The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-07-11
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM In ADVANCE

Ogdensburg Company for 81 1856, 900, has re-
suited untayorably. 1874 of the citizens yot
ed in favor of the loan, and 1893 against it
large majority, indeed, in favor of loan, hut
SUN 3Oo short of the two-thirds vote required
1y the law. The result has not altogether
discouraged the friends of the Company, and
they intend to try the vote over again. Like
every other place, Portland has IFS full share
OF unenterprising citizens, men who will not
invest dollar however certain NAV
be the prospect of its COMING hack
to them in an indirect shane with
interest. This class naturally opposed
ed the proposed aid to the Company. and tbev
were Joined by those whose interest it is 10 nrr
vent the new line of communication with the
West being opened. All the influence that
Boston possesses in Portland, all the intlu-
ence that the rival railways possess, was ex-
erclsed, and thus numbers who, if left to
themselves, would have voted for the loan of
credit, were constrained to oppose it. All
manner of lying reports, calculated to preiu-
dice the minds of the rate-payers against the
Company, were sent forth, and it is highly
creditable to the Company that, notwith-
standing these scandalous stories il should
have been endorsed by nearly nineteen hun
dred of its citizens, giving a clear majority of
476. To obtain two-thirds majority is very
difficult under any circumstances, and al
though 1T is to be regretted the Company should
have failed at the first trial, it is not to be
wondered at. The advantage to Portland of
securing the projected railroad is so palpable
that, we should think, time only is needed to
convince all opponents. That Canada and
the Northwestern States need winter-polt
on the Atlantic is as selfapparent as that
Portland is, in every respect, fitted to supply
the want. All that is requisite are ample
and direct means of Communication and these
once secured, Portland must inevitably oc-
cupy proud position among the sea-board
cities.
The question before its citizens last week
really was, Will we or will we not take the
steps which will enable us to secure the DO
sltlon which is within our grasp? For the
time they have decided in the negative, and
said in perfectly ineligible language to us
and all similarly situated, ''We know we
could monopolize your trade for seven months
in the year by helping to build this railroad,
but we do not care so much about it; we
would rather want your trade than run the
risk OF guaranteeing this loan; you can
either go to Boston or New York with your
business or wait until the Inter-colonial is
finished when you may make Halifax your
winter port. That the citizens of Portland
will persist in maintaining towards us and the
whole Western territory such q stupid and
suicidal attitude we cannot believe, and SOON
er or later it will aid the Portland Il Ogdens-
burg line sufficiently to finish the connecting
link across New Hampshire. The benefits
of the road will be almost entirely hers, and
it is fair and proper she should contribute
most towards it.
The question whether the decision o. Port
land will not affect our projected road nat
urally arises. We do not see why it should,
unless the Vermont men are discouraged
We would have preferred the outlet to Port
land, but at the same time Boston or New
York will serve. Let our line be bnilt to
Swanton, and we will have connections with
three railroads to those cities. So far as
heard from, the action of Portland has not
abated the determination of the Directors of
the Vermont Division to secure the extern
sion from Lake Champlain to Ogdensburg
They are still anxious to go on, and such be-
ing the case, our position is little affected by
POrtlands vote.