The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-03-11
It warns them that The Baltimore & Ohio

1t warns them that the Baltimore & ohit
road
us after the rich and productive trad,
ot Tennessee, which now finds as nearly
q natural outlet OF Norfolk as any artia.
cial carrying system can offer. This they
seek TO draw of by their Valley railroad
and thus cut of every Virginia town and
city that has q seeming future They
have applied TO the Virginia Legislature
for an amendment to the charter Of The
Valley road 10 the effect that after Il gets
into Roanoke county, say about Salem
TO be invested with the
RIGHT TO CONSTRUCT A PARALLEL LINE
with the Virginia and Tennessee road 10
Bristol, thus tapping and carrying off the
trade that approaches by the Est Ten
nessee, Virginia and Georgia Railroads
below Bristol.
II Is a very pretty scheme for the Balti.
more u Ohio road, bat 1t Is death ID the
commercial future Of Richmond, Norfolk,
&C., &c. The whole Of Virginia Is di-
rectly and Immediately interested. Just
to the extent that the trade 10 cut of from
our cities Just to that extent they will bear
less and less Of the public burden of the
State debt, and the cost ol the State gov
ernment, and to the like extent will the
country and the farming interest be called
upon to pay out Of their pockets the de-
hcit. Make Norfolk what she ought 10 be
by reason Of her grand position on the
seaboard and she, like Richmond, will
soon bear another tenth Of the taxes oil
the State.
But there are other objections to this
"New High Bridge Bill" which is 10 start
at Bristol and extend TO the Patuxent.
Virginia has some four or FIVE millions of
dollars in the consolidated road as now
organized which may be available 10 time
to come, il cribbing hands are kept from
our legitimate State trade, but from which
not silver Of return will ever be made
into the State Treasury II the Baltimore
and Ohio road Is permitted 10 sap the
very fountain which supplies the streams
for the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio
road. There is not any pretext Of neces.
sity, for the
TRADE HAS NOW AN ABUNDANT OUTLET,
and the means Of transport are now at
hand. But there is q still stronger need
for strict surveillance on the part OF the
Legislature, and why they should not
grant any such privilege as is asked for.
II means still further STATE diSinte9ratiOa,
or an unhappy time on the part OF restives
who would throw of present State bur-
dens.
Let the Virginia Legislature remember
that but Tor the fact that the Baltimore
Il Ohio railroad ran through Virginia,
from Harper's Ferry 10 Wheeling and
Parkersbnrg, that the grand territory Of
the Old Dominion would have been in.
tact to day Let them remember that II
was because this railroad ran through
Jefferson and Berkely counties, that Viz
ginia was raped Of the rich, populous and
muCh.to be desired domain, lying in these
two counties.
Let the Baltimore and Ohio road again
divide the State with its large line from
Bristol up through the Valley, and the
day Is not far distant when our ears will
be greeted with cries Tor further disinte.
grafton, and either large and rich slice
carved Oft and added to West Virginia,
or what is probably just rs bad, a large
population made restive, uneasy and dis
satisfied with the State that holds them
subject TO Its power.