The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-14
A Chapter OF Tiail-oaa History.

| Between the Anderson IniciliGcucea and
TIE CHARLESTON NEWS there is an homes,
difference of opinion. The fntejliycncsr,
with characteristic fraukncss, condemns this
paper for "having endcavored to make the
"question Of State aid' TO the Blue Ridge
Railroad "savor too much OF politics" and
canhidIy ayows its hclief that the policy Of
THE NEWS in regard to that important rail
road is totally ut variance will, the true
| Interests OF the State" These views are
contained in leading article which we re-
print this morning.
| The inteUiyeMcci' is in error in assuming
| that TIE News has ensicavorcd to rive Il
| political caste to the question of State aid to
the Blue Ridge Railroad. This has been the
| aim of no less a person than Governor Scott
who has thoroughly reconstructed the boa.t!
| oi directors, no. in the interests Of the ccm-
pany but in the interests os the Radical par
| II. 4 publication OF the names OF the pres
cnt directors, slc lby side with the names of
the directors two years ago, would show
very clearly what the Radicals have done to-
ward giving the concern political SAVIOR
|
treated the Blue Ridge Railroad as anything
but matter OF money! question OF price
and value, cost and profit. When Governor
Scott sent TO the Legislature u special mos
sage in regard to the Bluc Ridge Railroad,
this paper did not oppose the passage Of n
bill authorizing the endorsement by the State
Of 81, 900, 600 OF Elue Ridge Railroad bonds
The heart OF the up-country was set upon
this work for q quarter Of century il had
been the dream and hope OF the seaboartl.
And when it was stated that 81, 00e. 600
would complete the road and that the wor!,
| could be done in one year, we were willing
that the State should risk the millinns whose
expenditure should pour into the bosom OF
South Carolina the trade and riches OF the
West We had no thought then, nor have
we now, Of raising clamor against the
road, and when the Cincinnati Convention
met, no journal was more earnest than TIE
NEWS i'll cnlcaroring to secure the con-
struction OF the Southern road from Cincin-
natl TO Knoxville the terminus Of the Blue
Ridge line. a more thorough investigation
Of the scheme caused this paper 10 be far
from sangnine in its estimate of the benefit
to he received lIy lhis State from her trans
nlontanc railroad, but nothing was said to
Chill the artlor of men of stronger faith.
This was the position OF Affairs when the
contract for completing the Blue Ridge E:.il-
ROAD was awarded TO Crissvcl &; Co. That
bargain has not hccn justified AMI clnno.
be; but what we have to deal with now 4,
the fact that the awarding of the contract
made it evident that the road, Without de-
pots, rolling sock, and ocl.cr euuiDinen,,
would cost $4,000, 900, besides the 3, 3,000,-
600 already spent. Until The road WAS com
pleicd il could earn noiling for thc country
through which il passes, after leaving Wal
haila, is Il mountainous waste. The road
could not bn finished in less than two wears,
and The State would have had TO provide for
the payment Of interest on 50, 0O0, 900 of
bonds amounting at six per cent. to $780,
0OO dollars ycar-onn half the whole
amount paid in State taxes in 1869. This
financial view OF the subject was enough TO
compel THE News to withhold its further
support of the road until the State was in n
more prosperous condition. Bat when, In
addition, there was the certainty that the
road and the laying out Of nine milton dol
lars would be controlled by GOVERNOR SCOTT
and MAYOR PILIsBuEY, it became tho duty
oil this paper TO expose the huge Job on nll
occasions, and to attack it in and out OF
season. This was the least that we owed 10
the people whom we represent.
AT the tine that the contract with Crissvcll
& Co. was made, the IntsLigcncer ar-
Sned, as it argues now. TINT IS must have
been marvellous proper contract, or il
would not have been accepted Ivy President
Harrison and the Executive Committee.
There Is nO force in this argument Govern
or Scott and Mayor pilisbury represent OFF,
cially about scveu-cightls of the stock of the
road They can make aud wnInal;c directors
~ they please. Mr. Harrison is president
IL is true, but lie has no moro real powcr
thnn is possessed by one OF his own cross
Ties. All his tact and energy go for nothing
when pittcd aSainst the votes OF Pijlsbury
and Scott. We assume, therefore, that Mr..
Harrison. with other directors. consented to
accept tho Cris5yell & Co. contract I'm tho
same way that he consented to the election
OF colorod director at tho meeting lately
held In Charleston. IIo could not prevent
the acceptance of the contract, or the cleo
tion Of tho colorod man, and it did not suit
him to resign. II was easier to bow than to
break. We are compelled to pul the case In
this way. because II President Harrison
ayows that ho sustains the directors In all
That they have done, and approves of their
action In every important particular, It may
become the pleasure OF tho peoplot to coll upon
hfn'-an not II. on Ma or or Governor
FOR an account OF the momentous intorasts