The Russellville Democrat., 1881-02-10


 lowing letter to the editor of the New york Times It sufficiently explains itself
 WASHINGTON Jan. 26, 1881,
 To the Editor of the New York Times:
 DEAR SRI beg permission to use your col umns to correct some errors into which YOU and your Washington correspondent have been led regarding myself and the proposition have made 10 the united States touching the ship railway intend to construct across the Mexican isthlnus You published on the 24th inst, letter from your Washington correspondent which, among many other inaccuracies, declares that am here with my attorneys and expert lobbyists to secure the passage Of my bill, In your editorial of to- day, you say; Capt. Eads is heading powerful lobby with view to working bill through con gress which shall secure government guarantee q q a. q semi @ annual dividend of per cent. on lobby or out of 1t to influence members of con gresS or senators to support my bill other than my legal counsellor and myself, is wholly untrue I am not here to plead with congress or to undulv Influence 1t to accept my proposition. It is only necessary for it and the country to fully under stand the subject to Insure it's acceptance That you may hereafter be able to crticise 1t upon its merits l will, with your permission state the chlef features Of the concession the guaranty which IS asked and the consideration for il to the government. The concession gives to me- or to the coInpanyI am authorized to form, the right to locate and construct aship-railway an auxilia " railway Of ordinary gauge and telegraph line on such route across the isthmus as may select II grants right of way from ocean to ocean half a mile wide, and donates million acres of public lands in Iehuantepec or elsewhere to aid in the construction or harbor in the Pacific. It ex. empts for s9 years from taxation all the property of the company, and permits 1t to import for the same term, free of duty all materials needed for building and operating the road. It guarantees that Mexico will protect the works with it's army and navy, and will keep the ports open to ai nations not at war with her. The vessels, mails and property III transit are to be free from official interference and from all revenue duties or other taxes. II receives interest in the profits of the road, and exempts all money needed to pay diyi- from A.,tta |. guarantees that the operation of the road shall be free from any other official interference than wha. may be absolutely necessary to prevent snug ghng To enable me to secure the aid of any foreign government, 1t gives me the right to pledge the receipts of the company to such gov. eInment as security for any moneys or guaranty 1t may give, and 1t fixes the maximum rates of toll which may be charged, and which are as high as the traffic will bear but reserves no right to reduce them. am thus enabled to give to such foreign government as shall aid the enterprise the right to reduce the tolls, and to discriminate in iaVor or its commerce and that of Mexico II gives me the right 10 obtain charter in Mexico or elsewhere, and gives the company the right to enjoy such additional privileges under it as are not inconsistent with the terms of the grant or the laws of Mexico.
 All that Mexico demands in return for these liberal concessions Is the right of free transit for ships of war, mails, troops, government property and telegraph. l have asked that the United states grant charter for the company, limiting it's capital to s75000000 and that il shall suaran, tee semi-annual dividends of per cent on two. thirds Of its capital stock for 30 years. No part oi such guarantee is, however, to attach until 10 miles of the road built and the terminal works completed and loaded vessel weighing with her load a least 2Ooo tons IS transported at the rate of SIX miles an hour oyer the road and back again. and IS placed in the water without injury to the vessel, the railway or the terminal works When this IS done the guaranty is to attach for only So,OOO,O0O, and, as other sections are completed and tested, in like manner q prOportionate amount Of the guaranty is to attach. To meet the objections Of friends of the measure have pp 10 ftfft Of tIa 2,OO0 up to 1000.
 To the United States, in consideration of this guaranty, offer: l. To transport the war vessels property and mails of the United States 2 ToQiye to Congress the right to reduce the tolls provided such reduction shall not prevent the earning of per cent semiannual dividends. B. To give Con gress the right 10 discriminate Tn favsr of the com merce Of Mexico and the United states when fix lilg the toiis. 4 agree 10 transport no vessels any thing containing contraband of war belong ing to any nation at war with the United States a. Pay back to the United states every dollar ad- gahced py ner under the guaranty within 10 years and to thlsend the company is to pay oyerto her all receipts in excess of per cent diyidends the company agreeing in this connection that one haf Of the gross receipts shall be assumed as inc amount of clear profit out of which dividends are 70 be paid. Here is n plain business proposition Ior the United states to accept or reject at it's pleasure, and l feel sure that a journal with n record so ereditable as yours will bo content to discusS it upon its merit alone without permitting such erroneous statements the following. clipped 9ONi tNshN -ftu ltlhk, 10 appear in its columns During the present session of Compress Capt Eads, accompanied by legal advisers and eNperl lobbyslsisy has been constantly in Wash lngton pushing bis sheme for building n shin rail way across the lsthmus of Tehuantepec,'
 . Instead Of being here during the present session l and my legal counsellor were in Mexico during the greater part of the session. In fact have been here scarcely two weeks, and until our ar riNai there was no one in the United States repre- senting me in this matter While in Mexico asked that the United states be alone named in my grant as the foreign government to aid the enterprise, but this was refused with the sfaf.- ment that several other foreign governments were equally friendly 10 Mexico. Aeeordinglv inc privilege was inserted in the grant by which the aid oi any government may be secured on inc terms offered Co the United States Yon snv rightly, that if this project is as magnificent as think It Is ought Q be able to convince capital ISIS ISIS 9i the iact do not propose. however, 10 ~ aNal myself ol any other method of raising the necessary flnds to build the railway t1nfIl Congress shall have had time co consider my proposition no intelligent person, I think can examine the map or globe, and look ct the statis