The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-07-15

sent policy Of the South Carolina
Railroad is continued. I believe it
will also take much of the cotton and
other freights from Augusta to New
York, over the South and North
Carolina, and Virginia Railroads. I
concur fully with the Mercury, in
this, and believe that the larger por-
ton of the valuable merchandise will
come from the North, over this same
route of 500 miles, by rail to Augusta.
And will it not be q beautiful COM
mentary upon the management of
the South Carolina Railroad, as the
Mercury states, to take the freight
from within 100 miles of Charleston
by different route. This would be
o great detriment to Charleston, and
I should regret to see it, on her ac-
count; but if the South Carolina
Railroad cannot take the freight as
cheap by rail 100 miles, as other
roads can 500, then she and Charles
ton both deserve to lose it, because
the road is owned and governed by
Charleston and her interests entirely.
L am the friend of internal i'm
provement, and favor the construc-
tion of every road that can be built
in the State, and invite all the
foreign aid and capital to build them
through every District in the State.
The unwarranted pretension has
too long been maintained, that one
corporation alone has the sole and
exclusive right to construct railroads
over nearly one-half of the State of
South Carolina, thus denying all
progress and improvement to o large
portion of her people. Such mono
poles are not only against the great
interests of the State, but contrary
to the genius and spirit of a free
people and republican institutions.
Such exclusive rights and privileges
should not be tolerated in any State.
Since writing the foregoing, have
learned that the Charlotte Road has
now in operation q tariff made and
proposed by it to the South Carolina
Railroad, between Charlotte and
Charleston, cheaper by far than any
one ever heretofore in operation,
either before or since the war. And
that within the last two years it made
two tariffs, from Charlotte, through
Charleston, to New York, and other
Northern cities. cheaper than uia the
Portsmouth route, and that both of
these we're departed from by either
the South Carolina Railroad or the
Steamship Company in the trans
portation of freights, which caused
heavy reclamations to be made upon
the line for over-charges; and thus
greatly impaired the confidence of all
shippers in the up-country through
Charleston. That same cotton thus
shipped from Charlotte, when it
reached Charleston, was re-shipped
ola Northeastern Railroad, through
Wilmington and Portsmouth to New
York, with greatly increased charges
in excess of the tariff agreed upon
and published.
When the Mercury wishes to pub
lish articles which bear internal evil
dence that all the information con-
tanned in them has been derived from
officers or agents of the South Caro-
lima Railroad, in their defence, for
having. by suicidal policy, impaired
the commerce and prosperity of
Charleston, we would suggest that it
designate the real party to the con-
troversy, and not substitute that good
old city we all so much love. Two
years since if cost SO per bale of
cotton to ship it from Columbia to
New York ola Charleston. The
Charlotte Road relieved the planters
and the people of the State by taking
it from Columbia to New York at SIS
per bale, and now takes it at 81. This
was the unpardonable offence of that
road; and the South Carolina Road,
seeing the power it had to reduce
freights, feared "the extension" as
it calls the Columbia and Augusta
Railroad. Hence the war upon it, by
tearing up its track, pulling down its
works and fling bills to enjoin its
construction. The South Carolina
Railroad has exercised its monopohes
too long for the good of the State
and the city of Charleston; end now,
in order to maintain this monopoly,
which has hung like dead pail upon
the energies of the people and the
vital prosperity of that good old city,
she would strangle, in its inception,
every competing road in the State
which would unlock its commerce
and give prosperity to her people,
as she endeavored to do with the
Columbia and Augusta Railroad when
struggling for existence in terribly