The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-02-07

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OrR1cx Rxca'p. fAxD. Il r. r. n. Co., I
Richmond. Feb. fh.19J@.


orRicx RxcnsD faKp. & r. r. n. Co,
Richmond, Feb. 9Th, 1854.
Mkssvs. Editors :-In laA paper Of the 2nd instant
the editor q the Fredericksburg News has the FOL
lowing article:
'sRsckMoAd. Fysd<yieasbsre aad Potomac Railroad
ComPany.--we had NOT space IN our last issue to
acknowledge the receipt of the Report Of this Com
pany. Its affairs are In q prosperous condition
much more 30 than they deserve to be. Il ID the
slowest Road In the United States and about q
possible sleep In the cars on account Of the horr
jolting to say nothing Of the apprehension of ar
occasional saakckead to which strap railroads are
Always liable. Considerations Of this sort and the
fact that hare NOS free ticket have ,,s
from visiting the Legislature In Richmond this se.
aon and thus deprived the public Of the
which would result from our editorial sunervisiop
Of that Interesting body-a combination of public
injury and private Inconvenience. which no Rail
road Company should be permitted by lie charter
Comment on the above l. almost supererogatory,
10 view Of the fact that with the envenomed shaft
the healing balm 10 found but as the article affords
good opportunity for me to define the position of
this Company before the public generally, and the
press IN particular, cannot forbear a few words
on the subject
An idea prevails with the editorial fraternity to
great extent that its members should be entitled
to privilege OF free travel over the routes OF the
country by virtue OF their position and TO such an
extent has the privilege been awarded that the un-
lucky concern which endeavors to avoid distinc
lions, BY charging all alike, lie very certain to get
hard knocks and sly thrusts on all sides Such is
the case with this Company, the Directors of which,
IN their simplicity, aim to manage their work in
conformity with its charter which sanctions dis
elimination in favor Of one individual TO the excu
sion OF another, and, except in cases OF ecknoW-
lodged charity, have rarely departed from the rule
portion OF the editors OF Richmond, in considera
ton of the heavy tax on their columns in the way
OF advertising, &c, {ecce signano are by contract
allowed free passage over the route OF the Compa-
| ny between Richmond and Washington, but the
arrangement can be regarded IN no other light than
one of BUSINESS nature, by which an equivalent Is
| given and received Beyond these cases no MEM
Der ofthe press is exempted from thejregular fare
| and though the late editor Of the News had the
| compliment of free ticket. 1t was awarded to
his position as the Mayor of Fredericksburg only
| The same courtesy has always been extended by
the Company to the chief magistrates OF Richmond
| and Washington, and whenever the present editor
of the News is able to occupy the position held by
my much lanented friend, the late Robert Baylor
Seuple at the time of his death, he may expect a
| similar compliment at the hands of the Co,npa-
| ny.
take no exception to the remarks oil the editor
in relation to the rough condition of the road of
this Company and the slow rate of speed attained
over it. Such may be the case Though so far as re-
lates to speed. the records of the Post Office De-
partment show otherwise andi il, in all sincerity,
he thinks so, his duty to the public requires that he
|
tons imposed by free ticket ight have prevented
this candid expression of opinion and to such ex-
tent the public doubt not, will appreciate the no.
nesty OF the Company, in thus developing the I'M
trammeleds opinions of the press. Of the snake
heads to which he refers the public has ceased TO
feel any apprehension since the discovery, on their
part, that though snake head roads may frighten a
few like the editor of the News, their experience OF
| the road between Richmond and Fredericksburg,
| on which the life OF no passenger has ever been
l n sufficient md
4 | am much mistaken if the same public will not
think it rather unkind in the editor of the News to
| withhold from them, in the connection, a
knowledge of the fact that the COMPANY is now blu.
silly engaged in the relay of their road with their
| own means and credit, not being able, like other
works of the State, to gain abundance to the Urea
sury of the Commonwealth, except for the purpose
of increasing its store And here allow me to saw
the strongest argument advanced by the editor in
favor of free ticket is to be found in the reference
which he makes to the privation sustained by the
public, through the loss of his valuable services in
connection with an editorial supervision of the LIE
| gislature The idea touches my sympathies and
| whenever perfectly satisfied that his lucubrations
will rebound to the benefit OF the public in the way
proposed, my best efforts shall be used for his ac
! commodatiOn.
| To be serious, Messrs. Editors this system OF
| free travel is a most pernicious one. About one
fourth or very nearly SO, OF all the travel over the
route OF this Company is OF that character to which
tree passage is very generally accorded on other
| routes, VIZ: Engineers, directors and Agents OF
| other Companies, Editors. and persons generally
| in prominent positions and if the same rule was
| In practise on the part of this Company do not,
In all sincerity believe that the State, in common
with other stockholders, would derive one cent of
revenue from the work, as about one-tourth of the
| income of our road has been heretofore about the
amount required for the annual dividend of the
| Company. II is plain therefore, that in order to
conciliate the press, aud large portion of the
| public, heavy sacrifice in all probability, of the
stockholders, will be requisite. AS one of the
Board, am free to confess very great disnclina-
ton to the experiment, and will prefer quarrel
with any other party in preference to one with the
| stockholders of this Company.
| With these remarks, Messrs Editors, will tres
| pass no longer on your columns. What have
said, will, thrust, in some slight Degree serve to
| correct public sentiment in connection with the
subject referred to, and in future with
fraternity at least limit to, but litte contro.
yersy.
Very respectfully,
ED. ROBINSON, President