The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-29

ut the option Of said company; and that
, failure to 30 purchase or construct, at tn
rate herein provided, on the eastern extern
sion, shall work an absolute forfeiture OF al
right to the guarantee OF the government OF
the interest Of the bonds to be issued for 81
much Of the line as may remain unconstruct
} ed at the time OF such default
Thus 1t will be seen that no time
Is fixed for commencing or com
pleting the connection to the Missis.
sippi, and no penalty is imposed IL 1t ID
never made. Twenty years hence the
Texas and Pacific Company can say, II
this connection Is not built, Congress
did not require us to build it, aud we did
not choose to do 1t. The fault is not In
US, but In Congress" And they would
the same men who tell US and tell the
world that they are unable to build the
road west of Fort Worth with large
land grant and $40, 900 per mile In green
backs, ask US to believe them when they
say that they are going to extend their
line to some point on the Mississippi,
and that, too, without aid of any sort
from the government. They say they
cannot borrow money to continue a
road partly constructed and actually
running, but that they can borrow
money to construct road upon which
not spadeful OF earth has been moved
This twelfth section also provides that
the authority OF the State or States
through which the line may be located
shall be obtained before the road shall
be built, and that the eastern terminus
shall be on the east bank Of the Missis-
sippi river, wherever this point may be
designated. Now. it Is not improbable
that some point in the State Of Missis-
sippi might be designated as the east
ern terminus, and / am informed that
the Legislature OF that State does not
would necessarily be long delay In OBJ
tanning the consent OF that State.
THE REAL EASTERN TERMINUS ALREADY
sELEcTED-1T LEADS TO PHILADELPHIA.
The great purpose in building South
ern trans-continenta road is to connect
the country watered by the lower Mis-
sissippi with the Pacific coast. For years
Congress has been besieged on the SUBJ
ject, and now it is asked to pass q bill
which does not provide for such connec-
ton. There is not one word or line in
the bill OF the committee which renders
such connection certainty. This de-
feet alone Is sufficient cause for my op-
position to the bill, and hence I have
antagonized it with mine, which does
make connection with the Mississippi
by more than one route certain and
effectual.
Shreveport, which ia in the State of
Louisiana, Is now the virtual terminus
from that point that the extension to the
Mississippi river under the provisions
OF the twelfth section OF bill No. 942
would be made. Now, the consent OF
all the States through which any part
OF the road Is to be made, must, under
the bill. be first obtained. III Memphis
be the point selected, then Louisiana,
Arkansas and Tennessee must all give
their consent. II Vicksburg Is chosen,
then Louisiana and Mississippi must
express their approval through their
Legislatures. But, as have said, the
Legislature OF Mississippi will not meet |
and good faith on the part of the COM
pany, this connection could not be COM
for two years. But there is |
nothing to compel the company to en-
deavor to procure the consent of the |
States; and IL they did, is it sure they |
would succeed? Louisiana might think |
the road ought to go to New Orleans,
and refuse to agree that either Memphis |
Or Vicksburg should be the terminus.
Thus it will be seen with what difficult |
lies the making OF the eastern connec-
lion Is surrounded, what opportunities
It gives for delay and inaction il desired, |
and how even the utmost and most zeal |
)uS efforts on the part OF the company |
20 carry out the requirements Of the |
,welfth section might nevertheless fail |
il success; for note all that has to be
lone:
l. The appointment OF commission.
2. The meeting Of the commission
ind their examination of the various
'outes.
g.. The agreement in report upon a
|ubJect upon which so much and so
many different things are to be consid-
red.
4. The approval OF this report by the
5. The consent OF all the States
through which the road is to pass, which
nay be three, in one event.
.. After this is done and accomplished,
hen there is no obligation upon the
company to take another step, no mode
i compelling them.
The company has sought to impose
onditions upon itself that are unnec-
ssary and may be impossible; unnec-
ssary, because nobody can think that
Is necessary to obtain leave from the
teIIC w Ouy oil CAlbLluR THllFOaQ iran |
hise; and possibly impossible, because
he consent OF the States may never be
iven.
Why should Congress delegate its !
over to select terminus on the Mis-
lssippi to board, no matter how or Of
HON constituted What good can re- !
llt to the country at large, or to that
eglected and desolated section Of it
)r whose regeneration this road is es-
ecially urged, by leaving it undeter-
lined, as this bill does, where the east
RI terminus OF the road is to be, or
neither 1t Is to reach the Mississippi or Z
OF? To enact law in this shape is
evasion OF responsibility, and I for /.
&c recognize that it is the duty Of Con- I
ress to fix the eastern terminus or ter 1
rmini and insist on the exercise Of the
lty.
IL CRY AGAINST MONOPOLY STARTED BY q
HE LARGEST MONOPOLY IN TIE COUNTRY. Y
There has been great deal said about n
le ne ;essity OF building this Texas and A