Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1853-05-24
THE CENTRAL RAIL ROAD.


not city shall have speedy and direct rail road connee
tion with the Ohio River and The Great West To-day they
decide whether Richmond shall appropriate ol
for the completion OF road that for many Jens bt
constructed without that from her To-day they DE-
eide whether Richmond willing contribute hcr share to
enterprise which the counties and country people upon
its line have already paid than their share in the ta
hope and natural expectation she would not orsaRe ht
work It's last and final crisis To-day they decide "he
ther Richmond shall be terminus Of great connena
trunk Of rail road, with unbroken gnage by which carr
loaded in ST. Louis, Missouri may be brough, her owr
wharves and unoaded into her ships and steamers
To-day they decide whether Richmond shall be tEt
eastern terminus of great road, exclusively southern
commencing al Louisvie-he commercial metropolis o
Kentucky the Great Falls Of the Ohio river and at th
head Of perpetual navigation from New Orleans on ha
running with unboken guage To her own depo:
and warehouses; To-day they decide whether Richmond
shall have due portion of that trade which, in few years
has raised New York. Boston, Philadelphia and Baltimore
from the dimensions Of towns TO The magnitude wealth aat
proportions of the greatest and Oldest Of Europe
To-day they decide whether their property shall be doubled
ped quadrupled in value before they conscious OF lis
appreciation whether the avocatons of life and bra inches OF
business in our city shall be multiplied and ampfed len
fold and hundred fold whether the taxes that now rest
heavily upon their shoulders shall be divided and spread
over more valuable properties and more popu-
aion that each property and payer shall be released Of
the bnrden whether M energy confidence and thrift shall
revisit Streets shops and dwellings, ncrvng every
arm Illuminating every counenance and stamping Prospc.
ry and progress upon The whole face Of community
Such are the Inducements LIBERAL enlightened and
wise this day II the subscription TO The Central
Road be carried they will surely follow in the course Of
few shor months or years. as The foliage, flowers and ge
nia influences OF Spring follow the return Of the Sun
from its winter solslce.
We have no intention Of discussing to-day the merits Of
clear proposition that which is presented in the sub
scption The Central Road There is class Of obec
tons, however which will devote few Words but
they shall be Of another, and not own. There
those who have conscientious difficulty abonl The
policy Of imposing debts upon poserityas corporate sub
acptlons tend do There others who have conscen
clous scrupes about The moral right of majority TO i'm
pose by their voes obligations upon minority. We shall
alude these objections in turn We shall answer The first
n language oil very man. moralist and states
ln speech made by Edward Everett at Northampton,
Massachusetts, at the Annual Cattle Show and Fair of 1882
he takes occasion 10 give the history OF the North Western
Rail Road its effect upen Massachusetts, and answers The
oft repeated charge aboat throwing debt upon poserity
1t gives pleasure fad opinions lTiumphRny
tained by emnen, chola poeI, orator and
sage
81, is years this blessed day, for
the 7h Of October 1885 that meeting was held in Faneu
Hall to take io completing the subscription 10 The
Western Rail Road. II really capital meeting. Per-
haps Mr. President, you there's any you would
have enjoyed it, We had most respectable deputation
from Albany another from Berkshire another from the river
others from other parts o( The State, and noble a.rou
from Boston, Men Of al parties united in The work. In
the remarks which had he honor U submitting TO the
semby that evening" 'sared 10 say that after The great
questions Of independence liberty believed that The
doors OF Faneu Hall opened for object Of
greater importance The city and lheiSa.e On the l4h
Of April following had the exquisite satisfaction of put
ting my The authorizing subscription The
par, Of the Comnonwean for million Of dollars Of the
capital stock Of the road There talk Of attempting
to reconsider the bill after it had passed its last stage but
you might we'll have ed consde. law Of Cyrus
The Elder The bill The Council Churnber and up.
proved before the int dry with which signed By
The President OF the Senate. Some persons sail were
exiravagan-lha We wt'c bankrupting the easurylhat
we were laying mortgage on every farm in The State
Sir believe that those who said and thought these things
were quite sincere In their opnions will only say differ
ed from them. On The 81 Of OctoJer 1888 opened the
road 10 Springfield il haa since been continued Albany
has not cost dollar the public or TO any individual
e4cep, what has been paid in virtue OF voluntary subscr.
tom il is paying seyen eight per INTEREST," yields
the treasury Handsome income ON the investment and
believe quite whIa aounds TO say il is every year OF
lives adding million OF dollars 10 the income of the c
t1ens Of this Commonweah. mortgage on every farm:
Why, Mr. President, il you could pocket the amount Of
all the mortgages which have been lifted FROM the farms If
this State in consequence Of the enhanced value they have
derived from this great work, could afford 10 pay
whole cost of the rail road from Longmeadow Nohe
ard have pretty surplus go up into Vermont and
down into Connecticu" So much for The fret objection
But is said by opposed city subscrip
ton. because il snabesa dominant party force mno
ty TO become stockholders in rail road whether they will
not Why not. they ask leave individual subscription
The books have been opened for some time and very few have
offered subscrlbe-and no one believes sufficient amount
in that way can be raised 10 undertake the work We ad
nit that The idea OF being forced by the Of plurality
looked al from that point Of view aone-presents hardship
many sensible Iu and fair minded men, whose opinions
we respect whilst We so admit. compelled be-
icvo that this ooIecon Is urged with yehemcnce b!
those who never voluntarily helped 10 rail road
or any hing else and SIC reach such by th
method they will haze The qualification Of becoming rich by
the exerons of Others. They seek 10 share the benefits
but not the burdens Of these improvements After all
be said of what arer method can be devised TO make
all need Improvements than to dipidc out amongst the
Hhoe eommu'fy-u3on each in proportion to his ability
pay? II 10 benefit it is shared by all il is bur
den falls lightly because divided upon oH Have those
who entertain The views are trying 10 combat ever
sdeed that this dominant majority of which, in this io
cstance they complain, s characteristic of Republican
Government dominant majority places party in pow
err whose unchastcned ambition may plunge The country
load them with debt and stcep the land
in blood dominant majority elects those, whose laws
pass upon The lives and fortunes of the people Surely
small ax to make public improvement cannot tran
scend those weiehtier Of the law" If you Gun
trust your life and The luunes your country 10 domi
nan majority eau yon them in this instance es-
pecialy when you remember that THEY CAN Impose UPON
you NO BURDEN WHICH DO NOT AT THE SAME I'M
POSE uP1N THEMsELvEs7 All! but il is said those who
little property should not vote tax On those who own
much. This looks very like saying poor ought
not TO voe Who is the proud canting Pharscc who claims
higher seat in the synagogue than his neighbo and that
dares insult him by contracting his condition with his own
Adventitious circumstances may elevate above
another pecuniary but that neither makes him better or