The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-01-28
CCoAMUsrcATED.


The State Of Virginia has never shown
temper of illiberality towards lines oi
railroad running North and South throug h
her territory, when the object of those
lines has been to facilitate the travel of the
country. She has been willing to exercise
the largest liberality in favor of travel.
To facilitate trarel in any and every direc-
ton may be considered cardinal branch
of her railroad policy.
There has been another feature in the
States railroad policy equally clear and
conspicuous. It has been to render her
railroads contributors of freight and trade
to her own cities. As trade comes chiefly
from the interior, and her cities are near the
seaboard, the general direction which she
has endeavored to give to the course OF
trade has been Eastern and Western. She
has foste.ed those roads which have been
so laid down as to contribute trade to her
own cities. She has neglected the roads
which have been so laid down as to carry
trade away from her own cities, to places
beyond her borders. She has been willing
that lines of railroad should run North
and South over her territory for the trans
portation of tr0pel. She has been ever
unwilling that these North and South roads
should be SO consolidated together. and
connected beyond her borders, as to become
conduts of trade over her territory at the
txponse Of her own cities.
Her policy was tested on this question
10 the case of the Orange and Alexandria,
and the Virginia and Tennessee roads.
The issue there was, whether the Virginia
and Tennessee road should be made part
of North and South line, by connecting it
at Lynchburg with the Orange and Alexan-
dria, or should be made part of an East
aud West line, by connecting it at Lynch
burg with the line from Lynchburg to
Norfolk. The struggle, 10 the Legislature
and out of it, was long and hard one.
But the State interest triumphed, signaly
triumphed, oyer the foreign interest.
Virginia took the Virginia aud Tennes-
see road to herself. She refused to
let ii be combined with the Orange
and Alexandra railroad, looking to. Balti-
more. But she, at the same time, would
do all in her power to facilitate and build
up trqoel on the line from Washington
through to Bristol and the South. As
avenues of uauel, Virginia does not object
to North and South lines. But as avenues
of trade, she is pertinacous in the policy
of making her roads tributary to her own
cities
This policy has been signally exempli-
fed in the case of the application of certain
large stockholders OF the Pennsylvania
Central railroad to obtain rights of way
over her territory. The first application
of these persons was, to make road from
Washington city to Fredericksburg, which
should complete an all-rail line of trdoel
between Richmond and Washington. This
application was granted without demur,
by most liberal vote, in June last.
Since then, however, it is automatically
stated and intellgently believed, that the
persons alluded to have bought the Stats's
interest in the Richmond and Danville
railroad, and also secured controlling in
terest in the principal roads south of Well
don through the Carolinas and Georgia.
1t has thus bscome apparent that their
object is to reach the cotton, rice, tobacco,
and other valuable freights of our South
ern States, and to transport them on line
Of railroad managed in their exclusive in-
terest, under lock and key, through Vir-
gina to Philadelphia and New York.
In other words, the plan is suddenly
developed, of converting an important
North and South line of railroad, used
heretofore for through trauel, into great
line of through trade.
Upon this proposition, our Legislature
has, very naturally, called halt. The
very men who generously favored the
application for charter from Fredericks-
burg 10 Washington for road of traoel,
hesitate apd refuse to give this concern
charter to Richmond here TO form a close
freight connection with the Richmond and
Danville road; and here to form close
freight connection with the line hence,
through Petersburg to Weldon which line
is understood to be already falling under the
Influence of the Pennsylvania capitalists.
We venture to express the opinion that
the Legislature will be true to the estab-
lished policy of the State in regard to the
trade of our railroads. That trade must
be hated in our own cities; and no
facilities must be given to policy which
seeks to gobble up the trade Which now
comes to our cities of Portsmouth, Nor
folk, Petersburg and Richmond, and to
carry it under lock and key to outside
cities. Let tr0oel be facilitated to the ut
most extent; but let us be very jealous of
any scheme which seeks to rob our cities
of their legitimate trade.
PORTSMOUTH.