The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-03-11

IT (the free railroad law gives as unlimited
n license to any five gambling advent urers III the
United states, or elsewhere, in the name of the
state to seize upon private property ana pun
der the public works of The state as would be
given by Il law of Great Britain granting to any
live pirates letters of maaque and reprisai 10
prey upon the legitimate commerce or the world
Wig.
It is difficult to characterize this asSer-
ton in regard to the free railroad law W III
such decorous form of words as becomes
high-toned Journalism. We are certain
our neighbor allows his Imagination to run
away with his facts, as well as with the
logical deductions TO be drawn from them.
For how any five men, who shall Obtain
the right OF way by paying what commits
sioners appointed by our courts shall adj
Judge as Just compensation therefor, and
shall build railroads doubling and quad
rupling the value of all real estate within
five m lies of their lines on either hand, can
be regarded in the light of pirates preying
upon the legitimate commerce Of the world,
is what passes our poor comprehension to
understand. Such sweeping accusation
is simply hyperbole run mad, or exaggera-
ton exaggerated beyond all rhyme and
reason. The Wing is merely letting off
the sky-rockets Of its fancy, and not
dealing in truth and soberness with the
facts before it.
Capitalists coming into this state and ex-
expanding money in public Improvements
among us to the extent of fifty or sixty
thousand dollars mile, are not generally of
the thieving or piratical class, nor are they to
be classed among gambling adventures.
The rule with gamblers and thieves is to
bring as little as possible into the state,
and take as much as possible out of it.
But here is proposition to the capitalists
of our own and OF all other states, that II
they shall make such an expenditure as we
have named, they shall be protected in the
enjoyment oftheir acquired franchises to the
same extent as other railroad companies,
no greater and TO less. And here is where,
if we mistake not, the shoe pinches with
those whose interests The Wing mistakenly
advocates; for we regard it a mistaken poll
cy on the part Of existing roads to oppose
the construction of others, no matter bow
numerous they may be, in the state. The
more roads the more centres of activity, and
the more centres OF activity the greater the
amount of business and profit accruing to
the roads. 1t would be difficult TO con-
strnct railroad in the state which would
not become, directly or indirectly, feeder
to every other road. Some of the earlier
lines OF road constructed in Illinois and
OHIO were entirely worthless, as paying In
yestments, until the construction OF a large
number of other lines, bringing business t.
them, made them valuable properties.
And SO it will prove in this state. l
we had twenty roads to where we now
have one, each would nourish the other
until Mr.. Robnson's and Genera
Alahone's roads would be ten times a
valuable as they are at present. We arr
making no war upon these gentlemen il
urging the passage of free railroad law
but are doing what we believe will be t.
their greatest interest in the end. A fire.
railroad law is what the people oil tn
state demand, and if this Legislature fail
to respond TO their wishes, they will see t
it that the next General Assembly
better constituted in respect to their re
ourements and wishes.