The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1868-11-02

they are feW) anu wear ous os.sn ~
s ss,ss Ia secure traffic and travel which at
b h ct can be regarded % only incidental.
How is it, Why is it, that all Of our roads
atrain every nerve to secure this distant pa
fronage g-if we may 80 express it. Why
should man from New York or Louisiana
be carried through our State at o charge of
tkirty-threes per cent. less than q Virginian
is forced to pay who has paid his proportion
of the cost Of the construction Of the very
road over which he rides, or to which, per-
haps. he has granted the " right Of way y, |?
Ig there any show Of fair-dealing in such n
system9 Assuredly not. And when we
come to the freight tariffs of our roads we
find in some cases that this discrimination
by cur. own roads against us runs up to
sixty-six per cent, and scarcely ever falls
short Of twenty -fye per cent. !
Who are to be blamed for this sad state
Of affairs Who are not TO. be- blamed for
itf The people, led by tha intelligent
press, can remedy it, and we hope and be-
lieve they will do it at no distant day. The
change OF, policy that is needed. is not con-
solidasion, although on ut least one Of our
main lines Of road it would beexpedient as
/, means Of decreasing the number of sala-
ried officers. We need, and must at any rea-
sonable sacrifice secure, that system which
shall insure beyond question the Development
OF, the country through aohich our railroads
pass. This hesolepurpose ofrailways, and
fully carried out will enable US to. build
roads in every direction, as sure means OF
improving our State. Railroads and high
tariffs in an impoverished community are
irreconcilable, and can only result in the
perpetuation of poverty. The farmers
along the roads must be enabled to Use them
IS cultivat ors Of their soil, to facilitate
their com munication with whatsoever
point their interest and pleasure may de-
mand, however obscure it may be. By q
course of fair, liberal dealing with the
farmer he will be enabled to produce more,
will have more to ship, and consequently
add more to the revenue Of the road
which has aided him in the development
Of his agriculture. At first the farmer
may not be able to pay anything like the
regular rates of freight on his guano or his
manure, but in few years he can not only
pay them on freights one way, but will pay
them both ways One glance at the coun-
try along the roads leading from Richmond
in every direction will show what railroads
have not done for the farmer. And to think
that thirty years have been actually lost in
the vain struggle for through freights, and
travel 1T is crying sharne-lands ten
miles from this city, and Immediately on
our Oldest lines of rail, can be bought for o
mere song. How many engines have run
by them and through them day by daythat.
could have drawn from five to ten cars or
manure, in addition to their light trains,
which the poor farmers would have been
glad enough to have paid for at liberal
rate. The cost to the railroads would have
been merely a nominal one when compared
to what it would have long since derived
from such q liberal policy in the way Of
prain and every conceivable article OF pro-
duce seeking it's way to market. What mis-
taken old fogy notion How long will 1T pre-
yailY The fact Of the existence of the roads
now in operation will prevent us from lay
ing new ones to compete with them, and
therefore our only hope is in change OF
management. 1t is the. fault of railway,
to a greater or less extent, if, after being in
operation ten or fifteen years, it cannot
show that it has enriched its own patrons in
some way or another, and placed its own
support upon q sure foundation. A rail-
way is a blessing to the people in the
West and North, and they can be made SO
here if the people and press will clamor for
it and take no denial They should not be
content with consolidation" We want
such change of policy as will commence
aneaD. It seems that theaim heretofore has
been the benefit of the railroad at the ex-
pense of the people. .-s.l..z
We want to see their interests regarded
who are in position to make a two-fold re-
turn to the railroad yearly for every liberal
act that its managers may do while the peo-
pie are poor. Our riches come directly
from the earth, and the more our efforts
tend to develope them, the surer we are to
secure her gifts in abundance.
We hope the Dispatch will join the party
who are fighting for the rights we have
where there are no railroads-impartiali
and endeavor to arouse the people to q
sense of the necessity Of change. There
is no liberalty in our present manage
ment, and we can show it, if desirable, to
the satisfaction Of any one. VIRG1NIUs.
October 20, 1868. '.,''S >.ES