Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-04-24
MONDAY, APRIL ga, 1871.
A No,nhIe Derelopmenr.

Notable Development.
The development at the state house, last
Friday, by which a very dshonorabe trick of
Mr.. Winchester, an outsider, and Mr.. Towne, a
member of the house, was brought to light,
must not he allowed to pass without Just com
ment. 1t discloses the fact, that these gentlemen
and ring with which they seem TO be con-
nected, are using very dishonorabe means to
defeat an honest measure that asks to be judged
by its own merits. The Worcester and Gardner
railroad company ask authority to extend their
road from Gardner to Winchendon. Their re-
quest is reasonable and they have used honora-
BILE means TO bring the matter before the legsia'
ture There can be no reasonable objection 10 I
granting what they ask. The citizens Gf Win
chendon desire earnestly to have fs1e extension |
authorized; and it is as eaSTnestiy desired by the
people all alonszeshe me from Gardner to
WorcestsE. Il Is wanted for the accommoda-
ti2Hsas or local travel and business. The eXten-
NON would give Worcester direct connection |
with the northwest part of the county, while it |
would injure nobody, and take nothing from |
any .own or village already enjoying railroad |
accommodations.
But, strange as it may appear, there is an I'M
scrupulous opposition to this measure, of which
Messrs. Winchester and Towne appear to be
chief marshals. They dare not leave the matter
to candid argument and honest methods of in
uence, for reason, in this case, is against them.
Therefore, they work in the dark use paid
lobby, and devise dishonorable tricks, to do
what can not be done by fair means. One de-
vice which they have used in the dark, was ex-
posed in the senate, last Friday. In a speech
against the bill, Mr.. Collins surprised the senate
and astounded members of the railway com
mittee, by reading letter from Mr.. Railway
Commissioner Appleton. This letter, dated
early in March, was addressed TO the railway
committee; but it had never been communi-
Gated to the committee, and, so far as appears,
no member OF that committee, save MIR. Towne,
had ever seen or heard of ii, until it was read
in the senate by Mr.. Collins. Mr.. Towne admits
that it had been in his hands. He had
read it; and he knew what use was made OF it,
ifhe did not himself, as many believe, have
part in the work of showing it stealthily to such
members as it might influence. If he had been
'cined to avoid dishonorable dealing, he would
il eve allowed letter addressed to his COM
nov to be withheld for use in subtenanean
otious asAst bill which that committee
mnoope xeoorteo he legislature. This develop
as ed him in a position which 40
Is reportean will envy. The letter was
TTs = % light and used in the senate as final
Stroke against the bill to authorize an extension
of the Worcester and Gardner railroad, because
the conspirators believed it no longer necessary
to conceal their trick. They blundered how
ever, in failing to understand that Others might
have much keener sense of what is honorable
than they. Probably, they began to see this
blunder when the senate voted with consider
able feeling TO recommit the bill.
We had supposed that our present leg
islature would be allowed to do its
work in a manly, honorable way, with
out interference from ''rings" or paid lobby
lists. This, however, was mistake. So far rs
relates to railroad matters, no previous legisla-
ture has been more persistently besct by an IN
scrupulous ring of conspirators against just and
honorable legislation. This ring with good op-
portunty, might win considerable reputation of
certain sort. Some members of the house and
senate have not, hitherto, understood its actual
character and aims; for, not long since, it con-
trived to get through both houses railroad bill
which will, probably, be used only to blackmal
certain existing railroad corporations. AT any
rate, we can not see that it has any other pur-
pose; and misgiyings in regard to it have been
awakened among the members, for senator
Goodman, of Berkshire spoke of it, Friday, as
follows:-"We have been deceived once, in re-
gard to q railroad project; and it is now well
understood, that if the Acton and Dunstable
railroad should come again before the senate, it
would be defeated by large majority"
So far as relates to an extension of the Wor-
cester and Gardner railroad, we are sure that no
valid reason can be Iged against it. The build
ing of eight or ten miles of railroad would effect
all that is desired; and the need of it is so great
and so strongly felt, that the people directly in
terested will furnish money to build it as soon
the extension shall be authorized by the iegisla-
ture. Those interested in the matter ask the
legislature to consider it candidiy, and decide
the question fairly. Senators and representa-
tiyes know quite as well as we that it is opposed
by an INSCRIPTIONS lobby without good reason.
We hope they will not allow themselves to do
the will Of this lobby, which, we understand, is
now more open in its operations and more
shameless, in the senate chamber, at least, than
heretofore 1t is, certainly, remarkable that
local enterprise in this county, which can injure
nobody, while if provides for public want, is
assaed by hired lobby and by INSCRIPTIONS
tricks and devices. Our people ask the legisla-
ture to shield them against this wicked warfare,
and treat the matter submitted to its considera-
ton with candor and justice.