Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-12-31
How Southern Statesmen Lost the
Southern Route to the Pacific.
Corresponding Of The Courier-Journall

Correspondence Of the Courier-Journall
WASHINGTON, December 26.-I sin.
cerely hope hat those Southern mem.
bers of congress and politicians WhC
defeated the Texas Pacific railroad.
when it was before congress-, are now
satisfied with their work.
The Tom Scott project was not SEN
timental. 1t did not reject Northern
connections, but it did provide also
for Southern connections. 1t ''said
turkey once to the South. Scott
wanted a great connecting line. Had
he been able to build to San Diego.
his interest would have been to strike
direct for thegalf and the Atlantic by
the shortest cut he could get. He
had much the shortest line, the easiest
grades and a track free from INTERRUPT
ton by SHOWS, with an empire in en-
bryo lying south Of him to be tapped.
The scheme meant no harm to any
body. but it did mean a great railroad
for the South. 1t is possible, indeed.
that some of the grass now growing
in the streets Of Southern cities
might have suffered damage when the
road was fully completed some chill
dren now destined to grow up in igno-
rance and rags might have hada better
fate; some debtors now bowed down
with shame and despair might have
worked out, and men everywhere
might have gone to work with a
stronger, fresher hope. But think of
the subsidy feature, only thinly dis
guised by a guarantee of interest on
bonds, and think, too, Of the possible
infraction to the constitution of the
United States. What horrorl What
shamei Shall it be said that the South,
poor, robbed and suffering, should get
a subsidy as well as the North? Shall
it be said that the constitution which
authorized a war Of subjugation, the
destruction of eight or ten millions of
Southern property, and was next used
to organize the hell Of reconstruction.
could be so far strained from its oripi-
nal letter as to build a railroad or a
canal to benefit that section. Per
ish the thought Welcome poy-
erty and the temptations. the crime.
the Generalization, that follows its
seVerest forms; welcome vice and ig-
norance and hopelessness; welcome
sectional inequality and inferiority.
welcome anything but the dreadful
thought that the powers of govern
vernment, perverted tocurse and ruin.
could ever be used tc bless and re-
store.
Such was the craftsmanship of half
the men the South sent here from 1871
to 1879. With these profound and
patriotic views there went along much
OF the ordinary duties of members of
Congress. Dinners were freely eaten
and enjoyed.
WINE WAS NOT NEGLECTED.
nor women either. Free passes were
freely used. Drives behind fast horses
were accepted. Havanas were smoked.
Parties were attended. Suppers were
patrOnized. Now and then a show
speech on sectional topics was duly
made and printed in the Congressional
Record. 1t would not do, you know, to
have the constituency suppose their
member or Senator was idle. A show
speech, with its strut and rhetoric.
would cost little trouble and would
correct such an absurd impression /.
but, generally, the claims of pleasure
pr%edominated. Life at the Capitol is
Is not wholly a bore. There we're the
marble and reception rooms, ladies
fair, with perhaps just a triAe too
much rouge, restaurants, and MANY
other good things. There might be
gloom and poverty at home. but here
all was jolly. 1t was amid such a
graceful, %epicurean existence as this
that the grand scheme for a Southern
continental line Of railway persisted.
witnessed it all. l never had and
never expect to have a dollar of inter-
est IN any %railroa |. No railroad kinO
eNeI hdu MS collar on my neck, |
never wore the livery Of Scott. or
Huntington, or Gould, or Garrett
But as a disinterested observer and
well-wisher of the South. | watched
the game. | would hardly like r.
tell the whole story. | am not sure
that it would do any good. But on,
or two things l will swear tome /,
that conquest is demoralizing; an.
other that q fool is a fact, and number
of fools a great fact. Perhaps. if Tho
Southern members and senators were
recognized by the public opinion O
the North as having an equal right il
Their representative capacity TO par
ticipate in the debates and Legislation
Of the country with other citizens
perhaps, if the North could get out O
the habit Of looking at the South al
an Ireland, to be conquered, snubbed
inspected from time TO time, lectured
insulted, and despised, turned over L
q strong man, and all that sort o