The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-04-08
WORCESTER:
WEDNESDAY,, APRIL 8, 1920.

In the Athol Sentinel of Saturday last, near
page is devoted to the publication of scurril
lous and abusive articles, intended to affect the
election for Governor, in which round asser-
ton is substituted for fact and vituperation for
argument, to degree not often witnessed
The same articles, we understand, have been
published in hand bills, and extensively circu
lated in the northwestern part of this county
and in Franklin. As specimen of the Ian
guage we make the following extract Speak
! ing of Gov Lincoln, the writer says:
" He at this moment is the leader of pow.
erful and daring band of men, who are leagued
together, to effect the utter destruction Of the
best interests of our beloved State, by mady
projecting the ridiculous idea of railroad
from Boston to the Hudson, by the way of Wor-
cester, Springfield, and Pitts6eld; saddng us
with an enormous debt of 50, 100000 without
the least possible benefit to any part of the
State, but Boston"
In the place of the words, "a powerful and
daring band, in the above quotation, the hand
bill reads, "an runholy band of desperadOes"
When language such as this is applied to the
supporters of the railroad plan, embracing, as
they do, large proportion of the ablest and
purest mon in the State, both in the Legisla-
ture and out of it, we blush for the degraded
state of the public press from which it was
issued, and have good cause to lament the de-
generate morals of community which would
tolerate it. The railroad scheme is one on
which people may reasonably and honestly diff
fer, without subjecting themselves to the i'm
putatlon of dishonest and corrupt motives. 1t
is fair subject of investigation and argument,
and ought to stand or fall on its own merits
alone. But to attempt to defeat that, or any
other public work, by artful appeals to the sor-
did and selfish passions, and to the prejudices
OF the more Ignorant portion of the population,
while, at the same time, all fair argument on
the real merits of the case is studously avoid
ed, deserves, and we trust will receive, the
marked disapprobation of the community.
AS specimen of the consistency of some of
those, who so violently oppose the railroad, it
is only necessary to state, that, so long as they
hoped the location of it would be in the vicini-
ty of their residence, they were its warmest
supporters And now, the very paper from
which the above quotation is TAKEN and in
which Samuel c. Allen is zealously supported
as the anti railroad candidate for Governor,
it is said of him that he is opposed to a rail
road to pass through Worcester and Springfield,
Z" but has no objection to constructing one from
Boston TO the Connecticut near the north line
Of the State"
On the subject OF the utility of railroads and
canals in the abstract, we do not now purpose
to enlarge. We consider the question as hav-
ing long since been settled in their favor, in the
minds of all intelligent men. But for the es-
pecial benefit of some, who appear not yet to
have emerged from the mists of ignorance and
prejudice, we may hereafter devote little
space in our columns to the subject The ques-
tlons of the best location of railroad, and of
the extent to which it should be carried, if done
in whole or in part by the funds of the State
are perhaps, not so easily settled. Whatever
discussions may arise in relation thereto, either
in the papers or the Legislature, we hope may
be conducted in that spirit of moderation and
fairness, which, alone, is calculated to enlghten
the public mind and to advance the cause of
truth.