The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-06-22
CH Arr Es TON.
TUESDAY MORNING. JUNE q. 1869
The Asheville Railroad.

Tho Ashevillo Railroad.
The Unionville Times charges the Charles
ton press with an entire neglect Of the pro-
posed extension Of the spsrtsnburg and
Union Railroad to Asheville, N. c.. and de-
monstrates, very much to its own sstifsction,
the astounding facts that the Blue Ridge
Railroad is swindle and Q snare, that
every man who says good word for it is
paid for his praise, and that there is no
salvation for the State but in building at
oncs railroad from spartanburg to Ashe-
vile.
TIE News, as is well known, has already
laid before the public the particulars Of the
Asheville RailroSd scheme, and in more
prosperous days it would doubtless have re-
ceived some substantial help from this city.
But there was NO money to subscribe, and
as resolutions do not build rsilroads'in this
part Of the world, the mah.r was allowed
to drop.
It is plain enough, from the remarks Of
the Times, that the Blue Ridge Railroad is
looked upon in one quarter as the foe OF
the Asheville connection. This is not the
proper position to be taken. The Blue
Ridge Railroad, upon which 80 many mil
lions had already been spent, was adopted
by the Radicals as Q party measure, and its
completion was intended to be the browning
mercy Of the Scott administration. Doubt
less the expectation Of commissions and
percentages of various kinds had great
deal to do with the ease with which the Leg
islsture passed the bill authorizing the guar.
antee Of additional millions. The bill be-
came Q law. It was evident that the Radicals
wanted to have the road built, and ss any one
with two grains Of sense can see that the
completion Of the road must be Of vast ben
eft to the State, it was the wise course to
place the project before the public in the
most favorable light. The advantages OF
the Blue Ridge Railroad ore plain and un-
mistaksble. The how and why Of the Rad.
icsl movement in its behalf matters but
little. By the funds Of the State the road
will be built, and the sooner it is done the
better for us all.
We do not speak now Of the millions al
ready spent, which will be an utter loss if
the road is not carried through. That
would be strong argument with business
men, although it might have no effect on
the Unionville Times. This point We waive,
in view of the idiosyncracies Of our up
country contemporary, and simply say that,
a. loan to the Blue Ridge Railroad has
been authorized, and as the proceeds Of the
loan will certainly be spent, it is undoubt'
edly the prudent policy to help the project
on, SO that we may gain the full worth Of
our money. There may be waste, no
doubt; but the road once completed will be
equal to double its cost.
Nor does support Of the Blue Ridge
Railroad necessarily involve opposition to
the Asheville Road. We do not think that
the project will be subsidized by the Lsgis.
lsture, and We do not desire to see the debt
Of the State in any way increased. The
Ashsville route Will always be watched with
interest, and will enc day be an accomplished
fact. Charleston and Columbia will give the
scheme all tho aid they can, and II the Log
islature should insist upon throwing few
millions at its head, We will eadeayor to-
have them handled 30 % to do 90 much good
as possible. We are, however, opposed at
this time to granting State subsidies to any
corporation for any purpose whatever.
As we have before said, the support Of
TIE News will be given to any movement
outside Of the General Assembly-looking
to the construction Of railroad to connect
Spartsnburg With Asheville; but we see NO
reason yet for Withdrawing from the Blue
Ridge Road one particle Of the cordial
sympathy which is the due Of that import
ant undertaking.