Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1878-07-20

from the utterance of the bravest words, anC
which, whether in the forum or on the felc
of battle, never failed to carry captive al
within its reach to do his bidding as b,
| wIlled.
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST MEM
PHIS.
On Wednesday week the freight commit.
| tee of the Memphis chamber of commerce
| sent communication to the president Of
the Memphis and st. Louis packet company
at st. Louis, charging that company with
having made an unjust tariff of freight rates,
shy which Memphis is charged higher rate
of tariff than is charged to Vicksburg, New
| Orleans or intermediate points, an injustice
too manifest to require argument or COM
ment, and ga great wrong perpetrated upon
the merchants and business men generally OF
| this CITY," We yesterday published the re-
ply that has been received from the party ad-
dressed by the committee, and that reply is
a peculiar one. The accusation Of discrimi-
nation, injustice and wrong" perpetrateJ
against Memphis is not denied The justi6-
cation set up is that since the loss of the ele-
vator the expenses of the company in doing
business here are increased. That justi6ca-
ton is preceded by an evasive doubt about
there being any discrimination at all; the
words are: 1.-THE discrimination, if any;
against your city," etc. This admission and
doubt having left the position of the St. Louis
president on the point sufficiently uncertain,
he leaves altogether the matter on which the
i
ceeds to turn the tables on his assailants by
becoming assailant in his turn. He expresses
his surprise Chat gentlemen of your age and
experience should accept all you see in a
newspaper as gospel truth" Circumstances
occasionally cause people to occupy positions
which lead them to regard vigilant, wide
awake paper, quick to detect and ready to
vor. But in this case the news
paper statement as to st. Louis
rates down the river was made in the st.
Louis Republican, published in the writer's
own city, and getting its information from
headquarters. Is it to be understood that
the gentlemen of age and experience" were
wrong in crediting statements made in re-
spectacle st. Louis journal, especially when
the bills of lading these gentlemen were re-
ceiving from the st. Louis packet COM
pany confirmed the statements that
paper made? The newspapers generally
being thus tossed aside, the writer
proceeds to formulate a regular indictment
against the people of Memphis, by way of
counter-blast to the unanswered charges of
the Memphis committee. The counts in the
indictment are that the Memphis city coun-
Gil has seemed TO enjoy annoying the ST.
Louis packet company, and it has frequently
passed ordinances for the removal of their
wharfboat-the company has been charged
every conceivable tax, State, county, tonnage
and wharfage Memphis shippers have en-
encouraged wild cat boats not in the st.
Louis line, and Memphis, more than all other
points put together, encouraged Captain
kountZ to wage war Oh the company
finally there is at present hitch about al
lowing the company to put a wharfboat at
the landing. Besides these things, the
writer complains that the company does not
seem to have been successful in doing away
with Memphis prejudice against foreign capt.
tal bloated bondholders, monopolies and the
like trash, and it is therefore discouraged-so
much so that 1T is disposed to correct the
cause of the prejudice where it is pointed
out, ''or we will quit doing business in your
city," When we reflect that the company
from whence these accusations-made to
avoid meeting the charges of perpetrated in
Justice and wrong-had its being from Mem
occupies from the Memphis trade, was re-
olced when it was allowed the priv
ledge of a wharfboat at our landing,
although that privilege rendered it liable to
De controlled by our wharfage laws, and to
pay taxes and move its boats accordingly
hings the Cincinnati company had done be-
fore it without grudging. Rejecting on this, |
It is evident that the bill of indictment drawn |
against the city and people of Memphis is
not only unjust and undeserved, but insolent. |
1t is admitted that our people have right to |
DO their own business their own way, but it |
IS intimated that the st. Louis company is |
when they ship on other than that |
'ompany's boats, when tie city council passes |
ordinances it does not like, and when il is |
charged the State, county, city and other |
axes, such as every business man in Mem |
ohis has to pay. The company has discrimi- |
mated against Memphis, but Memphis taxes |
nave not Disseminated against the company. |
Every Memphis citizen readily admits the |
Talue of the elevator, and laments its loss.
Ind if there is any feeling against the ST, |
louis company it has been caused by its own
acts. Formerly the feeling be-
ween the company and our clti-
ems was most cordial, as Abel,
love, Fleming, and every old repre-
entative of it in this city can testify, inciud-
ng the present popular and respected head
4 the company here at present, Captain Ad
storm. If there is a change it is owing to the
nexcusable and most censurable conduct of
he present management In seeking to re-
trict our trade and obstruct our prosperity
y so discriminating against US that mer-
liant in st. Louis is artl6cally endowed with
advantages given at the expense of those of
demphls. The evasion of the points pre-
ented by the Memphis committee on the
art of the president of the st. Louis compa-
y gives little hope of gaining willing Justice
rom that quarter The committee will do
yell to address the chamber of commerce at
t. Louis, to point out to it that the wrong and
'Justice perpetrated by the st. Louis compa-
y is iDjuring the commerce of st. Louis in
ais city and divertin9 it back to Cincinnati,
here 1T went formerly, and to ask the cham
er to demonstrate with the company and
rive to bring it back 20 a fair and honorable
ay of doing business, SO to render it mu-
tally beneficial to ST. Louis and to Mem
his.