Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-12-24
COMMUNICATED.
Hard Times.

How natural for a person after reading
chapter or two of the "Blue Laws of Connect
cut, and the Blue Laws of Virginia, which
governed people two hundred years ago. to
express surprise that people even at that
age. could be so stupid, so arbitrary as to dc
tate how person should walk on the Sabbath
day, and that no, woman should kiss her cnlia
on Sundays or fast days. But judge not lest
We be also judged The people ct the next
coming century will be as amused and laugh
at our present follies and inconsistencies as
much as we now do at the folies and stupid
laws of our iorefathers.
In the long list of laws and rules adopted
TWO hundred years ago. not one, (consldering
the disadvantages at that age to obtain know
ledge,) was more stupid, more ridiculous tnan
the present usury laws Of this State. and macy
other States and countries, and the generations
Of the twentieth century will also laugh at our
| ignorance and lack of business capacity.
The present hard times can be accounted TOR
only in one way, namely the lack OF BRAINS.
Great men make great States, great wealth,
great resources, and great prosperity. A great
| man. wise statesman, man IN concord With
the demands and intelligence of the times,
would as soon dictate, by laws and penalties,
the price and rate Of interest for renting
house, or hiring horse, as to undertake 10
dictate the price or interest fer renting money;
and that man who attempts to draw dlstlnc'
ton between property in money and property
10 a farm or honse, is equally as stupid as were
the authors of she Blue Laws
If our legislators aud law makers have any
desire to- relieve the State of its present hoan-
cial embarrassmepts if they possess spark
of sympathy for suffering humanity, LEI them
show it by repeating at once all laws, and parts
OF laws, fixing the rates OF interest on money
betweeu man and man. The world IS governed
too much" Attend to the affairs OF State, and
let the money affairs between private lndlVlou-
ais alone. Let the lender aud the borrower
agree and decide what the rate of interest shall
be, and none but an intruder would attempt to
dictate, be it one per ct. or fifty.
Money is much needed in Virginia, aud the
deficiency can Only be supplied from Sections
having a surplus. A liberal interest," and good
security is the only efectual means to secure
the needtul. ~
There is, probably, no State in the Uolon
that enjoys greater share Of the love and
and admiration of Mr.. w. w. Corcoraa, the
banker, than Virginia, and no State that be
thiuks less of than Vermont; but should he
offer to loan one rnilIlon dollars, and Virginia
offered six per ceut and Vermont ten per CT,
securities equal, the "Green Mountain Boys
would get the money Money makes the mare
co." The highest premium is the swlftest anl-
NAL, and wins the prize.
There is another piece of stupidity 10 Vlr-
GINA even worse than fixing the rates OF Interest
by law, aud that is, legislative interference and
opposition to building railroads. II the present
Legislature would pass Free Railroad Law, =
giving every man. capitalist, or company, the
right TO build one or dozen railroads without
first going to the General Assembly for specl-
al charter, 1T would do the State more real service
10 that one act than all the acts of twenty ses-
sions have accomplished. A rich and energet-
ic company would complete railroad and ex-
pend five millions of dollars 10 its construction
10 less tine than it takes to get a charter
through State Legislature. There is no more
seuse or reason for special charter to build
railroads, than for common highway,a pubic
hall, market house, or steamboat w men
the people of Virginia vote for brains, practl-
cal common sense, instead OF politics and tos-
silism, we shall have free railroad law, free
rates of interest on money, and better times
aud not before. Let US have all the railroads
that capitalists choose to build. Don't be
afraid of 'paracl railroads" the more the
better. [ will take this occasion to say that
henceforth will never vote for representa-
tive to the General Assembly be he Democrat,
Conservative or Republican, white or black,
upless said candidate is a seadtast friend and
Jealous advocate OF Free Railroad Law:
D. T.