Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1868-04-17
nALrImoRE VS.. PnILADELPHIA.

BALTIMORE VS.. FhAhAD - -
Philadelphia in her stately dignity, with
the incubus of the Penna. Central Railroad
cIogeine her footsteps, is gradually permit
ting her younger but more energetic rivals
to gain upon her in the race Of progress.
Baltimore, aided by the enterprise aud lib
erality Of the Baltimore and Ohio RGilroad
Company, has recently established regular
line of steamers to Bremen. She has been
enabled to do this through the liberality OF
her great Railroad Company which has
subscribed half the money necessary to IN
augurate the enterprise. Philadelphia with
more than double the population and wealth,
ard the terminus of one Of the great rail-
road lines of the country has no line OF
foreign steamers. Efforts have been made
time and again to establish sucha line, but,
owing to the lack Of enterprise and lib
eranTy uu the part of her wealthy sitizens
and corporations, have never succeeded in
establishing permanent line of steamers
to any foreign port Why cannot the
Peana. Central Railroad Company do as
much for Philadelphia as the Baltimore
and Ohio Company has done for Baltimore2
The Penua. Central has been the pet of
Philadelphia and of the whole state, having
been built and placed upon sure basis by
the Iiberality Of the city and state and now
like the generality of pets, shows its appre-
aiatioa of the favors shown it, by the most
unparalleled iDeratitude Managed in a
spirit of supreme selfshness it is willing to
sacrifice all the best interests Of the state
that Hurtured it and its chief city TO which
it owes so much, to the one idea of grasping
all the outside railroad world, in order to
pour wealth into the Golfers of its close
listed managers and stockholders In order
to accomplish this It went to Harrisburg
last winter, and asked and received the
privilege of Increasing its capital stock $780,,
600, 700. Did it give ten or twenty millions
Of this toward establishing foreign line Of
steamers for Philadelphia or for the buit
ding of branch or mainline railroads 10 con-
tribute to the prosperity of either the city of
Philadelphia or state of Pennsylvania? Net
one cent was given toward either. But In
stead perhaps, hundred thousand dollars
were spent in occupying The route Of the
ConpellsYiIle and Southern Pennsylvania
Railroad in order to prevent the building
Of road on that route by any other com
pany. That is a hundred thousand dollars
were spent by this tyranical monopoly to
prevent line ofroad being built, that would
develop one of the richest mineral sections
Of the state and pour increased business,
wealth and population into Philadelphia and
largely promote the prosperity of the whole
state. What thanks did the people of the
state receive; any evidence or gratitude tor
their liberality in thus extending the priv
leges of the Central Railroad ? On the con
trary they are taxed in freights and passen-
ger fare over the central Railroad far
heavier in proportion than parties out
side of the state and made, in great part to
pay the expense of keeping the monopoly 5
line In repair, SO that they can carry outsi-
ders and their freights at rates far below
what the patient citizens Of the state are
made to pay. The result of this policy is
that throughout the state, wherever the
people are obliged to patronize the mo-
nopoly they find that freights, in many in.
stances, cost as much or more to-day, from
Philadelphia, then they did when goods
were carried westward in Conestoga wag.
ons. 1t is not much to be wondered at,
therefore, that many peop begin to imag,
Inc that the boasted advantages of railroads
arc not so great an improvement on the ole
methods Of transportation after all. Sucl
are the results of having imposed upon u
a grand, greedy, grasping, selfish mo
nopoIy. When win the people Of Philadel
phia awake to their interests and shake of
the yoke of Central Railroad tyranny
When she does so, and co-operates with tbs
rest of the state in making all corporations
and especially this grand monopoly, thc
servants, instead of the grinding and tyrani
cal masters of the people, she may hope tc
take the place she deserves to occupy amonl
the great cities of the nation. Until then
driven away by iihberality, selfshness ant
lack of enterprise, the business of the STATE
will continue to seek other and more hbera
and promising centres of trade.