Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1869-01-12
@9s2 For the Spectator.
Valley Railroad.


struction, forgetting that the best plan for OBJ
tanning good terms with the Northern section
OF the Republic, is by building up the material
Interests OF our own section-after which DO
litical power which is population, would follow
as the necessary consequence Witness the
experience derived from the past Whilst we
OF the Southern States were specializing in
Federal politics. the North and West were BIZ
DING their time and giving their immediate at
tentlon to the increase Of their population, by
improving and constructing their highways and
harbors, and affording as many as possible Of
the facilities for rapid communication not only
with all portions of the outside world, but with
every part OF their own territory. They real
ized the tact that population was political DOW
er,-that population followed Railroad lines
and we now see the result Population has
centred upon the Railroad lines of the North.
and West, and wealth, and the control of the
offices and policy Of the Federal Government
has passed out of our hands into theirs. to be
useu 1or our oppression and their aggrandize>
ment. This condition of facts exists and will
continue until we have turned the tide in our
own favor again by using the same means to
invite population to our territory In the
meantime we must submit to the operation of
the commercial laws established by the domi-
nant section In their own interests, which in
the instance OF cotton, the great staple of the
South, shows this remarkable result-that the
same article of New Orleans cotton, which is
quoted at ii Sd in the markets of Liverpool and
London, equal to about % cents per pound in
American Gold, is only quoted at Is cents per
pound In our paper currency in New York and
Boston. Upon the estimated crop of 1868 of
2,700, 600 bales, this difference in price is equal
to nett loss to the southern producer Of the
staple OF upwards of $75,000,000 and nett
gain to the Northern sreculator and spinner of
the same sum. With this instance of the
smartness of our cute Yankee brother in lcgis
latlng the proceeds Of our industry out of our
pockets into his own, is it not high time that
we should awake to the necessities of our sit
uatlon, and dropping politics for the present,
lend all our energies to the developement of
our resources by opening up every portion of
our otherwise favored land, to an influx of pop
ulatlon-the influence of which would result In
the increase Of our wealth, and political power
as section for our own protection against re-
presslve and untriendy legislation.
We of this Valley have our part to perform
IN the race of improvement 1t will not longer
do to add valuable time to the year already losts
before the construction of our Valley Railroad
is commenced as our contribution to this gen>
eral result. Patriotism and public spirit aside,
no other people on the face of the continent,
with such natural advantages and accumulat-
ed means as we possess, would consent for
a moment to be tied to one market by one soils
tary line of communication, when by the eXer
else OF little enterprise they would reap the
Immense advantage Of the competition arising
between several competing lines, communica
ting with various markets-to say nothing OF
the many collateral advantages arising from
the construction Of this Road. which l have
not now time to elaborate.
The opportunity is again offered to our cltl
zens, by the vote which is to be taken on the
9th of February next, to hasten this ''consum
nation so devoutly to be wished, and the OBJ
ject Of this communication is to add to what
has already been said, answers to some of the
objections to the subscription which l have
heard were urged against it when the vote was
taken in December last
The first and leading objection to the sub
scription which | have heard was that ''Our
taxes would be so much increased" that it
would add $19, 900 to our annual taxes" and
would "encumber the county with debt of
100000 which would have to be ultimately
paid by its citizens" Nothing is truer than
each of those propositions in view of the
immense counter advantages which would re-
suit to the citizens of the county, their value
as objections utterly fails.
The annual tax, it could be readily demon
strated were your columns open to great ar
rays of figures and statistics, would be saved
two Or three times over, by our reduced freights
upon every thing which we either sold or
bought-for as you know, freight becomes a
part Of the cost of every thing which we buy
to consume or use-beside which would be our
advantage in buying in competing markets
what we had to buy, at prices reduced In con
sequence of such competition land here let me
say that the people of Augusta would be as
IF hoI ac
the writer Of learning hoW much they did buy
in the outside markets and what large sum a
small centage on that aggregate amounts to-
and selling our productions In competing mar
kets, at prices enhanced by the same cause.
Upon the article of Plaster alone, which is
so largely used in and so necessary to our agr'.
culture, saving OF 81 per ton, which could
now be readily effected but for the monopoly of
the one line of road we are tied to, would "a
mount to an annual saving of $4,000. But
if we add to that all the savings Of freight and
cost upon the other heavy articles, such as salt,
fish, iron, fertilizers, machinery, &c, &C., so
largely consumed in our county, it will readily
be seen that those savings upon the articles
alone named would nearly if not quite pay the
tax On the county interest in the Road
The debt would surely have to be ultimately
paid-but consider what immense means the
Road, Reconstructed, would give us to pay with
In the first place we would have our stock in-
terest as a county in the capital Of the Road !;
which, by the time the debt matured for pay
ment, would probably be worth more than it
cost the county. Add to that the aggregate
savings of the citizens above the tax in re-
duced prices, .freights &c, for twenty years, as
above stated, and then consider the immense
increase In the market value OF our Real rs
tate in consequence of the favorable CONNER
cal position the Road would give US, inviting
large influx Of valuable populaton-creating
demand for our lands in small tracts-devel-
oping our resources, agricultural mineral and
manufacturing, and the fear of payday coming
| 20 yeas hence, should not alright us. Why,
| sirs, before the arrival of that time our Rea
Estate, noU estimated as worth $4,000, 00t
would have more than doubled in vaue-but
if the construction Of the Road only insured
an increase of % per cent IN the value of oul
Real Estate, that alone would add $4,500,00(
to our wealth, to pay $500, 900 with.
Again, srs, the proposition is not to pull
| $500 600 in cash out of our pockets noU, tt
send beyond our limits to be spent. 1t is, i
possible to convert our county credit into casl
to be expended here-at home-amoDg us~-tl
our great present advantage and profit. Some
IS miles of this Road lies within the limits O
our county, which will cost about $4,000 pei
mile-say 81, 100000 to constructive mos
of which sum would be expended among u.s.
| If we can induce the expenditure OF any thing
like such sum as that among us by pledgins
our credit for so small part of it as 100000
the writer tails to see the good judgment of re-
fusing to do so.
Some object to voting the subscription be
cause it will, they say be located on the Eas
tern route, and some because, they say, it viii
run on the Western. To say the least of it
III II.