The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-06-23
.o,s roav" on Railroads.

"Old Fogy on N.iaA o,,a
, ..,,s great deal of thnmp."S' az"
:" . and rubbing, to beat INTO .ne
p'"'" - :. old Fogy'' q very few OF Tue
"' established principles OF commerce,
"" .,,,.I,y IN its relation to railroads. " oio
go, - took !, into his head to adopt '"'
,ns.s. idea about commerce in l's nv" ~,
anar,c,,r. as carried on by railroads. ,',,,
hsa the tol,y to suppose that. WIZ, .n, -
~ tho railway. trade could bc comma
a single track and st"ppe" ~ n,. .ycrv.
there manipulated 50 rs ~ ',n,,Ssons and
hoay there TO get rich o" oo. ,,,s notion.
dr.r.ce &C. Aud, astho"sn $50, ~,
,,.,., n.en terribly iostlcd a"" s.' .;t,.
"''. on to them with great 'en'e"s'
Il. s"nd Focv" thinks the oniy way
VI" o;tv Is to make all the railroads 'er,
oui'. -, !, and he believes that II any lcao
-, ), de,th must be its fate. POOR o.o
m.,. his anxiety is almost unchouraoie
:a III, longer he lives the more sen
':,,,a and destructive the roads pccolhe'
WA IN * ever giving up in despair 'e>' i'>
.,|-,~,s shall be ruined by the utter oe-
s,ruc,iou of the city In WHICH III n'fi
..Old Forv - forcets how free every k'na
or info; course was before tue Gay VI w.
r.;,,,,ys. TurnpikeS were made IN I'll III
,.,,,,,rs and produce was conveyed Ill
wagons wherever the interest OF It's o"nei
;,,i;c.,ed. WHY should 4 different law pre-
x,il now with the new highways! Ieopio
,ncht TO be rs free to build these rs Tie!
were in other days TO euild 'nc coll''ioh
mud roads, and no community can justly
oostruct transportation that IL may levy
charges upon it, when its owners seek 'le
facility OF forwarding it elsewhere "itho"'
unnecessary expense.
A community that should thus levy tax
unon trade would itself deserve to have its
own trade burthened with unjust delays
and eNactions. 1t would have no right to
expect anything else. The measure 1t metes
out to others should be melted out to 1t.
Every enlightened commercial commu-
nifty will do everything in its power 10 Ia
cilitate trade either to or through 1t. The
volume that is facilitated thus will increase
as it is facilitated. and rs every enterprlslug
community will aSSuredly have a proper
ton of the trade that comes within It's
sphere, the larger the volume OF that the
greater will be that community's share.
But if it adopt the opposite policy OF re-
curing everything to slop "nd pa! 'o'i-the
policy of the lion of making al! the tracks
lead into his cave-the world Will AVOID tnae
community, the streams that flow into It's
bailiwick will diminish, and the city will be
obstructed, dull, and unthrifty. "clc
Eosy :" would be fit presiding genius OF
such a community.
In every instance where cold Fogy,"
under the conceit that some one he iaVors,
or some little interest he owns, may De H.
jured by the building of road tnas Will
hasten travel and facilitate trade, gets up
strong opposition to such road, he be-
comes the enemy of commerce and society
He would incommode many for the benefit
of a few illiberal and selfish persons. And
thus .'Old Fogy," who is socially genial
and kind-hearted, is presented in most
inconsistent light.
We have often been at loss TO undcr'
stand how this venerable person became Sc
warped in his judgment, so mario" III Ms
policy. Railroads were not, OF course
we'll understood in their beginning. Then
great cost induced the belief that but few
would be built, and men thought that II
one were built to q city that would secure
blessings untold, and that it would he ever
free from competition. This belief took
deep root in the minds OF some, and when
they saw that heir theory was endangered
by the rapid increase of roads, they were
still unprepared to give it up, and ende;l-
yored to save themselves by interdictlnS the
construction Of road at one place, its con-
tinuation in another, and bending it or
changing its terminus to suit their interests
or prejudices elsewhere. Thus we had
"Old Fosy" on the war path, and thus
we have him still. watching the "cuSsed
roads," and keeping them from ''ruin'ne
the country"
sold Fogy" and all his schemes must bc
showed out of the way. Railroads must be
free to come and to 80. There must not be
any obstruction to commerce. Virginia
must pass general railroad law opening
her territory to all roads that people who
have the means will build.
In the forty years of railroading that
mode of transportation has destroyed nc
towns, but il has everywhere helped on
cnterprising communities and added i'm
mensely to the prosperity of all cities that,
by their local advantages and the spirit and
backbone of their people, had any claim to
consideration in the commercial world.
Applying these views to our own city,
we have nothing to fear. We have only to
be true to ourselves, and then no schemes
adverse to us can seriously injure the trade
or rctard the growth Of our city. We have
right to the advantage of direct lines OF
communication with the interior. This is
all we ask, and this we will have. After
that we can take care of ourselves. BY the
natural advantages of our locality and the
energies Of our people, we will make Rich
mond great city, without the aid of the
narrow-minded and jealous policy which
essays to control trade by force.
No DANGER.-The New York Times
says:
ssThe tenor of the discussion by the
press throughout the country of the new