The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-01-07
TUESDAY EVENING. JAN. Z, 1873.

project is very Ineligible Wing.
The Wing of this morning is overcharged
with railroad argument, ingenuity and
bile. 1t finds any number of astonishing
''mare's nests" to superficial observers, IN
the bill introduced by Major Sutherlin to
provide for the creation and regulation of
railroad companies in the State. Among
the most astonishing of its discoveries as
touching a 'free railroad law" is that
which we place at the head of this article,
and which treats the whole project
as device of Tom Scott's to
plant his iron heel on the neck Of Virginia,
so that her glorious historic shield and
escutcheon shall no longer represent the
State as standing proudly erect, with her
foot on the " monied tyrant," but as an
ablect and cringing suppliant at the 'eet Of
Pennsylvania colossal railroad king!
A general railroad law is designed to
accomplish at least one object, If nothing
else, and that is, to place all individual and
collective capital and enterprise on an equal
footing as to privileges, general or
special, in the State; aud if what
the Wing has heretofore indicated In regard
to Tom SCOTS overshadowing resources
and power be true, Virginia has little to
fear from him or any combination of mon
led influence and power he may bring to
bear upon the industrial interests Of the
State.
This idea that a railroad built by Tom
SCOTS money, or any body's else money,
must of necessity paralyze the general
Industry, because it comes from outside
the State and is in certain sense foreign
capital, is about the absurdest one that
ever crept into sane mans head or
found Judgment there when once IN.
For every dollar expended in railroad enter.
prises in Virginia becomes at once Virginia
capital, as much so In fact as if dug out OF
our mountains by Virginia industry and
invested by Virginia's most excellent fore
cast and Judgment. The money once
brought here, and once expended here, il
permanent investment or fixture, and "
as much under the control Of State legsla
ton as if it were forty times the product O
our own State, instead Of coming from
abroad as it should to confer the more sub
stantial advantages to be gained.
The Wing affects no small amusement a
the phraseology of the bill in referring t
natural" as contradistinguished fror
artificial" persons, or corporate bodies
The phraseology is fortunate. and show
that the gentleman who framed the bi
had sharp eye on those powerful
:" artificial persons " (such as the PennsyI
vania Central, for instancc,) which are
source of such perpetual nightmare to til
old fogles" of Virginia in general, and {
such horror to the Whig in especia
We have carefully read the bill offere
by Major Sutherlin, and see but little in
provement to be made in it. 1t PRUDENT
guards against such overshadowing monol
oiies as exist in some of the other state
where no restraint has been laid upon tt
consolidation of competing lines, since,
provides for the consolidation of such lin
OILY as are connecting, not competing
And there is not only no earthly objectic
t, this, but every consideration of publ
advantage favors consolidation under SUI
circumstances.
There are one or two additional featuI
we would like to see engrafted upon t
bill, but as the power of the Leg
lature is adequate to any exigen
thlt may arise, and the provisions may n
be essential to the successful organizati
Of companies under the law, we would n
be tenacious about pressing them, exec
as they might aid in the passage of Il
general bill.
The law ought to provide for the appon
ment Of railroad commissioner, who sh
exercise supervisory power over the d
ferent railroad corporations in the Sta
and whose duty it should be to examir
from time to time, the track, road-be
bridges, tressel-work, rolling stock, a
everything upon which the comfort a
safety Of the travelling public may depel
with authority to stop the running of ira
on any road, whenever, in his judgment,
public safety requires it. The seve
railroad companies in the State should
required to make their annual reports
this officer, giving comprehensive ;
complete review Of their years operatio
with all such special and general inforr
ton as might be of interest to the pub
to be transmitted by him in a report
the General Assembly. There should a
we think, be a direct prohibition in
act against the consolidation of compe;
lines of railroad in the State, with so
other restrictions than those contained
The Code against excessive charges
freight and fare.
The bill upon the whole, however
one which should meet the popular conc
renee, and we earnestly hope to sec
become the law of the State.
THE total Indian population of
United States, once numbering many |
lions, is now estimated to be mot includ