Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1867-12-06

The Burden Railroad
Tie Freeman and the Times seem quite
inclined to fight over again the Burden rail
road case. after it lie all disposed Of; and are
reiterating the arguments on that side OF tie
question. which were abundantly exploded
before the legislature. The EDITOR Of the
Fireman. who Is also a lawyer, was, as Of
course be bad a perfect right to be, the paid /
counsel OF the Messrs. Burdens during the |
session. OF course, he sympathies are
wholly on that side {; and it is natura! enough /
tia, they should find expression IN his paper. 1
b., we cannot very well see why any in
telligent and unprJudioed person. acquaint-
ed with the facts, should tzEe the part OF tie
Troy 4 Boston railroad in the matter
We have always tried to look at the case
solely IN the light OF the public interest and
where those interests lie seems tolerably clear.
In the first place. it Is not for the public
good that the Railroads should feel at liberty,
in furtherance Of the anImosities Of their
managers, to interrupt great public lines OF
communication. They were chartered and
given their extraordinary powers for the pub
lie convenience and 1t l. not for the public
CONVENIENCE that they should pull up their
rails, OF refuse to run trans over them.
When, therefore, the Troy & Boston rail
road undertook to carry point by the high
handed measure OF stopping all railroad com
manication between Bennington and Troy,
We sympathized wholly with the indignant
inhabitants Of Bennington County, and were
glad to have the Legislature, at the extra
session, grant them the means Of breaking
the blockade.
Again, the interests Of the public are op-
posed to mcnopoIies; AMI the business and
travelling public have narrowly escaped hay-
ing the control Of every avenue to the south
from this side Of the STATE. for many years
to come, monopolizsd by single corpora
ton.
The Rensselaer, 4 Saratoga Railroad Com
pany own the road from Whitehall south,
and the road from Rutland to Whitehall.
They control the Rutland & Washington
road. They have been, It Is understood, the
virtual masters of the Troy * Boston road
for year past; and Will soon, we suppose,
have actual and absolute control Of it by an
open consultation. They intended, doubt
less, to secure control Of the Western Yer
mont road ; but, without that, they hold.to-
day, control Of every outlet from the west sl5e
Of the State south. The sole check on
this monopoly Is the connection with the
Harlem road now being rapidly pushed
through and that the monopoly is not alb
s)lute and permanent Is due TO the pluck and
energy Of Mr.. Park and his assoeiates-the
business men Of Bennington County. While
fighting their own fight, they have also fought
for the public, and are entitled TO the thanks
of tie public.
To talk, therefore, Of the Legislature be-
ing under the dictauon Of the railroads in
this matter, and OF the State being any
thing more Of - New jersey, for the &C
tion Of the Legislature, Is not to talk sensi-
bly,. The Legislature has sarsd a large sec
ton OF the State from railroad dic,ation and
monopoly, and tina; from foragH railroad
corporation.
Ii is equally absurd to talk about injustice
to the Messrs. Burden. The representatives
from Bennington County, perhaps, did not
ieel very friendly to those gentlemen after
they had mixed 80 largely In the ate mpt TO
carry tie elections in that County last lall,
BY combination Of the c0pperhead., rum
mics, and Troy and Boston adherents: but
nobody else in the Leglsla- IRE had my pre-
JUDGE against them, or objection TO grant
ing them the charter they sought, ull il ue-
came perfectly evident THAI they were repre-
senting the Troy i Boston road in tie nusi-
ness. As it was, the Legislature stood ready
to grant them all the facilities they needed
for the iurtherance OF their business. they
were offered charters tor roads 10 connect
their mines with the npS unused portion OF
the Troy d Bennington road, by the shortest |
and most cheapy built ? 'u,es, and they ieo'id |
not take then. for no a parent reason, except |
that under that arraugemeul, the Troy Il |
Boston road, to secure their freight. would |
have to reopen is c5mmunicstigns with Mr.. |
Parks road, which IT, mana gers have de-
clared they would not a.; but which. We
venture to predlc', -he irif d. before long.
The Leg -lature sus 4in-l The railroad COM
mittee by a vote Of oye- five TO one, We
believe the intelligent -,auneus Of the state
supports the Legislature hy an equal pre-
pOnderance.