rival interest.
Third-That the aid asked from
the Government cannot be constitu-
tionally given, and that the security
offered the Government is INSULT
cient.
THE SOUTHERN PACTFIC'S FALSE
CLAIM.
First-As to the completion of a
Southern Pacific connection by the
Southern Pacific of California: AS
suming for the moment that this is
possible, and to understand the
value of tbs assertion that this will
be done without further aid from
the Government, it must be borne
in mind that the Southern Pacific
and Central Pacific are practically
one and the same. The present
Northern Pacific connection
consists of two roads identi-
cal in interest-the Union Pacific,
running from Omaha to Ogden;
and the Central Pacific, running
from Ogden to San FranciscO-With
minor connections / will not stop
now to enumerate. This line, with
its branches, has received from the
Government since the first subsidy,
seventeen years ago, in lands and
bonds, $l17 10000 No interest has
been paid, or is to be paid, by the
companies on these bonds until they
mature, and in the meantime that
interest must be paid by the Gov
ernment out of the taxation of the
people, for the reservation of one
half the Government dues for trans
pOrtatiOn is not worth the calcula-
tion i'm such an estimate; and for
eight years, since the completion of
the connection, the absolute mo-
noDolv of trans-continental traffic
and travel has been in their hands,
practically free from supervision or
control by the Government. Now,
deducting what may have been re-
ceived by the Union Pacific, as it is
not clear that enough remains of
this enormous subsidy, together
with it's accretiOns, to make any
connection, Southern or Northern,
built by the Central Pacific, the re-
suit and application of aid from
the Government? Does not every
dollar it expends represent the
monopoly Of profit and the exemp-
t;on from payment of interest,