The national Republican., 1869-01-08
our Railroad Interests and the OPP
position Thereto.

We cheerfully give place to the folio wing
Communication, from the pen of one OF our
most prominent citizens, and invite for It q
careful perusal.
To THE REPuBLIcAs; In your edition OF
the 5th, you publish the circular Of President
Thomson, OF the Pennsylrania railroad, and
others, accompanied by few very just re-
marks OF your own.
The signatures, as they appear in the circu.
lar, are imposing, and to the stranger would
tppear to represent a varied railroad interest,
nut the truth 10 that the Pennsylvanla rail.
road controls, absolutely, the Fort Wayne and
Louis, and holds an identical interest with the
)amden and Amboy railroad, while 1t 10 well
know that all the Jersey railroads are greatly
controlled BY the Camden and Amboy. There
remains only the Reading and the Philadei.
phia, Wilmington and Baltimore railroad, and
these roads have interests In common with the
preceding, and antagonistie to any new routes
to the West and North from Washington. To-
stead OF being an united protest of various In
terests against our proposed railroads, 1t Is
against any fair competition. For years they
have, BY their combinations, their immense
wealth, their INSCRIPTIONS measures, defeated
andyexatious legal proceedings, and now when
greater railroad facilities to the capital. they
tion and opposition. This community may
rest assured that from the start they will have
to wage battle with these monopolists, that
US of our much-needed railroad facilities.
1t is not only Washington city that 10 vitality
interested In the success Of the railroad meas
% sars Sss9 e
but also vast extent OF couatTy now heavily
oppo,ins ss. Rival Ines % redaes the S cost 's of
freight and passage. How long do you sup
pose with an air line to New York would the
sum OF Is s5i FIVE dollars W would be the great.
esa es1S rA,e Ss,Ia t II would Be possible e, com
deduction in fare but freights would be 50 re.
duced as to make 1t possible for Washington
| to compete with other cities for the southern
trade, which will soon vastly exceed 10
amount anything ever heretofore conceived
| affairs In the South, the influx Of capital, the
| development OF agriculture, mining and manu-
| featuring, a trade immense In its proportions
| is certain to arise, and Washington will be
| guilty of suicide II 1t fails now to press earn.
the benefits of this new life In the South
Give us the railroads, and the capital may go
to Utah, for all the damage its removal would
do our then thriving manufacturing and CON-
The position ofwsshingt ton, easily accessible
on all sides by railroads; having noble river,
there Is on the Atlantic coastj its splendid
climatei the productive country, within an
| hours ride capable OF supporting a city popu-
iation OF mIllioni All these thihss polnt 10
few monopolists, for their own selhsh pur-
poses, to stamp out the rising city In its early
struggles for commercial life I thrust not. !
look with confidence to such legislation by
Congress as will give us the opportunity TO
exert ourselves. We ask no subsidies. We
ask only permission to work. In the States
| the citizens can apply to their Legislatures
for such corporate authority as they need to
carry on their enterprises. Here our local
legislature has no power to grant charters,
an1 L. 20 hat mr. la nat
look for such legislation as will enable them
to put on foot the enterprises which are sure
to result so benehcently.
Respectfully, yours, J. X. A.