The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-01-25
from the Petersburg Index Of ycstcrday.l
THE GROUNDXESS BALL.

The extraordinary line taken before the |
Senate committee by the advocates of the |
Petersburg railroad bill betnys more and
more clearly their lack Of any ground to
stand upon. Leaving unanswered, because
unanswerabIe. the fact that the syndicate
management dscrminates against this city
and all Virginia cities; that its first move
was TO raise all its local tariff; that its passen
yer rates pay premium to passengers to
pass by this city and all Virginia cities
that it has raised the rates on the hauling
of wood from 81 10 sl.50 per cord thut it
seeks to make the taxpayers of this city
and other Virginia cities subscribe millions
to be used and possessed by them; that
they have confessed through Consistency ,"
that low rates on the Bay Line would Iuin
them; that their purpose is to pass by this
city and all Virginia cities, and practically
dry up, so far as they can, the AppomattoX
aud the James rivers-iGavinS these things
alone, any one Of which condemns them
utterly, they resort wholly to attacks upon
corporations whose rates are far lower than
theirs, and to one of which at least, their ad-
vocate Consistency" admits, their own
property owes its escape from bankruptcy.
Looking into all the smoke, and dust, and
! noise made by their legal and pen-and.ink
| managers, the one argument contained III
it a II is, Somebody else has done wrong;
therefore we pray the Legislature to give
| us power to do that wrong and any others
we may see fit to do" That, and that
alone, is their logic, and they are driven to
it, as they have been driven to expedlent
after expcdient in the past six months, TO
save the speculation from failure; for
speculation it was from the beginning, US
everybody knows. The first expedient was
to sell, and it was tried on everybody who
It could be supposed might, could, would,
or should, become purchaser. The second
expedient was the discovery that they h"d
| bought different kind Of stock from what
the city thought she had sold. Another ex-
pedent was the huge parade of desire to 60
TO CITY Point for port, and for that otJect
suit was threatened about right OF way.
Last, and greatest of all, they discover that
railroad corporations obstruct them, ana Tue
Bay Line of steamers make money, ana theM
come before the Assembly to ask bill
which would make Petersburg, Rich
mond. Fredericksburg. and Alexandria
iudorse their bonds with negro votes.
Never once have they shown that they
will or can build any road under that
proposed charter, but very few people, in'
deed. doubt that they will or would issue
bonds, Endorsements made by one party
profits. reaped by another. Never once have
| thev shown that the result of condcmnlng the
| existing roads, and placing in their hands u
continuous North and South line would not
| in effect dam up the channels of our rivers,
| dredged and watched and decpened at
such enormous cost already put upon
them. Never once have they shown tnat
their line would not, and that quickly,
| deprive Virginia markets of all the
southern trade and carry 1t as over
bridge to Baltimore and New York. Never
once have they shown why they charge more
to bring cotton from Weldon six'y'twG,
miles, to Petersburg than the Seaboard road
charges to carry it to Portsmouth eighty
miles, Never once have they shown why
they charge just twice rs much to bring
cotton to Petersburg from points In the
South as they do to carry the same cot
ton from the same points through the same
city of Petersburg and on to New York.
Their sole argument; in short, Is Robin
son, Robinson their logic is indnlteslmal,
and their demands intnite.