Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 186?-1872, 1871-10-28
RArLnoADs.

In estimating the value OF Rail-
roads, 10 any given point, the first
consideration is, not how much
freight can be induced to guss through
that point but how far the citizens,
Of that particular locality, are will
ling and able to utilize that freight to
the increase Of wealth and pppula-
pi1n. Railroads have a tendency to
Increase the wealth and multiply the
population In all contiguous sections
but they do this by stimulating the
energies IT tile people to the extent
of the facility 1t affords for transpcrs
tation to market. If this stimulus Is
not featr the road is worse than use
less to that people, In proportion to
its cost and the weight of taxation 1t
imposes. It's benefits are wrleiy diff
fusive II the people, generally, appre-
eiate the advantages it affords, and
wisely resolve to profit by them
otherwise, "the game is not worth
the CANDLE The experience of
Clarksvirfe and Montgomery county,
with the louisville, GAINESVILLE and
Memphis Railroad, Is strikingly IL
Illustrative of the truth Of this remark.
We hear II asserted continually,
than unless the road to Princeton Is
built, GAINESVILLE will play out; that
the road will cheaper fuel and food
aud thus materially benefit its citi-
zens--the poor especially. This we
cheerfully admit, and believe, farther,
that 1t will devclope vast amount
of wealth and energy along its line,
which are now unavailable to the
general commerce OF the country
But, in the light Of this flattering
prospect, we are not blind to the fact
that there are mutual obligations be-
tween town and country, which
neither cnn disregard, without injus-
sice to the other. The country, for
instance, Is under no obligation to
burden itself with debt and taxes,
for the benefit of GAINESVILLE, unless
the latter will bind itself to reflect
the benefit upon the county, by erect
ing machinery, and manufacturing
what the county needs, thus securing
population that will afford mar
ket for country products. Nor is it
morally right to ask the hard-work-
ing farmers, or mechanics, to tax
themselves for the benefit of the town
when its capital is prolltably and
safely Invested in Bonds, and the
bondholders are calling upon others
to do, for the town, that which they
are unwilling t. do themselves.
TO test, still farther, the binding
force Of this mutual obligation, we
will state what must be obvious to
all that the substantial benefits to be
conferred by the road, upon the por-
tions of the county remote from it,,
can only he realized through the
growth of Clarksville-its develop
ment into an Important market, and
manufacturing town. TO utilize
cheap food, there must be mouths
to consume II; to profit by cheap
coal, there must be machinery for it
to drive. What has Clarks-
willie ever given that the remoter dis
tricts Of the county shall thus be
compensated for the aid they may
give for the construction of this, or
any other road? II the projectors OF
this enterprise, and its influential adj
vocates, look only to the probable in
crease in the supply Of tobacco to be
thrown upon this market, the history
of the past clearly demonstrates that,
however much it may benefit the to-
bacco "ring," neither the town nor
county has much to hope from it as a
means of developing wealth and null
tiplying population. 10 make the
road source of wealth to tie town,
there must be capacity, here, to grind
the grain, 1t can bring to market
packers to dispose Of the surplus porl,
OF the country; foundries to work up
the iron; tan-vats to consume the
tan bark, so abundant south of us
and mechanics to fashion the leather
into shoes, saddles and harness. Add
to these, manufactures of agricultur.
al implements, and all together, will
accumulate wealth and population
and soon build up a city. But, in tn,
absence of all effort, on the part u
The town, TO build up the abov,
named institutions, 1t Is not Just tc
demand Of the people of the county
that they shall incur a large indebt
e,lness for the road, with so small {
prospect OF remuneration-that re-
enumeration so entirely dcpenden
upon the use Clarksville capital may
make, Of the advantages afforded it
80
THE forty thousand Democrat,
majority, In Texas, has alarme,
Grant, and determined him to exer
the absolute power conferred upon
him, to secure his reelection. Al
Dictator, he will enforce his re- homi
nation, and, with the aid of the bay
onet, secure n majority Of votes
North and South. This is his pro
srammc.
The reports from South Carolina
Of the Federal proceedings, under th
suspension of the Habeas corpus, ar