The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-07-10
The Southern Pacific Railroad
Question.

= claims of the Pacific Railroads have been
clearly and emphatlcally editorialized
against Scctt's plan and in favor Of Sena
tor Johnston's as developed in his late
speech in the Senate here.
IOu remember nv zeal AMI activity for
Scott-but l now see it is a cead issue. Ii
Is as hopelessly under the sea as Pharaoh
and his hosts. and / feel quite disposed to
look favorably on Johnstou's plan.
Our worthy correspondent puts the
: case too strongly. We have been an adj
vocate of the Texas Pacific Railroad
(Scotts) plan as our readers know and
have published numerous communica-
tons in favor of it, as a matter of pub
lie Importance, rejecting proffered com
pensation for the use Of our columns, for
the sole motive of promoting great
public enterprise for our section and
people, and not for personal gain. We
have favored the scheme not because it
was the Teras Pacifc-or SCOTS plan
but for the reason that we believed it
offered the speediest and most feasible
means of building a railroad on the
Southern line-the line of the 32d par
allel-to the Pacific. Our correspond
ent puts our present attitude in regard
to this measure too strongly. Our Ian
guage was, "that there are features of
the Scott scheme as it now stands that
we do not like" and we proceeded TO
state explicitly what the particularly OBJ
jectionable feature was, viz: its failure to
fix terminus on the Mississippi river
We said, Vicksburg being on direct
line east from San Diego to the Pacific,
ought to be the terminal point, but that
the trouble with the Scott bill as it now
stands is that it don't provide specifcal-
ly for q connection aojth the Mss iSSippi
at ALL The bill states that upon GER
tain conditions, the President shall ap-
point five Commissioners who, with
large scope of discretionary powers, and
after numerous preliminaries, are to re-
port "where the line should be and where
it shall connect with the Mississippi"
| There is nothing definite about this, but
an infnity of indefiniteness., Who will
the President appoint? Which of the
many conflicting interests will he con
suit? Or will he appoint at all? Will
these Commissioners ever agree; and if
! they disagree, who As to decide? Or
will they strive how not to do it? Or will
they decide that it is best to leave the
connection with the line that leads over
the steel bridge to St. Louis and the
road that connects with the Pennsylva-
mia Central?
While this decidedly Objectionable
feature remains we cannot support the
Scott bill. We will support no scheme
which ignores the claims of Vicksburg,
the chief commercial city of our State.
founded upon its geographical position
directly upon the line of the sd par
aIlel. We will support no scheme which
leaves the location on the Mississippi |
river to the uncertain decision of an un-
certain Board of Commissioners deriving
their authority from. source wholly ir-
responsible to the people. For the rea-
son that the bill of Senator John
ston does name Vicksburg as ter
minal point, specially and definite
Iy, and does provide that the road
when constructed shall be in truth, as
we'll as pretension, a Southern line, We
to a decided leaning towards
his plan. Our correspondent who ought
n = L
says that the Scott plan is as much under
the sea as the hosts of Pharaoh We are
somewhat astonished at his statement
We hope it is not too late to reclaim the
measure from its present objectional
aspects, but if it is to be juggle-a
mere tub to the whale-it deserves the
fate which he says has overtaken it.
Other Southern journals besides the
CLARION have seen the subject in this
light, among them, the Memphis APP
peal, one of whose able conductors, Mr.
Keaton, spent the winter in Washington
and was a close observer of the progress
of events. Writing upon this subject he
says:
The Huntington road and the Texas Pa
cihe have squabbled, and fought, and kept
the subject in hot water all the session, and
the people who want the measure, and who
pay the taxes that are TO give vitality,
are disappointed and their fayorite object
1efraVed. 1t becomes the duty of all the
friends OF The measure to unite against those
who, quarreling as they do with each other,
unite unfaiingly, as LOVING as brothers, to
exclude the interests of the people anu Sseep
congress employed attending TO their own !
selfish and INSCRIPTIONS schemes. Let the
people support one single measure, one that {
the conflicting interests of the !
various localities, disregards the schemes
md aims OF conflicting companies, and {
simply but etfectually provides for railway
between the east bank of
he Mississippi and the Pacific ocean. The {
Johnston bill, or bill drawn up in the d.
pirit of it, j. what is wanted. Let New
orleans, Vicksburg, Mem phis and the cities
md towns generally that are interested in
he object, give their influence to the John
ton or a similar bill, then let the quarreling
companies be ignored, and Congress set to
work. to consider the measure favored by
he people, and by their action give it effect. q
We must, by united proceedings, crush the
obbery of the interested corporations, or
ne Of the most important objects this part /
f the republic can work for, will be ire
revably lost. I
We repeat, that what the South wants,
5 a Southern road, with an assurance II
hat the trains will cross the lower Mis-
issippi and not be switched off over !
he steel bridge at St. Louis so as to con- y
ect with lines for the benefit of the 2
Central and of Northern ;
tiles. The Scott bill does not contain i
his assurance. Z
ELIZA PINKsToN AND AGNES jerks L