The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-12-24
The Great Error of Virginia.

'InG SyTGdL C1&SA ~ = - Es~~~
our friend Of the Petersburg Mems over
slaushs the point in the question OF 'u'
nolicy of Virginia In making road through
the richest part Of the State, four hunareu
miles long, from Bristol to Norfolk without
taking its largest city en- ro'to' "he" ~
do 90 would have increased its length
some saw only five miles certainly very
,;+,,e an ;uconsiderable as to be absolutely
.o,,emptible In comparison with the I'M
meusc advantages that would have been Sc
cured to the State by placing Richmond
SIMON the line Of that most important ROAD
That is the point.
That it would have been less to the eene'
fit of Petersburg and Norfolk had the ROAD
been located by way of Richmond we sup
nose no man will have the effrontcry 10 say
we saw ii could not hare been less 10 then
a6can.aqe than il has been located as 1t Is
leaving Richmond fifty miles away by Tho
line of the Danvilc road, and not less thar
TWENTY-FIVE miles distant at the neares
point Of approach to ii.
The State never made another error SC
great in the matter Of Improvement. she
left out Of view the only city within hci
borders that could make show OF cohpc
ttion for the large commerce OF the com
mcuwcalth, and the towns WHEN are ci'!hA
ing the road as essential to their growth
which has been no growth-havc not been
benefited by the opportunity afforded them
TO thrive by tina: commerce.
Had the towns whose fancicd Interests
led 20 an ambitious and unwi>c c2mblna-
ton against the principal city OF the state
been able to build the lineS--thc direction
OF which they control'cd-that would have
been quite different affair; but it was I'M
fortunate that places so inconSldcrabic
should have thus succeeded in Il miSappro-
,,ration of the money of the State of which
Richmond contributed more than all the
towns in the State put toecther-hy which
her principal commercial interests ana pros
meets received severe blows blow which
she is not compensated for in any way that
We know OF.
abou: ..yirsnian and anti-Eirginian"
lines Of railway there has been vast deal
of talk, very little to the enlightenment of
any body. 1t has been intended merely for the
arraying of parties for or against particular
railroads. We shall welcome the influx OF
foreign capital to build railroads. Every
railway within. tie boundaries Of Virginia
is Virginia road. 1t cannot be taken out
OF the State. The more there are OF them
the better. Our people, in greater or less
numbers, have been the advocates Of them
all, and all of them and rs many more as
may lie built will beneii: more or less the
people Of Virginia.
We have never been able to appreciate the
distinctions drawn by the railroad partiSans
as to which were and which were not Wiz.
gilman. All railroads endeavor to get as
much freight to carry as they can, and we
believe all set high value on "Mrougt
freiqht." If there is one that does not put
this estimate upon Through freights" we
should like to know which one it is. In
deed, we make no objection to any road for
its ambition to increase ali kinds of trans
portation upon it. There is nothing more
delusve than the cry aboat "Virginian a:
applied to railroads. They are all FOR them
seices. They are obliged TO be.