Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1866-02-03
The Railroad Squabble.

the subject especially as 1t involves inter-
ests o unusual magnitude, and must lor
months to come eclipse even the recon
~:ruction issue 10 this section Of country,
The Atlantic aud Great Western Railroad
Company, by the purchase Of some rail-
roi d charters and by leases and treaties
with other railway companies, has acqulr-
cd the right to open line OF road through
the whole extent Of this State from the
Delaware river to Ohio. Against the
completion of this great hubbub has been
raised and the courts and the Legislature
are invoked to arrest the movement On
the one hand it is contended that the State
Government il interested IN preventing
the consumma'ion Of the project as the
commonwealth holds ten millions Of dol
lars of Pennsylvania Railroad bonds, Is
sued in payment for the canals, etc., aud
that Philadelphia is Interested, and she
owns five millions OF dollars of The stock
of the company. On the other hand it is
urged that it Is detrimental to the interests
Of tho state to allow one gigantic corpora
ton to override all others in comm on
wealth, and prevent the con'tructlon OF
works which would develope the resources
of regions now neg elected and that Pblla
delphia will be benefited by the new lice
under the treaty made between the direc.
tors of the Atlantic aud great Western
and the Philadelphia ard Reading Rail
road Comp panies, the freight arrangements
being much more favorable to hor than
those now 10 force or the Pennsylvania
Railroad.
On the surfrce of things the PcDn-yl-
vania Railroad built, edui ped and owned
by Philadelphia would seem to be entitled
to her support and sympathy. ootwith-
standing any arrangements apparently
favorable to Philadelphia made by cor
poratiouS whose main purpose is to bear
tribute 10 New York. We 60 not ds.
gulse from ourselves that such is really
the character of the Atlantic and great
Western Railroad Company Yet When
we know as we all do, that the Penusyl-
vsuia Railroad Company is not now man
aged in the interest of Philadelphia, as it
should be, that, ia fact, it Is governed 10y
an ab ording competition for the through
trade between Ntw York and the West,
the argument against the main line loses
mueh of It, force. Hitherto the press and
public men Of the CITY have kept silence
on the subject, and the impunity thus Al.
lowed to the dcrelict corporation has been
yery much abused, so that there is scarce.
Nv decent show of expect for the inter
csts of The great city whose mun;c pal
authorities put the breath OF life ,nto the
! Pcnnsvlvania Railroad bv their prouut
and noble substitution Of five million of
dollars. Collector Thomas, fearless man
boldly told the whole truth ON this ugly
SUI iect in his resent speech at the steam
ship meeting in thu Board OF Trade roous,
and it is rather discredi,abe to phiadtl-
phia in the view Of The facts of the ease,
that he is the frs. of our public mrn to do
so. For our own part We have ever been
pr,iudiced in favor of the company, aud
rgret, more than we can express, the nc~
ccs,ity which compels us reluctantly to
say thus much. Bat we perceive sud.
led attemp, to manafactnre spurious pub.
lie cpiuion in favor Of the company and