The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1879-02-05
Letter from Hon. jefferson DaTis on the
Texas-Paeif1c Railroad Bill.
/ HARRISON COUNTY, MISSISSIPPI I
January Is 1879.
Hon. E. Barksdale:


Hon. E. Barksdale
DEAR SIR-Before complying with yonr |
request for my views on the Texas-Paciflc
Railroad Bill, now under consideration,
would premise that the exploration along all
the lines reported To be practicable. IN ade
by United States Military Engineers IN
1851 established the superior advantages
of the route across the american Desert
AT or near the 32d parallel of north latitude
So that in my report to Congress in 1855. it
was stated that the route of the 32d parallel
Il. of those surveyed, 1.-The most practicable
and economical route for railroad from
the Mississippi River TO the Pacific Ocean"
that being what, by the act of Congress,
was directed to determine by Instrumental
surveys. If the construction of such a
railroad had been left to private capital and
enterprise, that line would most probably
have been selected by any company that
could. and would have undertaken the work.
Or, if done by the General Government,
uninfluenced by political considerations. it
is believed that route would have been
adopted And this, in either case. though
the terhsiRi had been fixed al New York and
opinion. see the table of equated distances
for the different routes, prepared by the
present Chief Engineer, Genl A a. Hum
phreys, who, then holding lower rank,
was nv assistant in the examination of the
reports OF the exploring parties The in
formation which has been subsequently
obtained serves to increase the evidences of
the superior advantages of she line of the
32d parallel over any other within the ter
ritory of the United States. For the
principal difficulties anticipated in 1866
were from the want of fuel and water. 1t is
now said that an abundance of coal has been
found to exist near the route in Texas
and New Mexico. The supply of water
will be sufficient for the operation of the
road, so that the difficulty on that account
will be confined to the period OF construc-
ton. as has been ard must be realized on
other roads built, or to be built, over the
similar territory which is to be found on all
the routes.
The power OF the Federal Government to
build or to aid in the building of railroad,
was questioned by some OF the ablest and
purest representatives. in the Congress, both
find the best route for railroad to connect
the old States with their newly acquired
possessions on the Pacific. As you are
aware, was among the earliest advocates
of that measure; but l held Their, as now,
that to justify appropriations from the
United States Treasury, it must be shown
that the proposed measure was necessary to
the performance of the delegated functions.
One of these, the common Defence" re-
quires certain, as well as rapid communica
ton between the different parts of the
country. Neither of these conditions be
longel to transportation by sea from the
valley of the Mississippi or the Atlantic
seaboard to the Pacific coast; aud surely not
to large and frequent wagon trains travers-
ing an uninhabited country. Judicial,
postal, and financial functions also require
certainty and expidity of communication.
Have these been attained by the public eX-
penditures made for the construction ofthe
existing trans-continental railroad? Sup
pose, the unanticipGted descent of a
hostile army on the shore of the Pacific
should demand an immediate reinforcement
from the East; and that then the road were
blocked with snow, "a not infrequent oc=
currence,) or obstructed by land slides, a
more than possible event on every road
through mountainous country. The
ability to perform the duty of providing for
the common defence, would not exist
under such circumstances. | therefore
think that the reasons which justified APP
preparations from the common treasury,
are yet in force, and will so continue until
hal he mi tinD
across the continent, free from such inter-
ruption az has been experienced on the
Union and Central Pacific Railroad. Hence
the conclusion that railroad to connect
the valley of the Mississippi with the coast
of the Pacific, should be built in low
latitude, and, of the lines surveyed which
includes all, believed TO be practicable, that
line near to the 33d parallel is for many
considerations demonstrably the best This
brings US to the inquiry, how should the
task be accomplished?
If the road were require only for gov
ernmental use, such as track for an arsenal
or armory, it might be built solely with the
public money; but in the case we are con-
sidering, where there are commercial as
well as governmental purposes to be sub
served, il would not be Just to tax the peo-
pie for the whole cost of the work. A fair
estimate of the proportion chargeable to the
public being made, we should have the
measure of the aid proper to be given by
Congress to secure the construction and
equipment of the road. Following the
usage which experience has established as
the safest and best, in all save a few excep-
tional cases, proposals might then be issued
and bids received for the work. 1t could not
be difficult to provide the needful safeguards
against incompetent bidders, and loss to the
public by failure to comply with the con-
tract. The great body of the people have
no interest in the controversy between rival
candidates for the contract. Their schemes,
their elimination and recrim nation, NAV
be left to burst as bubbles on the pool Of
selfish speculation.
1t boots but little that members of Con-
gress are by law prohibited from being in
terested in government contracts, if they
are to be involved in deciding which OF
rival bidders shall have the contract. Witch
these preliminary remarks, l will briefly
review the bill and amendment which are
before me.
Senate Bill 942, amendat)ry of the act Of
1871 to incorporate the Texas=Pacific rail-
road, -elares Its object to be to secure ''the
speedy completion of the road so designat-
ed Ifthat corporation does yet retain the
privileges and benefits conferred on it by
the act for its Incorporation, it will hardly
be argued that it has a monopoly of the
right to build railroad on or near the 32d
parallel, or that the Congress is estOpped
from aiding any other company, which
promises to secure such communication
more speedily and certainly than the past
operat ions of the Texas-Paciffc Railroad Co.
give reason to expect. Such continuing
preference for particular company needs