Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1846-09-29
TUESDAY,. SEPTEMBER 20, 1916.
RAILROADS BY DIVINE RIGHT.

kAiLKOADS B1 DIVINE RIGHT.
That magniloquent ianisronadc full o
" thunder tones which was lately posted il
the cartoons of the west, to summon ih,
people to the grand assembly at Weston-prO
claiming " TO the rescue, o ye people
"let determination burn in every gaze = and
orisiling with oppression" "outmge' and
ssstancc-tla, magnificent blszonTy of cap
i,als GA paste board asserts that "you 90 yc
people, asked the last Legislature of the proud
Uld Dominion to bc permitted to construct
otyour expense. over your own lands a rail
road from the Potomac to the Ohio river
Because this was refused oppression i to
be resisted" aud the people were to come up
TO Weston with determination burning in
every gaze.' They are to come in " compa.
nies" with "ospteins." and, like an army.
with banners" in ranks and squadrons and
right lotms OF war Pennons aud gonlolons,
trumpe,s and kettle-drums were to signalize
thisgreat & terrible array OF men with millions
of money in their pockets 10 make railroads
over their own lands and q say sgain) with
determination burning in every gaze How
the event has answered 10 this heraldic flour
ish leave others to tell. We intend TO de-
scend from this stl,ed proclamation to write
a few plain sentences upon the idea, which
seems TO b. implied in the plscsrd, that GER
tain Of our Western fellow -citiEens have
sort OF divine right " a railroad from the Po-
tomsc TO the OHIO which entities them to de.
mand whatever chartered privileges they will,
aud makes i, oppression TO refuse whatever
they demand
The assumption that they who have at the
last session OF the legisla turr applied for a
charter really intend 10 make this railroad
with their own money II illustrated by the re-
cent proceedings la Pennsylvania. That IA
nous Pittsburgh eud Conceivable charter
purporied to enable citizens OF PENNSYLVANIA 1
10 make railroad al their own expense over
their own lands Yet who is the chief engi-
ncer OF that company b. H. La,robe ESQ,
cblet engineer OF the Baltimore and OHIO
railroad company! Who is TO build the rail-
road Pittsburgh paper announced, some
time ago, that Louis McLane was To nego,i-
ate loan for the purpose The Pittsburgh
people were inten,y expecting the Baltimore /
company to raise the ways aud means when
The development OF certain facts dissipated !
thelr hopes by showing that the whole scheme
was oil no manner OF use unless To Brighten
Virginia for the benefit of Baltimore. Even
without this, Is il so soon forgotten that our
last legislature was fully satisfied that the
PaTkersburgh application was a new cover ?
Is Judge Duncan's famous letter TO Mr..
Latrobe already forgotten? Would Judge
Duncan indeed, or Mr.. Stephenson, the dele
gate elect oil Wood, now publish their cor
respoDdence with Mr. Latrobe since last win.
ter as proof that the Baltimore aud Ohio rail
road company did not get up the Weston con
Nenhon who doubts, log moment, that all
this cxubcance OF indignant patriotism
which we now witness Is mere machinery
coTtriyed al Baltimore
Our commonwealth is charged with o2prcs.
sion then because she has not granted to Bal
tmoge all her demands IL Is not enough
that we have been just; that we have been
liberal. It's not enough that we have granted
10 the Baltimore and Ohio railroad company
highly valuable privileges. Its not enough
that Virginia has offered To share with sister
State the advantages which nature has con
ieTred on herself alone. She must give all
She must not only invite a foreign corpora
ton within her borders but she must give
alvey oil her jewels 10 enrich this imperlous
guest. She must sacrifice city on her west.
ern boTdcr-shc must abandon her own inn
proNements---she must resign forever the
magnificent hope, worthyoi a great common.
"N"lN"f W IolNlt pdliilS w tUt commerce Ol
the boundless West. Kesgning all this Viz
ginia must become herself, in her commercial
relations, mere tributary Of Baltimore.
Otherwise the divine right OF Parkersburgh i.
iulringed.
It's entirely appropriate that this clamoI
comes HON part OF tho State which has en-
Joyed more of the public expenditure upor
works OF scarcely more than local value thai
any other portion OF Virginia. At the sam,
time those Improvements, barren oi any erea
public good, have demonstrated the vision
oi the legislature in directing new improve
inenis 10 other quarters. We hope that wis
dom Is tending mpidly TO more beneficial re
suits than we have yet seen. The welfare {
NIRofNiA aud her greatness will become MOI
and more the chiel object Of our State polio
aud when a few more years shall realize OF
hopes, and iill us with an honorable pride {
her commercial, manufacturing aud agficult,
al prosperity we shall remember with graf
Jude ihe brm aud magnsHimous course purs,
eel by our legislature through the conflicts
many sessions, IA regard to The Baltimore al
Ohio railruod