Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1858-10-28
RAILROAD IRpN---iIOt IDIr BE
MADE Ar uOnE UNDER PRESENT
ClRtt N-TANIi~.

Tho above /. the caption Of an editorial
IN late number Of the Richmond Eu1uir.
o. from whi &C mlSs tie sutjoiueI *
tracts. Had the policy prevailed long ago,
Of making our roads from our own resour.
ces aud cnterpriIe, Virginia would not now
be IA tue couIi,ipn in which sLe is found.
With all the elements Of greatness which \
hountitul Providence Ia. bestowed uron
any part Of the would, ,h, could have been
the greatest a well asthc mobiles, Of S,ate..
but for her l,oofoco francis But t. tie ex.
tracts
We are avsre that this question cone,
Up under uufayorab,c circumstances. aud
tt.t no period iu our political history ha,
presented a more general prostraiion Of orr
great mining and manufacturing int rests
tbroushou; the whole coup,ry In, dI.cus.
ficn Of the "Why AID because dc.5 no, YER.
a, g. the question
1t hns been suggested - .bc differ y,
rail road cumPauI,s IN Nil.iuia and the
south " est 10 HaDuilct drc tl,ir oSp r.iI-
eoih for repair. and f,r new road. ILisi,
4 PRACTICAL move a,,d one that woull lav,
b'en lldIcious.y mpdc many wear. AGO
"e n s'ion should rot have teen. wie,h.
q. "r not y, eau make iron a. ch,aoa, We
90 .!y -, hI. WL,;. r. J., wuu,l has. is,,,
practicable to make II or buy II But now
tat question comes mp with more force. II
Hr-c> iIsC.f 600 our practical Consideration
Why should Virginia luy foreign lrou -
W "y should She ,pend - eco eco or over
annually, Tor iron. when sLc has supera
tEninuce e it on every hand Why should
tue state f Virginia pay three if,hs Of that
amount even If few impractical iui.vidu.
as should think proper t. encourage f.r,i-n
before home Industry Is u not ,iniucutly
'Vi4,ut- as rla "a, the most Inlp,h'e truth
could be-;Aet tic gid >Le send, aJryal Is
lost VII he that which shc spends Ut home
- 10 reality 20: sfcrt II she collect, i,
from one c,tLtn ani pays Is Laca t. another.
Is '.e Mt A. rich aud a, able a. If II were
neither objected nor paid The wealth ui
the State Is the wcalta II the people II H.,
20 600 tons OF iron wish which op, ,,,I
rl..- a-c built 4 ! "duirped w,r- mad. in
Virginia tue 20 600 600 Of dollar, wLic,. Ee
spen; for thr;iroa would pow be in circula.
ton among Us, or its Equivalent. in mines
manufacture, and imptoveE cuts. whieh
would be yearly producing no; ouly the pro
crcssc-and that would have doubled ere
thi.
If were better then, to 50 .rca' an OK.
tent, FOR Virginia TO make, Instead crIuy.
her IRON, what shall We say how IL he con
tuu IN her fatal pole That very IRON.
from which shc drained ter treasury. was
bought aud laid down IN or Ter to open gu,
aul dey.lupe those mountain. 1T rs1l and
Ores. i'f TIE purpose Of pr1iueia. the N ate.
al a. home. Those region, a mineral
we,i,r are reached, tho railroads arc made
Tie Uoacy has been spent On; still W. be-.
tate and are undecided whether 10 j. better
to buy or to make. 10 van are cur .rIcu.
did improvements completed 10 vain D
vast expenditures. aud IN vain, too, are the
magnificent gifts Of Nature scattered pro-
iuse.y around US We DO not moulcr al
individuals, who are Away, selfish. or soul.
less corporations, who care little fot any lu.
'e-es; but there own. Ii does not as,ori.L
u that they should be blinded 10 their true
Interest by their exclusive solfshue., -
They would "a soon buy an iron rail- fl, m
treat Britain ~ from Nirgiuia. II t.,y
could save thsirby Penny Tor the m1mer,
bnt that the State should spend her million.
mat lrcinia should give the 20 pie mon.
81 q England for the material WhieA tie,
could produce themselves seems TO "a. ,n
accountable. TLi- i TO small matter f.
docs not merely involve tho loss II a Tow dol
lars, Or few hundreds of tbousanl. butt
., = matter Of millions. which .til so~. on
How the resources Of the State can proIucs 10
where the money - 10 come from. W. can
scarcely comprehend, uuless some chang, -
meii'atci IL !. au annual drain ora a..
resource, ct the State. VII ca our profit. ID
''' wirrant How can We srcld more
than We matr, without contracting l.b,. 10