Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-03-28
RAILROAD DETERMINATIONS
Against n en- phts-A Case for the Oppo.
nents or The Railroad &c zomissfon
Bill.
Special Correspondence of the Appeal

Special Correspondence OF the Appeal
OXFORD, March 24.-Johu A. Murrell, the
greatest highway robber that ever disgrsced
the State, has been dead these many years;
but his spirit keeps marching on under far
more danger GUS sarb because supported in
their pilferipg and plundei ing by the Lsgis-
lature of the State. 1t has assumed the
shape of gigantic monopolies that are dong
more harm and expressing more people than
all the cutthroals that ever Inflated The
country. We refer to the discriminating
and overcharges made by the railroad COM
panies throughout the State. Take as an
illustration our road here-,he Illinois Cen
trail. To chip bile of cotton from here to
Memphis, distance of 100 miles, it costa SIS;
to ship the same bale TO New Orleans, 8 dis
lance of $50 miles, it costs s. 80, only thirty
five cents difference in the charges Again,
take Batesvilie, in Pamela county, distance
of fiity-niue miles from Memphis. The
shipping CHARGES are 81 so per bale. They
can ship the bale back over the same road
from Memphis 10 New Orleans, distance of
nearly 400 miles, for one dollar per bale.
Why this war on Memphis and her mer-
chants? Can we patronizs our home mar
ket when suoh outrageous dscrimina-
tons are made? II is mater
of no little s1rprise to me that the people of
Tennessee can restrain their patience while
they see the ahilly-shally way in which their
present Legislature 10 treating this question.
Some of the members of that cody 81 hest
tatiDg, others are supporting the railroad
companies in this wholesale robbery of the
people and in their efforts 10 break down he
only cotton ket in the State. Tnele was
never time in the history of Tennessee when
she needed her ANDY Johnson worse than
she does te-day-the 'shoeless, hatless,
houseless boy" who sprung from the people,
and who would not ask for greater glory
than to be their champion in This question Of
arailroad commission. 1t is m after of deep
regret that the APPEAL has not found more
supporters among her own people in her
noble efforts in behalf of this bill. 1t is q
question that will doubtless come before our
next Legislature, and we sincerely hope that
no man will find seat IN that body who lie
not pledged 10 vote for commission for
regulating railroad charges on freight
and fare. 1t matters not whether he be
Democrat, Republican or Independent, if he
Ia in favor Of monopolies he your enemy.
The members Of our next Legislature must
not lose sight of the fact that Memphis is the
market of the greater part Of the State, and
that there is something radically wrong
when we are forced to pay $3.50 for fat-car,
loaded with sixty bales of cotton, running
only 100 miles. This, of course, is not for
gotten when the merchant is buying the cot
ton from the producer, and it is remembered
when deducting the cost from the sale Of
goods. 1t suits the people in this part Of the
State to buy great many more goods in
Memphis than elsewhere, because it is nearer
home, and it puts them to great deal of in
convenience, as well as q great cost, to have
10 wait until cotton Ia sold in New Orleans
before receiving money to pay for a bill OF
goods bought in Memphis. By their present
system Of charging, the railroad companies
are forcing some of the Memphis merchants,
and among others J.. 7. Fsrgasou, in our
opinion one of the most enterprisiug and
popular merchants your city has ever known,
10 establish branch houses in New Orleans
to accommodate their large Mississippi trade.
II the State Legislatures of Mississippi, Ten
nessee and Arkansas should appoint railroad
commissioners, the merchants could transact
all of their business in Memphis, and we be-
Hevs would handle $4,000 more bales Of cot
ton than at present, without any additional
railroads. DE WITT N. ARCHIBALD.