The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1867-12-02
Tho Three Against Charleston.


Tho Three Against Charleston.
The railroad tri-umvirate is now complete;
land Charleston has to fight three corporations
running into this State, for the trade which
supports her merchants and gives vitality to
her commerce. From Augusta to Columbia,
there is the projected Columbia and Augusta
Railroad, whose intention it is to tap at Au-
custa the whole of the business which now
reaches that point, as well as that which is
expected to grow out of the direct line from
Macon to Augusta The whole of this busi
ness is expected to be carried down the new
road to Columbia, where it viii be distributed
upon one principle-that none of it shall come
to Charleston The Charlotte and South Caro-
lima Railroad is hand and glove with the Co.
lumbia and Augusta Road, lends it its credit,
and is reported to be applying all its net earn
ings to Fastening its completion. This road is
exerting xll its power to injure this city, ard,
in its reckless hate, is running Columbia as
we'll AS klllluR tiah2S uPOH Tvs o"h iiAO'
Now. the third member Of the union has spo-
ken out the triangular alliance is declared;
the Wilmington and Manchester Railroad, the
Charlotte and South Carolina Railroad and the
Columbia and Augusta Railroad are leagued
together, to steal away our business and reduce
Charleston to mere local station
This league is not idle talk; and that it
is not is proved by the Report of Committee of
Stockholders of the Wilmington and Manches-
ter Railroad printed in our issue Of this mora
ing. The committee unanimously recommends
that the most energetic and decided steps be
taken by the President and Directors of the
Company to cause branch of the road to be
constructed from Sumter to the City Of Colum-
bia; and they then turn to consideration Of
the field that will lie open to them. They say
that they will obtain the benefits Of the con-
nection that will be made by means of the Co.
,umbia and Augusta Railroad with all points
South and Southwest this means that the
Sumter branch will take all that trade coming
from Augusta and Greenville which the Char
lotte Road does not want or cannot get. They
say, also, that they will obtain the benefit Of
the trade by the Charlotte Road to Chester and
other stations on that line that is, they will
persuade the Charlotte Road to send its busi-
ness by Columbia, instead of continuing its
present manil for sending all it's trade by
Charlotte, which will be done, as this latter
road is only consistent in the one thing Of not
allowing, if it can help it, any business to pour
down to Charleston. They say, in the third
place, that the new Sumter and Columbia con-
nection will gather in the immense trade to
be opened by the completion of the Blue Ridge
Railroad that is that Wilmington is to take
the benefit of the millions that this city has
spent upon the Blue Ridge Road and build it.
self up at the expense of Charleston.
This then is recapitulation of what the
railroad trio propose to do:
lst. To carry all the trade of Georgia and
Alabama from Augusta to Columbia, where it
will be absorbed by the Charlotte and South
Carolina Road and the Sumter connection of
the Wilmington Road.
I'd To take the whole business of the Green
vile Road, and of the points near Columbia on
the Charlotte Road, to Wilmington, to strength
en- that port and improve its trade.
Sd. To await the completion of the Blue
Ridge Road, to which this State has contributed
so largely, and take the whole of the business
that comes by it and hurry i. on to North Caro-
lima.
4th. To make Columbia petty village by al
lowing no business TO remain there and by
turning over to other points the traffic which
now supports it.
5th. To do all possible harm to Charleston,
any how and in any way, and lay all the blame
upon the broad back of the South Carolina
Railroad.
1t is not apprehended that the Three
against Charleston will be able to consum-
mate their plans, or TO do US all the injury that
is intended Movements are already on foot
TO checkmate the Columbia and Augusta Road,
and when both that road and the Sumter
branch are completed, there will be hard
struggle before a single pound of freight is
turned away from Charleston. From Augusta
to Charleston, by the South Carolina Railroad,
is about one hundred and thirty miles from
Augusta to Wilmington, by the Columbia, Sum-
ter and Wilmington Roads, will be about two
hundred and forty miles. Hero the Charleston
route has the advantage of one hundred and
eu miles Of railroad, and Wilmington cannot
for one moment pretend to offer to export and
import trade the advantages that are oferedby
Charleston. Nor can it be hoped 10 carry the
rade by railroad to Portsmouth, because the
cost Of railroad transportation is so much
greater than that Of transportation by water,
that the longest water line, with good harbors
and fast ships, must always command the heavy |
and rvAtable trade.
All that is required is that the people should
open their eyes, and see the combinations that
are In existence against them. Charleston now
pays nearly half Of the taxation of the
state, and that taxation cannot be met if the