The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-04-22
OF course we are not expected nor uader-
stood to endorse all the communications We
publish. The following for Instance:
Tho Gauge Question.
FLOR the Dispatch. |

The press of Virginia seem to be consider
ably agitated, and particularly the press of
Richmond, over the "railroad question"
They fear that the railroads OF Virginia will
pass from our control, and consequently that
trade and travel will be diverted from our
cities and seaports. In the absence OF capl-
| tai to control railroads leading to and from
| Virginia, to say nothing Of our own roads,
our people must make up their minds that
this will inevitably be the result. But I'M
less past legislatures have !egislated away all
the rights of the people Of virginia, the
power of outside capital may be paralyzed
SO far as it may be able 70 iDjure t!s. -.
The discrimination made by railroads IN
the rate Charged through freight and travel
over that of local freight and travel is a cry
ing Injustice, and certainly will bring ruin
upop our people. 1t is fast creating will
derness of our fertile fields, and is driving
our people to other parts OF the country,
| where better facilities are offered. When we
| can protect our people from the gross impo-
silion Of being obliged to paJ more for carry.
ing their freights and for local travel than
those pay living out OF The. State who use
our roads, then, and Ioe till then, gill
our people have an equal chance, &C
least, to compete with our Eeigb6ors.
Our cities and our seaports will then stand
on their own geographical position, and
their own prosperity and success Will be de-
termined by their own enterprise. When
bushel of wheat cln be brought from the Far
West and delivered in Richmond at about
the same rate charged our Virginia farm
ers living only few hundred miles from
Richmond, then it is obvious that the wheat
brought from the far West pays less freight
r3o th,,> hn hno IT,
Virginia. What is desired to regulate this
evil and to do away with The Injustice doce
our people would De. were it possible. to
compel every railroad chartered by VIrgInia
to charge pro rGta rate per mile on freight
and travel without discrimination, Wnethcr
it be local or through.
The States of New Jersey and Delaware
derive large revenue from the toll they
exact from the railroads running through
their States, enough to pay the interest on
their debts, if not enough in time to llqul-
date their entire debt. They exact tariff
upon every through ticket issued over their
roads, and have made the companies pay
this for years past. There are many roads
passing through Virginia, many through
tickets sold, and much through freight passes
through our State for the benefit Of others;
if not to our injury, at least doing us no
good. Why should we be made highway
for the benefit Of other people? If 1t must
be- so, why not let revenue be drawn from
this source2 1t would 20 good way to-
ward paying the interest on our debt and
save our poor people from the burden OF
their crushing taxes.
The people of Virginia do not desire to
injure their railroads. God forbid; but
when they are used as medium against the
| ;pfaracfc of VirOnia mnSt Drotpck orr
selves, even though our railroads suffer.
But why should they suffer- We only protect
ourselves from being imposed upon. We do
not ask the railroads to charge us less, but that
they will, under no circumstances, charge us
more than they do outsiders. We know
very well that railroads must regulate their
freight, &C., to compete with opposing lines !;
but why should we be made to suffer? Bet
ter, far, have no railroads. We could then,
at least, liue. Now we will die, or become
bankrupt, which is about the same thing.
1t is not enough that We are Ssaled IN this
way, drained of our very yitals by the ruth
less power Of outside capital, but every
business enterprise is choked and throttled
by taxation. Capital and trade, emigration
and prosperity, are driven from our doors
| by taxation. Large sums are appropriated
| for schools that amount to almost farce in
this communication, while We are at least
threatened to be interfered with by Fede-
raj law in the regulation Of our public
schools, it cannot be expected they will
ever be patronized successfully. Abolish
the public school system as it now stands,
and 60 back to the system before the war, in
the good old times when our fathers knew
more than their sons. Let us have free trade,
equal taxation, and equal advantages overall
our railroads and chartered corporations.
| ssVoY poprrr0