The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-09
THE NEW ORE wNs PACIFIC.
Mobile Register

The passage by the LSgiss,ture ofg.ouis-
lana Of he bill TO aid the construction of the
New Orleans Pacific road insures the con-
struction of that most important line from
New Orleans to Shreveport The State lends
the road bonds to tho amount of $4,000 900.
Very probable Louisiana Slll eventual have
to foot the bill, but it will have the road and
the enhanced value of taxable property in
than repay her for the loan: The practice of
State loans to corporations is a most danger
Gus one, and has heretofore almost invariably
ended in disaster. In Alabama we have had
is fair to say that theoplan of State aid with
us owes. its origin, To tho Legls,,
exclusively of our own people, and that
government of the roads fell into the hands
of strangers, who plundored the State, and
who constructed roads, not because they were
needed or wouid probably be elf-sustainng.
but simply 10 obtain possession OF the loans.
If Congress had not saddled us with carpet
bag governments, it is@ probable that our
State aid would have rssultedoin as much
benefit to Alabama as did the construction of
the State road to Georgia The profligatee
Endorsement of bonds under Cow Smith ana
Lewis produced with us public reaction
which caused the adoption of clause In tho
new constitution prohibiting hereafter all
such aid, and leaving such works to BE OK
elusive caro- of the corporators.
IL Is W llDptu titb Illc VI
ana, now that she has a government OF her
own taxpayers, will be different from that of
Alabama, and that the New Orleans Pacific.
under the control Of Mr.. WheSock and his
directory, will be able to sustain itself with
out involving the State.
o Nothing could be Of more importanccot o
New Orleans than this road. 1t taps the
great grain and cotton empire of the South
west. 1t will turn back from ST. Louis the
trade of Texas and will pour, the riches Of
| that 1nSf domain into the bosom OF sic
great commercial metropolis Of the
Southwest. With this road completed, as
it will be during the year. and with an open
river it is impossible to estimate the future
| OF New Orleans Her grain receipts have al
ready quadrupled. and we hear OF the con-
struction of immense trains of barges to CON
vey from st. Louis the flood of cere us which
is flowing down by water courses, and by new
distant points of the Northwest Add to this
othe possibilities of Texas, and we stand In
the presence OF great commercial events,
whose contemplation almost startles us: One
of the grandest cities of the world within Il
| few decades will be directly at our door.
Mobile does not regard these splendid
achievements and projects with envy or dis
trust. The glory of New Orleans will be the
glory of the Southwest. AS grain empo-
rum her grain market will offer inducements
to the planters of Alabama and Mississippi
to engage in other productions than cotton
AS the foremost cotton mar et OF the world
very soon her merchant princes Will estab
lish their factories In the neighboring towns
The field where the cotton is grown and ex
ported must be. the. field, for its
manufacture, and with the ship
ment Of vast cargoes of cotton and grrair
steady Stream an Of immigration and imports
Thus our fields will be filled with an intelli-
gent and independent labor, and thus oul
Southern people will learn to import the'l
wares through their own ports. The growtl
of New Orleans is the growth OF Mobile. w
are within the circle of the commercial mael
strom of which New Orleans is the focus, ane
hence we rejoice at the approaching consum
nation Of the second great necessity OF ou
sister city.