The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-07-09
Valley Railroad Extension.

Valley Railroad Extension. 80
l, Is useless to argue with the Wing in re-
y,rl t, the proposed extension of the Valley
Il iilroal. That paper seems to be afflicted with
the dalusion, that the Valley and the South
west must pay tributesto Malone, by foregoing
nil effort to dcvelop their own section, because.
as is alleged, it would ieoparlze the States IN
terest ofs4. 100000 in the Atlantic, Mississippi
and OHIO road. No one Is seriously frightened
about that debt 1t will never be worth any
,iny. andno one ever expects it to BE- OF any
practical value. The Wing admits that the
proposed extension will pass through the conn
ties Of C1Aig. Giles, Bland. Russell, Scott and
J.. .e. and that it will benefit them some. 1t
says nothing about those counties being entire
" cut off FROM market: that they contain vast
aeposits OF mineral wealth., more, probably,
tran any other section of Virginia, admirably
adapted for grazing and farming purposes, and
all that is necessary to insure their extensive
Development, is means OF marketing their pro-
ducts Lands are very cheap i'll that section,
for the simple reason that they are now mac
cessible. and if way was opened up to. them,
capital would not be long in seeking them.
The argument OF the Wsig is, that the isoat-
cd counties must so remain,e because perchancc,
the trade that will be created and developed,
might sae. a market in Baltimore by the Valley
road. instead OF Richmond by Mahone's road
and its connections. And for fear that baltl-
more might participate in a trade not now IN
existence but Which would be created by.
the extension the people of those counties
must continue in their present excluded condl-
ton It is to such illibcral views that tile OPP
ponents of the Valley road extension are driven.
The true policy OF e!le State is to build railroads
wherever means can be secured to- do it Inc
State is wisely inhibited from lending her aid
to such enterprises, but it is not the poi'cy o.
the State to prohibit corporations or individuals
from undertaking them at their own. cost
Wherever there is wealth to develop, and par
ties TO undertake it, let it be done by all means,
without reference to this or that city or mark
ct. Let the people who constitute cities, lock
after the trade after it is created-enter into
competition and thus expand the energies and
the mentality of all who are engaged i'll it. y
The Wing introduces very unfortunate
view Of this question which We shall merely
state, without the comments that it naturally
proyokes. IT says, sLet us; glance at the pr os-
pect OF Il triumph upon the part OF the cham
pions oil this thorough anti-Kirglian scheme.
Out of the fo,ty Virginia Senators, but twelve
OF them are west of the Blue Ridge, and but
thirty two OF the one hundred and thirty two
delegates. A few members cast of the Blue
Ridge might be induced into the support OF
such a measure, but not as many as would be
west of it to oppose it. for no member south OF
the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio road would
support it, and every member representing a
constituency upon the line of that road-which
would be virtually destroyed-would soonn
lelrn that to countenance it would be te
end forever and ingloriously his political ca
reer.''
As we have stated iii former articles, the
question of the Valley road extension shall moi
assume a sectional phase by any direction o.
OURS We therefore decline to discuss it in this
light, but place it upon the broad ground that
it is the duty of the Legislature of the State te
encourage material development in every sec
tion of.the Commonwealth. and it has no righ
to discriminate against any one portion, for feal
of an imaginary injury to another. This mat
ter, however, wewill cheerfully relegate to tlit
Con.cntion that is called to meet iii Staunton
in September next. The assembled represent
atives OF the Valley and Southwest corntie!
can then say whether the six. counties in the
Southwest and the interests of all the Valley
counties are to be sacrificed because Of iiis'
aginaly disadvantage to. Richmond and the A.
NJ. & Q. railroad.
The fact is. Richmond has nothing at all to
lose by the extension. II the. citizens OF that
city employ enterprise, they will be benefited
by it and can draw fair proportion of the new
wealth that will be created in the six counties
that will be opened.