The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-06-15
"Tima Enough.

"Time Enough
TIKI. -. The convenient phrase OF the over
caut;ous and a,nthctic whenever pro9ec'
for the improvement Of the city that requires
.,r,. labor am, some cxpenditureis broachet'
Tor their consideration. my dear sir, you
..are twenty years ahead OF time. Th@'
"tbinp ought to be done, and will be done
ain time. II Is too carly for 1t now. we
"must crawl before we walk" This Is the
s,ereotyped speech OF the very Slow very
listless, aud very amiable gentlene" WV
want "a little more sleep and q H''le n'',e
slumber" before they seize win 'iie'f i'.,'u,
an important work to put 1t through i"..s
;s time lost and the city retarded IN It's
Growth by delayed improvements, OF when
4 sbon,d now be receiving the benefits. -
This sort of reason for delay Is not listened
10 If ANYBODY has the temerity to urge it in
those enterprising cities north and west OF
ps. which, starting since Richmond, are now
g long way ahead Of her, and still growing
with magical CELEBRITY. Look at Chicago. see
how she rises fromher ashes, and how. in the
midst of her labors to rebuild the houses, she
forpets not the ornamental things and those
which minister to the pleasure OF the com
munity. Trees more than half grown already
supply the places of those that were burned.
They were transplanted from the forest as
they are, and will give already gratefui
shade to the people. Such energy as Is
shown there will soon erase the last marks OF
the great fire, and present the Queen City in
beauty and grandeur far surprising its ap-
pearance before the fire.
Richmond we believe to be more rlchi!
endowed for commerce and manufactures
than Chicago; and If we could have the
same boldness and enterprise amongst Our
people that mark the action of the people
of that prosperous lake city, Richmond
would soon equal and surpass her.
That our citizens are industrious, We have
always asserted; but their industry and en-
terprise are centred upon their individual
interests and pursuits. Their public spirit
is not active, not much endued with fore
cast. Here it is that Richmond fails; and
it is In this that she falls behind contempt
rary cities. Let us hope that there Is about
to occur great change and ii great improve
ment. The period Is propitious for a grand
start of Richmond upon the way to great
ness. It Is only necessary that the proper
public spirit should be aroused to realize
more than the dreams of the most sanguine
and devoted of her citizens.
The first lesson our people MUST learn l.
that it cannot be too soon 10 improve our
streets and facilitate social and commercial
intercourse. They must next learn that to
incur debt for needed and proper improve
inents IL not imposing Onerous burthens
upon the people. Nor Is it unjust to pos
terity to leave them along with debt to pay
the improvements for which the debt was
incurred. No city can make the gigantic
works needed by q large community by
levies upon the people. They musbbe built
on borrowed money. This is universal, and
no right-tliinking community considers a
debt incurred for such objects hardship.
Look at Baltimore Would her people give
up their parks, their graded streets, their
magnificent public buildings and monil-
ments, to be relieved of paying for them
Not a man, woman, or child In the city
would think of parting with things which
have 80 ministcred to their pride, pleasure,
and comfort, and which have so stimulated
the growth of their city and added so much
to its dignity and honor.
Now Richmond is in her horn-book in i'm
provenent. She needs many things to he
done which should be done ut once to adapt
her to the business and commerce soon to be,
as it We're, thrust upon her. She needs that
her streets be graded to secure to her the
successful operation Of the street railway, an
institution which is us indispensable ~ gas
light. She needs this grading for the pur
poses Of commerce and social intercourse.
We see that the difficulties of our grades are
such that the Street Railway Company is
seriously contemplating the taking UP their
track at least on Main street, and combining
their operations to Broad street. And there
are some persons In Richmond 80 stolid
a. to suggest that this would be even toiera-
BILE to the people. Could we have supposed
that there are men 40 impractical, so want
ing In reason, as to suppose that the with
drawal Of the most approved mode Of trans
portation from the business and most active
part of the city could be submitted to-? Are
we not sufficiently cut up and divided by
natural obstacles already? And shall we, by
the help of art, undertake to make two towns
of one, and separate them decidedly? This
idea is so absurd that we trust, for the credit
of the city, it finds favor in not more than a
dozen minds
Oh no, this will never do. The people of
Main street will never stand 1t, and we be-
lieve all the people will demand the grading
of Main street as vital to the city,
Then we must connect the main divisions
of the city by an easy line of transit by
street railway. This Is essential to the har-
mony and the order of the city, and the
combination Of all its means and energies
for the general good.
Then we want the suburbs laid out and
marked with streets and parks, and the
whole city improved upon general plan
that will secure it harmony, symmetry, and
beauty, and give the greatest facility to bust.
ness.