The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1880-10-13
Yazoo City Railroad.

the road, and yet suggests many reasons why
it should be defeated. The many errors in
his facts aud reasons call for correction by
the friends of the project SO that all may
vote intelligently
His first point is that this road will not
reduce rates by competition. I answer, it
connects with the Yazoo river, this is an
outlet. But further it connects with the
Greenyille Road and the Mobile Road AT
1azoo City thus giving direct connections
via river 10 st Louis or Cairo where rates
are cheap east. Jackson and Yazoo will
own this road and use it as a lever and
directly 10 protect their interests. Via st.
Louis will be little more eircuitous than via
the Chicago Road. What we want Is an
outlet controlled by ourselves for our cotton
and then we can force terms; now we beg
terms. aud are laughed at.
The comparison to the Duluth Road is
unfortunate, for that is one of the greatest
roads in the country.
The project Is TO make Jackson a railroad
center and thereby jObbing point When
it becomes so, cotton will be shipped here
for sale, be compressed and shipped east via
rail. All we want Is the cotton Here are
three prominent buyers for the east just
waiting for jackson to have the cotton to
sell to come here to buy it. Meridian, with
not as large population as ours, ships 40,
600 bales-thanks to her rates and railways.
Can it be pretended that Jackson does not
lie in a richer agricultural belt than the
piney woods of Meridian With rates down
this market open TO the swamp-with
eastern buyers here, can it be doubted that
Jackson will be benefited
Would not the Chicago Road and Y. x
NJ. Road hold out inducements by cheap
rates TO divert the swamp crop over their
roads Whenever railroad has to bid for
a trade it is always reasonable, and there
can be no doubt that Chicago Road would
hold out every inducement to bring cotton
to Jackson. The Chicago Road herself
wants to build branch to 4azoo City. We
would then be railroad center and trade
would gravitate here. The great point in
cotton shipping is cheap and quick freights,
and railroads are always preferred To boats
if possible.
"TAN-PAYER' Is in serious error III his
figures when he says that the sum to be
raised is S1S0,000 Here is 100000 princi-
pal interest at 5 per cent; bonds to run ten
years. The first year would require $1,000
principal and IS, 900 interest total $4,000
TO be raised the second year $4,000 prin-
cipal has been paid, and hence, only $4,000
principal and 81 200 are to be raised and 50
on: the interest decreasing each year $500.
The whole sum is Sl4i 900, instead of $3.50,
900 rs stated. Taking the assessment as
constant at 81, 500 000 the maximum rate /
of taxation would be 10 mills for the first
year or so on the $1,000: the minimum
rate 6s mills the last year, or S6.665 on the /
81 900; the average rate would about mills
or IS, instead of SD on the 81 009 as stated. /
This would be the case If there was no I'M !
provement The strongest anti railroad man
comedies great Improvement to the town and
hence an increase OF taxable property With /
an increase in the value or amount of taxa
BILE property the rate of taxation is proper
tionately decreased.
| would also like to buy TAXPAYERS city /
paper at soc. [ wish TAXPAYER would tell +
me where it can be had at that rate.
If the individual TAXPAYER describes, /
had grown threadbare by lack of energy, /
and had sat idly waiting for somebody, he /
knew not whom, to come and put money in 1
his pockets, when lac was lacking in enter
prise and energy to do it HIMSELF he would |
nave personated Jackson.
She has been 'threadbare," because she /
lacks the main springs of husiness-energy /
and enterprise-she will continue thread /
bare" so long as TAXPAYERS views prevail /
and Justly so. Jackson is too fond of
asking, is it shelled 2"
TAXPAYER advocates a subscription to .
stock, rather than the proposed project
If he had troubled himself to have ex-
amined the proposed scheme he would have I
found it a most just and equitable sub
scription. The proposition Is for the city 1
to subscribe and pay for 100000 stock and .
to issue bonds and levy tax 10 pay these
bonds When any citizen or citizens shall !
have paid $50 of said tax, by presenting
their tax receipts to the city, that much of
the stock is assigned to them. Thus it is .
that each citizen subscrihes fer the stock /
according to his capacity, aud the city loans +
him the money at per cent. to pay for it /
and when he pays his tax or the loan he /
gets the stock,
The citizens will ultimately hold all the |
stock. 1t is just and equitable subscrip- /
ton.
TAXPAYER'8 fears that the bonds will Tot /
bring par are groundless. The condition
precedent to the subscription is that they +
are to be at par. If not they cannot be is
sued !
The bugaboo of million doiiays cost is sim
ply ridiculous. Col. Power stated to a cit
liens meeting that practical estimate of
the cost had been made some years SINCE
and it was $3.50, 900. A reliable firm pro-
poses to build the road and give an engine
and train of cars, and one or two
coaches for 100000.
There being so miles, this would cost
Sc, 900 mile for road and equipment, and I
not $4,000 as stated. The estimates for
the Natchez Road through Kinds county
were, ! believe, 5000 per mile. So the
"million of dollars" does not figure out
The reference to the wild cat" roads,
whereby counties were swindled as demon
stration of the fate of Jackson in this one
is purely partisan. In those cases the sub
scrptions were to be built by other people ;
here it is to belong to the city. If the city
swindles herself, all right; but she will have
to swindle herself. 1t is her road until the
bonds are paid, and then it belongs to the
men who have paid the bonds by the pay
ment of taxes.
The idea ofinvesting 100000 in the stock
of the V. & NJ. X. R., smacks very much Of
being opposed to the road and not to the
subscription. To buy stock in a road so
heavily mortgaged that she cannot pay the
interest shows a fine conception of business
investments. No wonder TAXPAEEE can i
not see the advantages of the road. What
we want is many roads. The V. q NJ. r. r.,
is secured, let us have another inlet and out
let.
But TAXPAYER says, give the money, but
give it to the Natchez road. Kinds county
has paid for that road through her borders
Gen. Martin and TAXPAYER disagree as to
its status. By reference to notice headed
"The Natchez and Jackson Railroad in the
same CLARION az TAXPAYERS he will see
that Gen. Martin saws: 81 will arrange for
the link between Kinds county and present
terminus soon, ana go ahead with the work
Not so gloomy in railroads as TAXPAYER.
If Jackson wilfully refuses to throw her {
influence and money into road tapping
the richest agricultural portion of the globe,
it deserves to sink into the insigniheance
witch will be its doom. Fifty years ago
RAYMOND and Clinton were TO jackson what
Jackson is now to them. Railroads pro-
duced this result. Her principal mercan-
tile business now is confined to advancing
bread and meat TO darkeys to make crop,
and taking a mortgage back TO secure such
advances Can a more demoralized state of
business be imagined than this? What
zest and vigor would cash trade bring
Let Us wake up, and stir ourselves and seek
business, legitimate trade. The way to get
business is to seek it the way to seek it is
to bring ourselves in communication with