National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1875-03-04
Trans-continsntal Railway.

To the Editor Of the National Republican:
SIR: Every thoughtful and practical man must
be struck with the spposteness Of your remarks
in to-day's REPUBLICAN respecting the action, or
rather inaetion, of Congress in regard TO the two
great transcontinental railways now languishing
for want of Governmental support, and from
whatever cause this insction arises every true
friend of progress must lament the unfortunate
results to commercial industry which must in
evitably follow.
One Of the first things ancient Rome carefully
attended to was the construction and maintenance
of good roads not only on her own soil but where
ever she carried her conquering arms, and por-
lions Of those roads, in excellent preservation
exist to this day in France. Good roads are the
life enabling Industrial blood to ioW freely reg
ularly and healthily, Just as without them com
munities and nations remain cut of from inter
course with each other and with other peoples
They drive away national and sectional malaria,
promote personal contact, and therefore necessa.
Tily rub Off in time, prejudices and wise rivalry
In this magnificent country, which nature has
endowed with q wealth of soil and mineral re-
sources so vast as to startle the thinker, we do
almost everything else but extend and improve,
in proper manner, the means OF communication
between different sections, and II, perehanee, the
thing be done, why forthwith the monopOliEing
spirit seeks to suppress every attempt to extend
the good work. This is unwise, and legislators
who become blinded by party or local interests,
in endeavorDg TO suppress all good other than
that affecting their particular constituents, lit
orally in the end damage the very object they
profess TO have at heart.
have no personal interest in the most remote
degree in the Northern, the Central or the Texas
Pacific railways, and speak only In general terms
when insist on the paIpable fact that the con-
structiOn Of all three s urgently and imperatiVely
demanded. The plea put forth that their re-
spective interests are inmical to each other can
not be supported by any known and accepted
axiom of political economy, but quite the reverse;
and, politically speaking, the more that different
sections of the vast country become connected
with each other by lines Of railway and canal the
sooner and the more etfeotually will North,
South, East and West become once more bound
Mutual nj respee To nIaee 81 sa ana
communication with each other by means Of good
road is, it seems tony humble way OF thinking,
of vastly greater Importance than deluging libra
rles and courts Of law with never. nding enact
ments and laws, most Of which fall still-bOrn and
which no one legal man could ever either mentally
digest or practically manipulate. This not being
myself lawyer, I have been, over and over
again, assured by legal men OF mark. Better
therefore, expend the money, time and labor SO
wasted in developing the national interests Of the
country. We need more engineering mechanical
and agricultural, and less Of political education,
by expanding $500 900, 600, II need be, OF public
money on public improvement than by fritterinK
IL away-Were 1t only g. ,o0o-on discussions IS
to whether the North, East, South or West is
relatively better, wiser or happier than the other
European capital is waiting to flow into this
country with lavish hand, but there has been
SO many jobs in mines, and trickeres Of all sorts
practiced abroad by unprtncipled scheners that
the reputation Of the country for integrity has
capital VIC must
have, and must continue to have for long years
to come, and to invite It there needs only that
serious, practical work be proposed In good faith
Money is q mere material means to an end, and
is Of special nationality, religion or whatever
else Of an immaterial nature, SO that whether
the gold that shall develop the resources of this
country be British, French, or Moslem, It cannot
possibly move the American people or their in
situations in direction politically which they do
not really desire. All that is wanting to the
rapid construction Of three great lines OF railway
have named is their Endorsement by Congress,
which done, money, and more than enough, will
fow from Europe to carry out the work.
Respectfully yours, W. DE r.
MARCH 3, 1875.