The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-02-24

fortnightly, $50, 900 to 100000 a year
The Allan line is, in tact, making an ex.
pertinent, whose duration, under my
theory, depends on the wealth and liber-
atty OF the company and the prospects Tor
the future. Now suppose the line sees
the legislature of Virginia reject fair
proposition made by itself to assume the
whole expense of distributing information,
and thus divide its cost equally with the
state,* and sees it at the same time reject
another fair proposition to furnish the
printed information at or below cost, may
not the owners conclude that Virginia is
slow, niggardly, shoIt-sighted--that with
that sort of people "the prospects for the
future" are not very bright, and
that perhaps they bad better give
Norfolk the go by? Suppose
they do, will it not shock and alarm the
people, will it not cause them to curse the
men whose unwise economy and want oil
forecast has set back immigration and de-
prived them of the last plank in the ship
wreck? I say "set back" for if the
Allan line is snubbed off by the legi>la.
ture and left to their own losing venture,
who will resume the enterprise if they
abandon it ? especially when trade is eS-
tablisbed at the head of the chesapeake
instead of at its mouth, and Baltimore,
through the aid of a Virginia Legislature,
has inflicted one more heavy blow on
Norfolk?
1t is perhaps proper to state that l am
in no way indebted to the Allan line for
the above argument. have ha Il no con-
ference with them further than to ascer-
tain that having made business proposition
to the legislature through Col. Lamb and
the Journal of Industry, they leave the
matter to the judgment of the general
assembly.
These two points, to conclude, these two
points:
The necessity of meeting competition
which our own act has established, and
the necessity of giving all the assurance
we can that we mean to hold that line of
steamships here and make trade for them
not only justify but demand an expendi-
ture, which we may think large, but which
they and the world know to be very, very,
very small in itself as matter of state
account, and mere drop in the bucket to
the results it may accomplish--whchi is in
fact but about one-tenth of what they
are spending in mere expert
nent for our adva ,tage and their own.
1t is such views as these that would
through you to the enlightened 4
mind of Mr.. --, whose ambition and
patriotism both | would like to excite by
lis own calm estimate of the good lie has
t in his power to do state and people |
whom | am certain he wishes to serve and |
save.
l know the time is late to bring in and |
pass such bill know the legislature is
iedged in by embarrassments and sur
'ounded by many cares. But know also |
hat the greatest need Of the state should |
,e the chief care of her representatives
md that "the eleventh hour has not yet
quite arrived. There is time if the lesisla-
ure will act. To say there is not is as if
physician should say he had not time to
reat case Of cholera because he was at
ending several cases of ague and fever.
Very respectfully, your friend and obe-
lent servant, FRANK G. RUFFIN.
*In fact the Allan line moro than divides the
ost; for an info med by Colonel LamD that
he distribution of an adequate number of pam
hl-ts, costs nearly double the printing If done