The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1874-02-18
WEDNESDAY EVE. e. FEB. IS, 1874.
.HOM LONG ~

we 40 not take TINS as . teXts out as an
inquiry. We are not about to lecture the
municipal Solons Of Richmond on their
shortcomings in wisdom, or their long,
goings in folly; but we would like to know
how long our city can stand the unenviable
reputation it is getting by the enforcement
of the miserable dog-in-the.manger ordi-
nance which fines every respectable looking
man that comes here with satchel in his
hands, and enquiries for frst-class hotel.
We have Travelled a little of late on the
cars, and have had an opportunity of know
ing what the business men of the world
think of Richmond. We may sum up
the worlds estimate of us thus: There
are in Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York,
and Boston about ten thousand men en-.
gagged, more or less of their time, in trav-
cling for the leading commercial houses in
those cities. They are. as a body, sharp,
shrewd, intelligent, liberal-minded, and
observant. They talk well. and impress
others favorably by their conversation; if
they do not really make the current popu-
lar sentiment of the country. They may
be met with on almost any train Of cars
from Main to California, and from Florida
to Minnesota. And they are just now
having something to say-all of them
about Richmond. We took dose of 1t
while going to New York not long since,
and an overdose Of it while returning.
You live in Richmond ?" inquired
one of half dozen gentlemen near us.
We'll, you ought to be proud of such city,
where a decent white man can't 60 with
out being logged by policeman from the
moment he sets foot in the place until he
turns his back on it in disgust. TITS the
meancst skunk-hole' in the United States,
and what is more, there are ten thousand of
as good looking and as good talking white
men as there are in the Union, giving her
this odoriferous designation to-day and have
pledged themselves to give it everywhere
they go. 1t is another Erie War;. and we
mean to make it so hot for you that no
man outside of Virginia will buy pint
Of peanuts in Richmond to save the place
from bottomless perdition.v IA
We couldn't quite suppress smile at
this, which was construed by another
one of the party into defiance Of their
threat. And so he let off broadside that
seemed to us ten times more damaging to
our city than good cannonadng would
have been in 1868. He gave an account
of how he was logged by an ill-odored
policeman here, and fined fifty dollars for
calling on merchant friend in the city,
and showing him mot selling or offering to
SELL sample of single new article of
goods in his line of trade.
The truth is, there is not a manufacturer
of any description in Richmond who can't
go from Maine to California, and sell by
sample whatever he chooses. And can
we afford to throw up these barriers to
trade, and make ourselves as odious as we
are now getting in the estimation OF these
travelling agents, who, in ten years, will
be the leading capitalists Of the country :?
For the good drummer" makes the big
commercial house in these days, and the
big commercial houses make the captal4
lists Of the country. We beg of our
municipal Solons to come down from their
petty pedes.als eff spleen towards these
men of the North, aud show wisdom
enough to enable them to run a respecta-
ble-sized peanut stand in healthful compe-
tition with "Bob, the neacs-boy," when
they get Indignantly kicked out of office,
as the Lowries of Erie were some twenty
years ago. "Bob" is wiser than to show his
antipathies on all occasions. He decorates
his peanut stand on memorial days, and
makes money out of the operation.