The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-14
THE CHARLESTON NEWS AND THE
BLUE RIDGE RAILROAD.
tFrcn the Anderson Intc..igcnccr.l

We have no disposition TO engage in con-
trovcrsy with any OF our cOtcmporurics, and
especially upon subjects where each one must
admit that the other is uctuatcd by equally
worthy motives rs itself. But the recent nj
titude of THE CHARLESTON MEMS towards the
Blue Ridge Railroad calls Tor lair share OF
criticism, ana we cannot allow tho occasion to
pass altogether without expressing our dis
published two weeks since, THE NEWS under
takes to "blow its own horn" In u rather oiirf-
slvc manner, ms We conceive II, to the friends
Of the Blue Ridge Road Of whatever party. II
has likewise for some months past cndcavorcd
to make the question Of State aid
to this important rsilroad SAVIOR too much
OF politics, and In the article above referred to
It would create the impression that T'llE
NEWS has dealt unmercliul blows to the Rldi-
cal party by opposing tho contract with Crisis
veil Il Co. and raising 9 ctiamor against; the
an abandonment of tho enterprise, If the adj
vice of Tue NEWS was carried out. Now. we
cannot possibly be charged with any jealous
motive In arraiSning THE NEWS at the bar of
Ridge Road, as there can he no conflict of in-
forests between All en,crprislng daily and an
obscure country sheet. Hence, when that
journal seeks 10 gain notoricty by ln,,ding its
own conduct In this OF any other respect this
self-glorilcnton does not affect us one way Or
the other. But, 10 our mind. this hasty as
slmacy on the part Of THE NEWS is
oy tonllly at ~ variance i with the true inter,
alone Is the conduct Of Tug NEWS
brought in question. IL may he that the
State officials were Interested with the con-
tractors, as has been repeatedly charged by
THE NKws, but we respectfully submit that the
sequence to this contract does not furnish evil
dcncc to that effect. II Governor Scott made
arrangements TO obtain nice little job with
these contractors, II Is somewhat singular that
nc should be among The fret To relinquish and
advise dIscontinltancc OF the contract, OH
the ground that these contractors had not
complied with the conditions therein express
ed. But the truth Is that the contract made
with Crissvcll e. Co. required the sanction
OF majority of the Executive Committee,
OF which Governor Scott was n member,
anu that the remaining members present
were two we'll known citizens of this State
who have been long identified with the
road, and whose connection Herewith dates
farther back thnn the existence Of THE NEWS,
or even the knowledge Of lis editors that such
road was contemplated. One OF them. Pres
ldcnt Harrison, has been largely interested in
pecuniary sense from the inception of this
enterprise until the present time, and II is not
likely that his conduct was influenced by the
dictation of Governor Scott or any other ind-
yidual. The manner of awarding this con-
tract was fully and satisfactorily explained last
summer, when these wholesale charges first
appeared III THE NEWS and we are surprised
that such stale allegations arc again paradcd
before the public.
1t is unnecessary for us to declare that we
have no love for Radical otficc-hOltlcrs in this
In this regard, and the antcccdcnts OF the In.
telligcncrr may be safely compared 10 those
ofany OF Its contemporaries. But we do love
Justice, and have never vet withheld IL even
from an enemy. We will heartily join TIE
NEWS in exposing rascaiiy Of every sori In
these officials. but we can never allow our
prejudlccs TO outweigh Judgment, for The pur-
pose OF creating Il sensation.
We have no doubt that the board Of directors
can, at the proper time, satisfy the public
mind that the contract with Crissvcll 4 Go.
was advantageous to The company at the time
it was made, and that They now have sufficient
reasons for their recent action in Withdrawing
from said contract. 1t is enough 10 say. so far
as the Charleston public is concerned tha;
The directors residing In that city, old AMI new
approved the contract made with ihcs. gentle
men, and that the recent action of the board
was entirely unanimous.
The adjustment OF the differences between
the company and the contractors has been IN
der adviscmcnt during the past week, and |:
10 stated that the directors have agreed 10 pay
Feventy-livr thousand dollars. which has BEEN
agreed 10 by. the contractors. and nil claims
withdrawn. 1t is supposed that they hal done
a0oui fifteen or twenty thousand dollars worth
oil work OH the road. The work will be con
Inucd, with the funds now III the hands OF the
company, until the 81 100000 appropriated by
the Legislature hls been expended This Is
the plum originally advocated by the president
and chief engineer, ana is The most feasible
and economical. In our Judgment. although the
advantages ofan carly completion OF tc EN-
tcrprisc which Induced the contract with Criss-
veil N Co. are TO some extent diminished by
this result. We hope 10 announce at I'm carly
day That the work is progressing under the d.
rection Of the chiefengineer, and that all need
less opposition to the road has been eifec;ually
silenccd.
Mile. Roedcr, vet n pupil, is announced as
the coming sensational singer OF The day. or