Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-06-23
sTAUNToN VA, TUESDAY, JUNE 49, 1868.
For the Spectator.
The CHESAPEAKE AND OHIO RAILROAD -
ITS INCOMPATIBLE ADVANTAGES TO THE
WEsT-A LETTER FROM A CITIZEN OF Iowa

ITS INCOMPATIBLE ADVANTAGES TO TIL
WEsT-A LETTER FROM CITIZEN OF low
TO Col. FoNTAINE, AND HIS REPLY.
MEssRs EDITORS have read with deer
interest, and lively pleasure, the two able an6
admirable letters, referred to, in the heading
to this article.
mense advantages to accrue to the people o1
Iowa, and the other Northwestern States from
| the completion of the Chesapeake and Ohio
| Rail road, in connection with the improved
| navigation of the great Kanawha The easy
grades and shorter distance of this route will
enable it to defy all competitors. And that
immense, populous, and fertile region known
by the general appellation of the "North
West will, according to Col. Monroe, furnish
freight to the extent of the capacity of the
| rail road" As the great advantages of the
Chesapeake and Ohio rail road to the ''teem-
ing West, are thus made SO manifest, that
the way -faring man, though as blind as Bar
tlmeus cannot fail to see them, can imagine
no reason for hesitancy upon the part of any
citizen OF this enlightened county, about voting
the three hundred thousand dollars for the ex-
elusive benefit of his friends in Iowa and the
other States of the West. The people of that
great section have so many pressing cares to
harass them, SO many important interests to
see after, and SO many profitable modes of in
vestlng money, that they can neither spare the
time nor divert the necessary funds from more
lucrative employment in order to execute this
work. All that can be reasonably expected of
them, therefore, is to make plain to ats, as has
been done by Col. Monroe, the immense bene-
hts that will accrue to them, from the compile
ton OF this costly road, and the people of Au-
gusta, giving the reins, and applying the spur,
to their generous and magnanimous impulses,
Ito say nothing of gratitude for favors past and
prospective, will promptly, cut of their abun-
dance, contribute the pittance of three hun
dred thousand dollars, for the advancement of
the mining, mechanical, and agricultural in
dustry Of Iowa, Wisconsin and their overgrown
lake sisters. But if, after all these weghty con-
siderations, there are any of our people yet ex-
hibiting want of that prompt and ready alac
rity which should characterize them, L call up
on them to stir up their pure minds by re-
membering, that the people, for whose benefit
this road is to be built, are yet suffering all the
annoyances, laboring under all the inconven-
fences, bearing all the burdens, and harassed
by all the cares of self government-that they,
as yet, know nothing practically Of the bless
ings of military rule, and the Freedman's Blu
reau. That their lives, their liberties, their
property are held and enjoyed under the cob
web Hgis of laws and constitutions; whilst we,
on the other hand, enjoy the inestimable bless
inss Of having the strong right arm of mill
tary despotism stretched protectingly over all
our rights and interests, both of person and
property. It is true that the products of this
county will enjoy none of the benefits of the
easy grades, cheap transportation and enlarged
markets, resulting from the completion Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio rail road, but will be
'cabined, cribbed and confined, to exactly
their present facilities, except when the amount
of western freight is equal to the capacity of
the rail road, as Col. Monroe promises it shall
always be, and then Augusta freight will Vie
orer, which it will cheerfully and patriotically
do.
| refer to these circumstances simply to con-
graduate the friends of this great work, that
there will be found In this county but few peo-
pie of minds so narrow, and hearts so selfish,
as to be influenced by such patry considers
tons. The mass Of the people, will, feel as
sured, rise superior to these grovelling views
and act, in this important matter, upon the
grand principle, that to those who have, shall
be given, and from those who have not shall
be taken, even that which they have.
No consideration but my unwillingness to
occupy so much of your valuable paper induces
me to forego the pleasure of expatiating upon
the superior moral advantages to people, of
tant improvement for the benefit of others,
over that of devoting them to a work near
home, and designed chiefly for the promotion
of their own material interests. The former
enlarges liberalizes and dulcifies the whole na-
ture of man, whilst the latter can only have
the effect of sharpening, contracting and indu-
rating all his faculties. For example, look at
the effect continuous rail road connection,
down the valley. between this county and Bal
timore would have upon our people. As it
would open new market, it would at once en-
gender an active competition between Balti-
more and Richmond for the products of the
county; the effect of which would be to in
crease their price, and this would be farther
enhanced by the reduced cost of transportation,
owing to the competition between the Valley
road and the Central So that our community
would not only be afflicted with all the evils of
an active rivalry between competing markets,
but also between two antagonistic rail roads,,
And our farmers, to say nothing of their wives,
would be kept in constant state of anxiety
and perplexlty, lest they should send their but
ter and eggs to the lowest market, by the most
costly road. This state of things would soon
beget in our people an active, restless, ener-
getc, money loving and money getting spirit,
which in a short time would effectually eradi-
cate that chivalric sentiment which leads to the
expenditure of money for the benefit of stran-
gers rather than ourselves and which senti-
ment has been so lovingly educed by the plastic
hand of the advocates OF the three hundred
thousand dollar subscription to the Chesapeake
and Ohio rail road. That nothing short of
this subscription to the Chesapeake and Ohio
rail road can prevent the early completion of
this Valley connection with Baltimore, with all
the accompanying evils which | have stated,
will be made manifest by the following facts
The Manassas Gap rail road will be completed
to Harrisonburg in less than year, and steps
have already been initiated for filling up the
Gap of Is miles between Strasburg and Win
chester; this is under the lead of the Presi-
dent and Directors of that small, but energetic
concern, the Baltimore and Ohio rail road COM
pany, as | learn from recent address of the
President So that the twenty-five miles be-
tween Staunton and Harrisonburg is all that
will remain to be accomplished of this scheme,
with all its dire results of rivalry and competi-
ton. And what, ask, can prevent, or long
postpone this result, but the absorption of the
means of the county in building road for the
benefit of Col. Monroe and his Iowa friends
Therefore if our people are to be saved from
the excitement, animation and enterprising
spirit consequent upon the active rivalry be-
tween different markets for the purchase OF
their products and the keen competition OF
two rail roads for their transportation, they
must be aroused to the duty of voting, on the
Both of july in favor of this subscription Of
three hundred thousand dollars, to the Chesa-
peake and Ohio rail road.
This will SO etfectually tie up, and cripple the