Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1866-02-01
THE RAILROAD SQUABBLE.


The preliminary symptoms Of an interest
ing railroad conflict have lately caused so
much discussion in public and private, that
we make no excuse for adverting to the sub
iect, especially as it involves interests Of
unusual magnitude, and must for months to
come eclipse even the reconstruction issue
in this section of country. The Atlantic x
Great Western Railroad Company, by the
purchase of some railroad charters and by
leases and treaties with other railway com
panics, has required the right to open a line
Of road through the whole extent of tins
State from the Delaware river to Ohio
Against the completion of this a great hub
bub has been raised, and the courts and the
legislature are invoked to arrest the move
ment On the one hand it is Contcnded that
the Stat" Government is interested III pre-
venting the consumation of the project, as
the Commonwealth holds ten millions Of
dollars Of Pennsylvania Railroad bonds, is
sued IN payment for the canals, etc. aud
that Philadelphia is interested, as 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 the
State To- allow one gigantic corporation to
override all others III the Commonwealth,
and prevent the construction of works which
would develop the resources of regions now
neglected and that Philadelphia will be
benefited by the new line under the treaty
made between the Atlantic and Great West
crn and the Philadelphia aud Reading Rail
road Companies. the freight arrangements
being much more favorable to her than
those now in force ON the Pennsylvania
Railroad.
On the surface Of things the PonnsyIva-
MIA Railroad, built, equipped and owned by
Philadelphia, would seem to be entitled TO
her support and sympathy, notwithstanding
any arrangements apparently favorable 10
Philadelphia made by corporations whose
main purpose is to bear tribute to New
York We do not disguise from ourselves
that such is really the character Of the AT
Iantic and Great Western Railroad Com
panv Yet when we know, a. we all do
that the Pcnusy lvania Railroad Company is
not now managed in the interest Of Phila-
dephia, rs ii should be, that, in fact, it is
governed by an absorbing competition for
the through trade between New York and
the West, the argument against the main
line loses much of its force Hitherto the
.
silence on the subject, and the impunity
thus allowed to the derclct corporation has
bccn very much abused 50 that there is
scarcely a decent show Of respect for the
interests Of the great city whose municipal
authorities put the breath Of life inlo the
Pcnnsy ivata Railroad by their prompt and
noble subscription Of five millions Of dol
lars. Collector Thomas. fearless man,
boldly jold the whole truth ON this ugly
subject iii his recent speech at the steam
ship meeting in the Board Of Trade rooms,
and it is rather discrcditahlc to Philadcl-
phia, in view Of the facts Of the case, thai
he is the first Of our public men to do So.
. For our own cart, we have ever been pre-
judiccd in favor Of the company, and re-
grct. more than We can express, the neccs-
sity which compels us reluctantly to say
thus much. But We perceive q studied at
tempt to manufacture spurious public
opinion III favor Of the company, and we are
therefore induced to speak out
Do we, therefore, think that we should
set our faces against he Pennsylvania Rail
road Company generally? No by no
means. Let the directors of the company
change their policy and do as much for
Philadelphia as the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company has done and is doing
for Baltimore. and il shall have our hcarliest
support. Practically the company has aban-
doncd the interests of the city for those Of
/ New. York, and the city need not be com
planned Of if she should abandon the com.
pany and look ont for herself. as she is now
trying to do in this matter Of the new rail-
road For it must be directly understood
that while the Pennsylvania Company as
sumcs to represent the city, the PhiIade!-
phIa and Reading Railroad Company, ii cor
poration owning more than Sir bundTed
miles Of rajlroad, is vitality concerned in the
new line, and has By treaty secured PhiIa-
delphia trade line of its own on far better
terms than the Pennsylvania corporation
offers. Moreover, we happen 10 know that
many Of the leading and shrewdes capital
lists, merchants and public men Of Philadel-
phia, disgusted with the conduct of the
I Pennsylvania Railroad Company, are ear
nestly dcslrOus of the success of the new
project. That it will be successful is now
assured beyond the shadow of doubt and
all the clam0r raised against it is idle and
frivolous 1t can only result i'll the expen-
diturc OF large amounts Of money for cor
rnpt purposes, and accomplish nothing.
Now, let us ask, why should hot Phladel-
/ phia have more than one line to the West