The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-01-11
MONDAY MORNING. JANUARY IL.

Pennsylvania Senator was another tri-
umph for Simon Cameron and the
PennsylVania Central Railroad Com
pany. There were three prominent
candidates before the Legislature, the
Hon. Galusha A. Grow, the Hon. j *.
Moorhead, and Mr.. Scott. The chances
between them were supposed To be
pretty even until Tuesday last, whom
Mr.. Cameron arrived at Harrisburg,
and at once settled all doubt. Scott is
a lawyer OF ability and for several years
has been counsel for the Pennsylvania
Central Railroad. There are smart
political managers everywhere, but
those that can beat Simon Cameron
must be very smart indeed.
1t may not be very apparent to peo-
pie generally but it is fact tina: rail-
road politics is coming 10 have about
as much to do with the composition OF
Congress an my other kind. Railroad
interests by their magnitude are now
dwarfing nearly all the other inter
ests OF the country. They are
making enormous combinations which
do not promise well for those
who use as against those who own
them. Congress Is the body which can
do more for or nguiust them than any
other. and it Is but natural that there
should be struggle for its CONTROL
This control is hardly possible in &c
large body as the House, but it is be-
lieved TO be possible in the Senate. Ii
has been asserted for several years thai
the Senate was 30 far controlled by the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company,
that it would allow no legislation 10
company, and the history OF all such
attempted legislation confirms the
statement. "Mack" of the Cincinnati
Commercial asserted year or two ago
that bill hostile to that road could "no
more 20 through the Senate of the Uni
ted States than Il man could go through
HI with keg of powder under each
arm" The vote on Mr.. Sherman's Ma
tiOnAl Railway bill will probably fur
nish "A fresh confirmation of the asser-
ton. West Virginia has had AN officer
Of that road in the Senate for the last
six years in Mr.. Van Winkle.-
We never doubted that it was
the influence of that corporation which
secured Mr.. Van Wrinkles election IO
the Senate in 1863 II it was important
to that road TO have its friends in the
Senate then, il is equally or even more
important now We Mpprehend, there
fore, that Mr.. John w. Garrett will
interest himself in the election of our
Senator TO succeed Mr.. Van Wrinkle,
and that all the influence which he has
shown us he can use SO su 2cessfully
will be exercised in behalf of whatever
candidate can best be relied to do the
biddings of that monopoly. We respect
fully submit to our friends that while
they are deliberately discussing the
merits and clnims of their several fla
vOrItes for Senator, they ought to define
tho positions OF those gentlemen ,swith
reference 10 the question, whether II
they were elected their allegiance would
be due to the people Of West Virginia or
to Mr.. John w. Garrett and his corpo-
ration. We cannot escape the cOnVic-
ton that one OF the biggest questions
our people have to deal with i'll future
Is, whether the State is TO belong to its
people or to the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company. No one can foresee
what may be proposed in the U. S.
Senate inside of the next six years, and
it is best to know the status upon this
question of those we send there to e&er-
else the powers OF the State in future.
1t is possible an issue like this is quite
as pertinent in the election OF Senator
rs many others that are urged by the
friends OF the several candidates..