New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-01-09
oPEyN.YLVANIA INTERESTS"

PENNSYLVANIA wants her share of the trade and trans
portation between the Atlantic and the Great Valley
which is natural and unobectiOnsbe. She has built
Canals and Railroads with this view, TO which nobody
can make serious objection. If she wishes to run one
Of either through State to Lake Erie Ontario or
Chsmplan, We are confident no objection will be inter
posed, but every facility extended, and guarantee
her against any such Agerine exactiOn as that to
which the New-YOrk and Erie Railroad is now sub
eced in the annual contribution Of $4,000 levied on
it for the benefit of Penns lvanias Treasury, though
the construction OF that road along aud within her
border us actual and important benefit to her, 1t
brings an immense current of Western business and
travel within easy reach of Philadelphia at Elmira,
Great Bend and Delaware and, if she do MT choose to
stretch out her hand and part Of it, the fault
certainly is none of ours
But while Philadelphia neglects to tap this stream
ofbusness at Delaware, where it is brought within a
hundred miles of her, on her own noble river, down
/ which Railroad might be easily and cheaply con-
sucted she ready enough TO stop it and seek to
turn it into her lap at Erie, four hundred miles
away and on the other side Of the Alleghmies. And
the instrument wherewth she works is not wand of
attraction but bar of obstruction Instead of build
Ing Railroad to invite people 10 her shops and fac
tate their coming she tears one up that leads in diff
ferent direction. She expects to win not by building
bridges but by burning them-not by line Of rails but
by break Of gauge. In other words she virtually says
" will make you trade with me by breaking up your
path to my rival" And this is her mode of eyincng
q regard for her own interests. And we see that a
Philadelphia member has proposed in the Pennsylvania
Legislature a reenactment OF the Gauge Law though
how that can be made to work after the gauge has ac
tualy been changed, we do not see.
Let us suppose that Philadelphia shall be able, by
calling to her aid the sovereign majesty of Pennsyva
MIA to establish break of gauge at Erie, how much
can Philadelphia expect to make by it
We have in our City several smart, clever men of
business, such as Stewart, Bsrnun and Genin. Now
suppose these had petitioned for and obtained % our
late. Common COuncil-the not being suppossble
of any other-the privilege Of erecting a toll
gate across Broadway in front of their respective
premises their customers being permitted to pass Free
but every body else obliged to pay penny to the gate
keeper-how much increase of custom do you think
they would realize BY the speculation
VIII Philadelphia ponder this question
For our own part, we don't believe one of the New
Workers we have named would accept such gate
privilege if freely offered them They would say
No; We cant afford to give weight to the insinuatOn
" that customers must be driven or taxed into our
shops, or they won't come there. Keep away your
gates, and let fight our own battle IL we cant
stand in fair field, we don't want to stand at all
We can't consent to be responsible for all the bias
"phemy those gates would elicit and we won't have
them before our doors" And herein they would
judge wisely
Can that be wisdom in Philadelphia which would be
folly anywhere else