Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-04-16
Thursday ls-ning, April l6, 1874.


WE publish in this issue letter
from Richmond correspondent criti-
cising the course Of the Herald in adj.
vocating the extension of the Valley
Railroad. We were not before aware
of the presence of the great anaconda,
OF deadly serpent which is supposed to
have the power of bewildering and be-
Jogging the minds of Valley people
vino entertain the idea that all the in
terests of this great Valley should not
be sacrificed in order to build up che or
two cities of Eastern Virginia. We
are not yet unmindful Of the monster
which for years deprived this great
Valley Of railroad facilities, and are
ready to confess that there is some
thing soothing in the poison which has
relieved us OF the necessity Of trans
porting our produce in road wagons for
hundred miles, being jostled in rude
coaches from Staunton to Winchester
and enabling MS to ride in comfortable
cars. even if the men do wear ''uniform
coats with handsome gilt letters" We
have no disposition to~destroy the trade
of Richmond or to destroy Virginia
railroads, nor can we see how rail.
road leading to Baltimore, under the
control Of the B. & 0. Company will
have this effect, to greater extent than
one to which yoa have granted char
ter and is under the coutrol of the Ger
trail Pennsylvania. While you would
confne the road leading through. this
valley to local business, why permit the
Central Pennsylvania to construct a
through line? Is it beca use Philadel-
phia is Southern city, and made no
money by "being smart during the
war" and extended every kindness to
the South while the sympathies of
Baltimore were against us? The time
when the trade Of Virginia can. be con
fined to certain places by refusing legit-
innate railroad connections is rapidly
passing away, and the sooner gentlemen
of the enterprise and business influence
of w recognize the fact, the better it
will be for the prosperity of Virginia
cities.
We admit that cities bear a heavier
rate of taxation than Agricultural Dis
tricts, but are not unmindful Of the
fact that IN order to build up these cit
les they deprived this Valley for years
of railroad facilities and at the same
time imposed upon the state debt Of
such huge proportions that our legisla
tors consider it profitable to spend
time in deyising plans to get rid Of it
without paying it. This suicidal pol
icy has imposed burden upon the en-
tire State, and our people do not be-
lieve in deprving any section of the
means of selfdevelopment in order to
build up cities.
No, friend w, we would not force
upon the public a child of doubtful
parentage, but would have the child that
has been contributing to the welfare of
IT'S brethren refuse to occupy the place
Of hireling and to assert its natural
rights. The people of this Valley and
those Of Eastern Virginia differ in
many respects, The laws which would
most conduce to our prosperity, do not
suit the East. We are continually
denied the Legislation which the inter-
ests of our people demand, because the
laws which would eontluce to the wei
fare of the Valley people, would add to
the expressions Of tide water We are
willing to yield OF many Questions Cor
the good of the Eastern sections, but
when you endeavor against the almost
unanimous will of the people of this val
ley to dictate to us what companies
shall be permitted to build roads
through this section, and what counties
shall be permitted to enjoy railroad
facilities and what denied those facili-
ties, you infringe too much upon the
right Of people, whose patriotism is
too strong to willingly wear this
badge of pstujle.