The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-02-09
A SOUTHERN LINE.
WHY A TRANs-CONvINENTA RAIL.
ROAD SHOULD NE BUILT ON Or
NEAR THE TH,HTy-sEC-
OND PARALLEL.
The Fewer Of the Federal Government to
Assist In the Construction OF such
Ltne-Ietter from Wan. Jefferson Davis
on the Texas Pacific Railroad Hili.

Hon. 10. RarkSdale:
Dear Sir Before complying with your re
quest for my views on the Texas Pacific
Railroad bill. now under consideration.
would premise that the exploration along al
! the lines reported to be practicable made 10y
United States military engineers In 1854, es
tablished the superior advantages OF the route
acrcss the American Desert at or near the
thirty second parallel of north latitude. Sc
that In my report 10 Congress In 1855, 1t was
stated that the route of the thirty-second
parallel ia, of those surveyed, "the most prac.
tical and economical route for n 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 rail
road had been left TO private capital and en-
terprise, that line would most probably have
been selected by any company that could
and would have undertaken the work. Or,
II done by the general government, uninhu-
enced by political consideration IL Is believed
that route would have been adopted.
And this, In either case. though the ter
mini had been fixed at New York and
San Francisco. For confirmation of this
opinion. see the table of equated distances
| for the different routes, prepared by the pres
ent Chief Engineer. Gen. A. Humphreys,
who. then holding lower rank. was my as
sistant In the examination Of the reports Of
the exploring parties. The information which
has been subsequently obtained serve to in
crease the evidences OF the superior advan-
tages Of the line Of the thirty-second parable.
over any other within the territory OF the
| United States. For the principal difficulties
anticipated In 1865 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 construction
| as has been and must be realized on other
roads built or to be built. over the similar
territory which is to be found on all the route
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
before and after the surveys were made to
lind the best route for a railroad to connect
the old States with their newly acquired pos
sessions on the Pacific. Al you are aware 7
was among the earliest advocates of that
measure; but / held then as now that to JUS
tify appropriations from the United States
treasury 1t must be shown that the proposed
| measure was necessary to the performance of
the delegated functions. One OF these the
common defence" requires certain as we'll as
rapid communication between the different
parts of the country. Neither of these condi-
tions belonged to transportation by sea from
the valley Of the Mississippi or tho Atlantic
seaboard to the Pacific coast and surely not
to large and frequent wagons trains travers-
ing an unnhahited country. Judicial postal
and financial functions also require certainty
and expedlty of communication. Have
these been attained by the public py-
penditures made for the construction Of
the existing trans-contnental railroad
suppose the unanticlpated descent of a
hostile army on the shore of the Pacific
should demand an immediate reinforcement
from the East: and that then the road was
blocked with snow IA not unfrequent occur
rencel, or obstructed by land slides, n more
than possible event on every road through a
mountainous country. The ability to per-
form the duty providing for the common de-
tense would not exist under such circum-
stances. ! therefore think that the reasons
which justified appropriations from the com
mon treasury are yet In force, and will SO
continue until there shall be railroad COM
muniCation across the continent from such
interruption as has been experienced on the
Union and Central Pacific Railroad. Hence
the conclusion that n railroad to connect the
valley of the Mississippi with the coast Of the
of the lines surveyed, which includes all be-
lieved to be practicable that line near 10 the
thirty second parallel Is for many considera-
tons demonstrabyt he best. This brings us
to the inquiry, how should the task be ac-
complshed2
If the road were required only for govern
mental use, such as a track for an arsenal or
armory, 1t might be built solely with the pub
lie money; but in the case we are consider
ing, where there are commercial, as well as
governmental, purposes to be Subserved, 1t
would not be just to tax the people 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
few exceptional 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 contract The great body Of the people
have no interest in the controversy between
rival candidates for the contract. Their
schemes, their elimination and recrimination,
may be- left TO burst as bubbles on the pool OF
selfish speculation.
1t boots but little that members of Congress
are by law prohibited from being interested
in government contracts II they are to be
involved In deciding which of rival bidders
shall have the contract. With these prelimi-
nary remarks, will briefly review the bill and
amendment which are before me.
Senate bill No. 942, amendatory OF the act of
1871, to incorporate the Texas and Pacific rail
road, declares his object to be to secure ''the
speedy completion Of the road so designated"
III that corporation does yet retain the priyi-
leges and benefits conferred on it by the act
for its Incorporation, 1t will hardly be argued
that 1t has monopoly of the right to build
railroad on or near the thirty-second parallel |
or that the Congress Is estopped from aiding
any other company, which promises to secure
such communication more speedily and GER
tainiy than the past operations of the Texas
Pacific Railroad Company give reason to ex-
pect. Such continuing preference for par
tlcular company needs for its justification
more cogent reasons than have been given to
the public.
A further inquiry suggests itself. Why
was 1t not left optional to select Austin or |
San Antonio. instead of naming definitely |
Fort Worth For the purpose of feeders
from Mexico, line from either Of the former |
points would certainly be more favorable.
Texas would no doubt be equally disposed to |
aid the construction Of a road from either of |
those points, certainly not less so with regard |