The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-08-24
The Right View:

IL . + ega.r
Our Faqairer neighber put forth on satur-
day morning the exactly correct view OF Tue
internal improvement errors OF VIRGINIA
and what should have been her poiiey.
Charlataps are in the habit of speaking o.
the lava passed by Virginia with regard ~
railroads as yirginia's "policy'" !.
mockcrv of the word to apply it ID this
manner. Virginia necer had any fos'e9.
The Improvement men. owing 10 the OPP"
si,ion of the ,ide-water representatives, were
forced 20 resort to log-roiing eSpedleh's 70
nass such measures as they could. aud when
they mt bill into the legislative hopper they
conld form tut poor idea as to the form IN
which It would come through.
The ENQUIRER correctly says that had Eir-
cinis laid down her system, aud had that
system looked to concentration Of roadSat
her principal commercial city, we would
have achieved what Indiana has by pursu-
ingihat policy. Indiapa's principal town
has become one of the most furnishing IN
the Wess, and there is. it is said, not court
house in the State which may not be reach
ed from The capital by railway.
Wha. power this gives the State. her
capital resembles, indeed, the heart, and the
circulation is free TO and from throughout
the State. Her social system and her DO
nestle economy all harmonize for the general
good, and there Is compactness ano
concentration Of energy and means when
cannot fail to secure for people the high
es: degree of yigor and efficiency OF all the
enterprises the State.
Compared with this, the improvements OF
Virginia have had no order, no harmony.
The State has frittered away millions in labor
that does not repay her, and she is now sad.
died with an enormous burthen that affords
no just com pensation that does not yield
twentieth part Of the reward that so large an
expenditure would have repaid had il been
governed in the disbursement by good judg-
ment and real p triolism.
Se!fshness was stimulated by the mode
and process Of the appropriation OF public
money 20 public works. Votes were valua.
bic, and we're given for share Of the money
they helped TO vote away. 1t is true men
were too honest to ask for brides to 60 into
their own pockets but sections Of the State
bargained for appropriations to unimportant
works. 20 works that might have been post
poned with no public loss for years, and mo-
ney was voted to enterprises that were either
misdirected or should never have been I'm.
dertaken. Thus poor Virginia was saddied
with an enormous debt and with improve
ments the advantages of which are very
doubtful. We are almost ready TO say that
the State would be benefited by giving them
all up could she get back the money which
they cost.
The Enquirer is right. 1t develops syS-
tenn which we have always pressed upon the
5 ate. A system which would have made
this city great, and which would have stmu-
lated the growth Of every other town Of con-
siderable size in the State. See what noble
advantage the farmers would have had, in
supplying the wants of really great city
For circle great in proportion to popula-
ton the variety of crops would have been
enarged-tbe means Of quick returns in
money for labor and disbursement increased,
and the whole country within that sphere
would have been irrigated with rich streams
OF fertility and made TO blossom as the rose.
Instead of this, what have We!
Can We retrieve our fate? That depends
upon circumstances. Ii there is enough
wisdom and enough patriotism to triumph
over the little schemes of very su1sl per-
sons which look to the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Of
themselves at the expense of the Common
wealth we can. But if there is not, tie
once grard old Virginia must pass under
the yoke OF pigmies and the future traveller
will bslold region of ruin that has been so
made by the selfish inventions and the cor
rupt designs Ola degenerate age.
viii the Enquirer help us TO make Rich.
mond, in Virginia, what indianapolis is in
Indiana, and Atlanta is in Georgia!