Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1868-11-25


Tho proposition 10 extend the bennington \
Rutland railroad from Rutland village to the
marble qunries at West Rutland, was, we hard
" need say, the great feature Of the late session
Of our Legislature A large amount Of time was
spent upon tine subject, and the field was contest
Ell with great vigor and determination. Wccare-
fully avoided any nllusion 10 the subject during
is pendency-not because we lacked decided opin-
ions in the matter, but because, not being able to
shed additional light upon the question, we dis
liked to appear on the field as meddlesome SUI
peryislr Of those to whom the settlement Of the
question legtimotcly belonged, and who we had
every confidence would do justice in the premises.
Having during the last five or six years been
thrown into intimate relations with the business
men and interests involved in this controversy,
and thus made familiar with the necessities of
the case, we were fully persuaded from the out
set that the highest considerations Of enlightened
interest and equity demanded the granting Of
this charter The vast extent Of those quarries,
and the untold wealth thus locked up in the bow
els orthe earth, impcratiycly demand additional
facilities for their development. Aud the demand
reaches beyond the immediate owners Of the quar-
ries the whole State becomes party in interest.
Nor is the question at all changed by the fact
that portion of these quarry owners, through
the skiiul manipuhtions Of the single corpora
ton which now holds them entirely at It's mercy,
were induced to demonstrate against the measure
for four or five years have not served To destroy
che force of the unau.wemble arguments which
these same parties used b. secure precisely the
same measure Of relief now prayed for. And il
stands to reason and the plaine.t teachings Of
common sense, thata vast interest like the one
in question is best served by placing it beyond
the present contingency in respect to the vital
question of transportation. Every interest con-
ccrned, either directly or indirectly, 50 far as our
own State is concerned seemed 10 unite in de
handing the charter while no interest would he
made 10 sulyr thereby unless il be that of the
Rensselaer, d Saultogl milrJad-a foreign corpor-
alton which tn say the least, has no very en,ia-
ble reputation as a gnsping monopoly, utterly
reckless OF the interests Of the people OF Vermont.
The formidable raid made upon the legislature
by the opponents Of the measure, through hired
attorneys and skliul lobby-men, signally reacted
and the question, which for some days seemed al
most of doubtful issue after fall Investigation,
and manly, ahoye-board advocacy, was finally
carried by more than three to one in the House
and two to one in the Senate
The abored attempt to defeat the measure by
creating jealousy and prejudice against Mr.
Park, (he being a large owner in the Bennington
and Rutland road and active in urging the new
charter,) by coupling this with other measures
Of reliefas against this same foreign influence
which he had heretofore sought at the hands Of
our legislature, alleging that it wasa measure
simply lor his own aggrandizement, aud that he
thereby sought to run the legislature for his own
beneft-nlso ,ignaly failed The fact that both
the past and present legislation asked FOR by Mr.
Park was endorsed by the intelligence and the
business interests OF the whole section Of the State
most directly concerned, save the small locality
under the immediate influence of the foreign cor
poratian before mentioned-couped with the still
weightier fact TINT the frs, measure Of relief
granted ly our legislature is resulting in a meas
IRE Of success far outstripping the highest hopes
of its most Snngume iriends-iumisheda good and
sufficient answer to all this unworthy attempt
We can but congratulate the friends Of this
measure upon its succesS and We doubt not the
sequel will fully attest the wisdom Of the Legis-
ature in granting the charter