The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-07-06
CHI ES TON.
TUESDAY MORNING, JULY 6. 1869.
The AshevIlle Railroad.


The Unionville Times has certainly mis-
understood the object Of an article pub
lished in TIE News upon the subject Of the
Blue Ridge Railroad and the proposed rail-
road to Asheville, NC: That object was
to assure the Times that The News is tie
friend, and not the enemy of the Asheville
road, and to show that q support Of the
Blue Ridge Railroad does not necessarily
involve opposition to 80 excellent project
as the Asheville connection. The Times
did and does charge the Charleston press
with suppressing statements which show the
good points Of the ;Asheville route; but we
are willing to assume that it did not desire
to impute to TIE News any motives incon-
sfstent with our policy Of countenancing
every measure likely to advance the gene.
raj interests Of the State.
The Blue Ridge Railroad is no especial
pet Of ours. We hope for its completion,
because we believe that it will develope the
upper part Of South Carolina, and give to
that section many business facilities which
it does not now possess; but we are not
anxious to keep the broad light Of truth
from falling upon the undertaking, nor do
We feel ourselves bound to meet every ar
gument that may be brought against it.
The Times, nevertheless, seems to think
that it has been treated somewhat oava-
lierly, and We now oheerfully print the
article which, with the letter Of the "Voice
"of 49," was the subject Of comment in
these columns. We may remark, in pass
ing, that it 10 incorrect to say that neither
Of the two papers published in Charleston
has ever called attention to the advantages 8
Of the Asheville Railroad. These have
been fully described in TIE News, fact
which has been overlooked by our usually
clear. sighted contemporary. The leading
article Of the Times, already referred to, is
as follows:
ssWe invite the attention OF The CHARLES
TON NEWS and the Columbia Ph0nix, and Of
the people generally. to the communication Of
s.voice OF '35, )" which appears in another COL
umn; it is written by prominent citizen Of
Union County. OF the two papers published
in Charleston, 1T is extraordinary that neither
Of them has ever called the attention OF oapi-
tallsts there to this railroad connection, which
| is Of far more Importance to Charleston than
any other scheme now in contemplation.
I'VE do not wish to anticipate the arguments
Of our correspondent, and, therefore. We sim
ply submit four propositions, which cannot be
refuted.
II. A railroad can be built from Spartan
burg, S. c., to Ashevllle, N. c., for less money
than is required to complete the Blue Ridge
Railroad.
"2. The road to Asheville would put Charles
ton in direct communication with Cincinnati.
"S. By this route, Charleston would be nearer
to Cincinnati (not Knoxvillesbu but Cincinnati)
than by the Blue Ridge Road.
81. This Is the ouly railroad connection Of
Charleston and CINCINNATI by which Savan.
nah and Wilmington are necessarily excluded
from competition.
"GentIemea Of the Charleston papers these
things are 90. And it is because you suppress
them-becsuse you do not bring them to the
attention Of your readers-thst We are tempted
to charge you Witk being shortsighted in pre-
ferring the Blue Ridge Railroad to Charles
toms prosperity.
"Tne new government OF South Carolina has
brought with it the oaleful "Rings" which
have so long disgracsd the officials at Wash
ington; and of all the rings at Columbia, none
are more prejuliclal to the true interest of the
State than the Biuo Ridge Railroad ring.
II is adm,tted, ones aud for all, that the
Asheville Rsilroad, in opening up new
and rich section Of country, will be of ben
eft to Charleston. Tais is obvious enough;
but. as we have before said. it is not probable
that the road can be built without State
aid, and every taxpayer has reason to
dread any augmentation of the State debt
for any purpose whatever. What we want
is to save the State from loss; but any
method which will hold the State harmless,
while 1t ensures the completion of the Ashe-
vile Road, will not find in US csptious
critic. We do not want to see millions
given away unconditionally, as was done
in the case Of the B.ue Ridge Railroad; but
it seems that plan might be devised by
which the assistance Of the State should
depend upon the execution Of certain
quantity Of work, so that the security
should always be fully equal to the amount
Of money advanced.
We look to the Times for mora informa.
tion in regard to the Asheville Road.
A LOT of new Te1as cotton, ia the seed,
was sold in Brownsville, on the 18th ult., at
| four centa nor ound ancoia