The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-06-09
COMMUNICATION.

DEAR PosT:-In a recent issue you have
an editorial under the head of "A matter for
consideration" which you will pardon me for
abiding to, not, however, in a spirit of car
tiousness nor to feed a morbid desire, too
often INDUCED, to find fault with the views
and opinions of Others; but because it pro-
poses to engraft upon our railroad enterprises
in East Tennessee, an extreme local policy,
which looks to the advancement of the inter-
est Of particular favored localities at the ex-
pense of the Companies building these roads.
concur in the suggestions that it is de-
sirable to have our roads owned and control
ed, by those whose feelings and interest are
identified with the country through which
they are to be built. tits indeed humiliating
to Southern pride, 20 witness the whole
sale importation of foreigners, and Yankees,
to work and manage our Southern railroads.
Our people have grown up in the idea that
they must look abroad for every thing
Northern capital, Northern men and Northern
manufactures, are relied upon to build, equip
and manage our railroads. Whatever may
have been the apology for this state of de-
pendence upon our Northern brethren hith-
erto, there certainly can exist no excuse for
it now. East Tennessee possesses the capt.
tai and skill necessary to build all the roads
within her limits that her interest and pros
perity demand, and all that is necessary to
bring our energies and capital to bear is to
demonstrate that the enterprise will pay, not
that it will build up this or that town through
which the road may pass, or at which it may
chance to terminate. Suppose (taking the
example you have given,) that you tell the
people to whom application is made to sub
scribe Stock in the Danville and Kentucky,
and Rabun Gap Railroads, that "when built
by consolidating the two roads, making there
by acontinuous route under one management,
the Company would rapidly become rich and
prosperous" but as the effect of this policy
would be to place Knoxville upon the same
basis that other towns along the line occupy,
it would therefore beimpolitic to adopt mea-
sures of this kind. Under the avowal of a
local and selfish policy of this character, who
could be induced to invest money in any of
these enterprises, unless they are interested
in the place thus to be benefited? Suicidal as
this policy may appear, it is nevertheless adj
vocated by our public presses, and if not
openly avowed by our Railroad Companies,
it is at least carried out by them to n greater
or less extent in practice. Hence it is that
individual capital has fallen into other chan,
neIs, and our Railroad Companies have either
fallen prey to the avarce of Northern capt.
talists or have been compelled to resort to
State loans, county subscriptions, sc.
When the public presses of the country
shall put the claims of the roads now pro-
jected or in course of construction, upon the
ground that investments in them would prove
both safe and profitable, and those having
charge of their construction and management
would act with strict fidelity to the paying
principle, we should soon see the Stocks of
our Railroad Companies sought for as being
the best investment for the surplus capital of
the country, which has for the last few years
added to the already overgrown proportions
of the farmers domain, and sweled the bank.
ing and mercantile business far beyond the
wants of the country. OBSERVER.
MAY 25th, 1854.