Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1849-05-23
Rail Road Election,
e. NEXT SATURDAY. -a
THE CRISIS.

on Saturday next. question will be settled, or
more properly the question, affecting more deeply
the various interests Of this county than any ever
agitated in community. Strange, that agitation
or discussion should be necessary upon such aques-
ton, in such county. before such people!!
There is no political contest here to excite the
passions and blind the judgment; but one Of interest,
The promotion of which is no, only demonst1able
but has been demonstrated by the plaines facts and
simplest calculations. Then, cur population is in
selllsont, far seeing and patriotic, and would be ex-
pected to act up TO lis high character abroad. In
position, our county Is mountain bound rock bound
and cut off'froin jus, competition with many paris
of the State in most of the great articles of trade
and many others highly profitable elsewhere, we
dare not touch, because Of the cost of transportation
Under such circumstances, it is proposed, an an
nual expense to each landholder of two-thirds the
amount of his land tax, for five years, to run rail-
road into the heart Of The county, by means of
which, the small outlay will be returned to him
ten fold, Upon his first trip TO market with his crops
And strange as il may seem, some, even many, are
found 10 demur. We have great confidence, how
ever, in the result of the coming vote, and yet it
would be truly gratifying to witness nearer ap-
proach to unanimity than we anticipate.
We are no; in the situations of those who witness
ed the commencement of these great modern i'm
provements. We have the lights of experience
they trusted to the correctness Of theory, now
proved to be good. In England, the first canal cali.
ed forth petition and remonstrance signedby thou
sands, who thought they saw in the diminution of
horse labor and oats cultivation certain ruin to
large number of honest and faithful British subjects.
These lived to see their error. Subsequently, when
Railroad was laid down parallel to the n. West
ern Canal, the destruction Of both was predicted
and yet, from their efficiency in developing the re-
sources of the country, the profits of both these i'm
provemens have regularly increased. 1t is wise to
profit by the experience of others; ones own is too
limited for advancement to any great extent, either
in the Sciences or Arts, in Trade, Commerce, or
Manufactures. The nations of the earth are adj
vancing in all things tending to elevate the condi-
ton OF man. Even those we have been accustom-
ed to despse from their subsection and submission
10 CIVIL or religious despots are found to Law hold
upon the great discoveries and Improvements of the
day and turn them TO good account in their domes.
tic policy. Let us not be behind the ago. Let not
any portion of the free people of this free country
deliberately reject The benefits of an improvement
which the Russ and the Turk gladly appropriate to
themselves. Failing in the present issue, we may
fail 10 realize the benefits Of the tunnel itself, and
content ourselves to snai!pace it up the mountain
tor an indefinite period. Augusta expects every
man to do his duty.