The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1878-05-30
WASHINGTON NOTES.
The Jetties-Present Pacific Rail
Roads-Relief from their Exac-
tions-Cure for Communism.

Correspondence of the Citizen.I
WASHINGTON, May "a, 1878.
In one of the halls on the first
floor of the Capitol there is exhib-
tied perfect model in clay, of the
South Pass as it existed in the
spring of 1875, and of The Jetties
since built and the wonders they
have achieved in making a safe,
sufficient and permanent channel at
the mouth of the Mississippi. The
model has been prepared by a skill
full engineer, and shows precisely
the condition of things at the South
Pass at the two periods mentioned.
The demonstration is most complete
and convincing. 1t is something
which the most ignorant, as well as
the most scientific, can fully COM
prehend; and this ocular demon
stration, coupled with the fact that
all large sea going vessels now use
the jetty channel, and have no diff
Guilty in making the passage with
draft of twenty-five feet, solves the
great problem of an easy outlet to
the sea for the whole valley of the
Mississippi. Western farmers will
comprehend the value of this i'm
provement when they discover that
it adds five or six cents value to
every bushel of wheat or corn which
they may have to sell. This single
improvement, which has thus far
cost the government but one million
of dollars, will be worth at least ten
millions year to the farmers, mer-
chants and manufacturers of the
Great West. A most sensible move
ment is now on foot in Congress to
so modify the terms OF the contract
with Captain Eads as to enable him
to push the work forward to an
early completion. This change in
the terms is to lessen rather than
increase the cost of the work, but
so modifies tho terms and times of
payment as to enable him to prose-
cute the work with a greater vigor,
and thus give the full benefit of a
completed work at much earlier
period. While Capt. Eads has done
80 per cent of the work of construc-
ton, making pecuniary sacrifices in
order to push it forward, he has re-
ceived but 20 per cent of the con-
tract price. The new legislation is
designed to do justice in this re
spect.
PRESENT PACIFIC RAILROADS.
Whit
course pursued by Capt. Eads and
that of the present Pacific railroad
managers. In one case a single in
dividual stakes his private fortune
upon the chances of success, and |
uses his own money and credit
without stint to achieve a work of
the very highest national impor
lance, while In the other case many
millions of the peoples money are
pocketed by greedy monopolists,
and more than ten millions a year
are levied upon the country in the
shape of exorbitant charges for
transportation o. refusal to pay in
terest on government bonds loaned |
to them.
REMEDY FOR THEIR EXACTIoNs.
While Congress has brought these
roads under discipline by the fund.
ing bill which compels them to
commence at once to pay back the
peoples money loaned to them |
years ago, they are still left with
full power to prey upon the trans
continental commerce of the coun
try by discrimination and exorbi-
tant charges for transportation.
The only remedy for this is found
in competing line between the
Mississippi and the Pacific. Con-
gress seems well convinced of this
fact, and score or more of bills
have been introduced to secure the
construction of a railroad to the /
Pacific through the Southwest. OFF
all these measures the Pacific rail
road committees of the two Houses
have recommended for adoption
that which provides for the con-
struction of the Texas d. Pacific
railroad from Fort Worth to San
Diego. This has excited bitter OPP
position from the Pacific monopo
lists and their eastern stockholders
and hackers, who have used every
possible means to prevent the con-
struction of a competing line. But !
they seem now to have exhausted |
all their modes and agencies of hos
tility to a measure that is fraught
with Unreasonable benefits to the
West proper and the great South
west. Next Tuesday has been set
for considering the bill in the Sen
ate, and there is scarcely doubt of
it's passage through that body by !
handsome majority. II is conf
IDENTIFY anticipated that the same re-
suit will follow in the House.
CURE FOR COMMUNISM.
The prosecution of great works
of national necessity like this, the
improvement of the Mississippi, |
and the erection of public buildings |
where they are needed, will furnish |
the only national relief to the labor |
famine which now threatens the |
country with a social revolution.
The true communists are now scat
tered through the cities and towns
of the United States to the number
of five to ten thousand. These
gather IN to their organizations the /
very worst elements of society, |
drunkards, dead beats, loafers, NOR
al lepers, rogues, rascals, scallawags
and scoundrels of high and low de-
gree-a class Of desperate men who
would fire city for the sake of the
plumber to be raked from its smok
ing ruins. Added 70 these destruc-
tives is now a great army of forced
idlers, who would gladly work If
they could find employment. Give