The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-08-12
7,lr,l1,loalI Dlspatth.
AUGUST IL, 1878.
Se,ator Johnston.

Senator JOiAiiStoA'
We rather apprchcnd that Senator 9ohS
s.o~.s long letter on the Southern iach'c
1,,;,ro,d was an untimely move on the chess
to,ra and we are inclined TO believe that I'D |
come noints II is not Of that conclusive Sor'
OF craftsmanship that We should eSpec' 'fo"
The author. He Is not the man to OPPOSE
measure simply on account OF ooiec''oh ~
&c n,,ron. hut his inconclus!Ve argument
.,o;ns, The scheme will afford Infinite saus.
action to some people who are qn"e SS''s"s
20 onpose the scheme upon no better g'o''"0
than that it is considered TON SCOTS. .,o
For instance, Mr.. JOHNSTON l'l's.s 'D
intended gauge of the road an o']sc'iou-
serious obiection-to it. lie ASSUMES 'nNs
= a,;on "a rho South because it is to De pu''t
., the 4.foot 81 inch gauge. Ihe SCUM
e-n gauge being feet, therefore the fae!ne
rn,d that is 10 be will not harmonize WIN
The southern railroads. The war OF gauges
mas been waged in this State with such angry
temper that We imagine the whole state must
ts sick enough of it, and we trust that NC
are not to have it revived and carried Oh
upon national scale.
w. believe it has been decided by engi-
neers whose judgments should settie Tue
question that the 4.foot o. inch gauge IS
certainly better than the 5.foot gauge, ana
The weight Of authority appears 10 ee ID
favor OF the former as probably the
hest OF all gauges. If that be so we
cannot see but that gauges OF southern
IN
gauge. Such change would be very tfl'
ling matter. A hundred miles OF railway
have been altered from one gauge 10 anothet
in half day; and if it were determined
upon, all the railways in the SCUM cou'o NC
changed in couple of days.
II is orr opinion that it would be dccl'
fed national beuef. if all the railways were
made to adopt the same guage. Ii lnat "eie
so certainly the Affect S3-incn gauge snou'"
no ,,pn,cd. While upon the simple queS-
,;o, ,s IN which section Of the Union shoulo
ne required TO make the change, we snou'o
he in favor of assigning that Work 10 Tue
rich North, we could hardly so decide 10 op-
no,tion to the settled opinion OF engineers
as to which is the best gauge. Inen' LOO,
something must be allowed on the score Oh
the fact that there are so many miles more OF
railway In the North than in the South.
Again, as to the Pacific railway partlcu'
larly We suppose it will hardly be able 10
cross the Mississippi south OF st. LOUIS.
The question has been discussed; but we
look upon the proposition to bridge that
crest river as very doubtful. Beyond tnc
Mississippi the railroads arc SO few that we
think it would be monstrous to require tue
Southern Pacific road to adopt for its great
length gauge which is decided not 20 DC
the best.
But we repeat that abhorring the war OF
gauges we trust it is not 10 be renewed.
Senator JOHNSTON objects to the Southern
Pacific now on the stocks that it Is north'
ern py reason that it is engineered by north
ern people, and intended 10 be run IN north
ern interests. He would heartily favor
read that had not such sectional bias. we
imagine that if Senator JOHNSTON or we
either were permitted to frame bill for
road TO the Pacific, our northern friends
could Gull it southern road. AS we nave
no money and cannot control Congress at
this time, we have no idea that we SHALL he
able 10 pass such bill as we want; but that
should not induce us to oppose Dill Tor
railroad upon the southern line, whose ad-
yantages we cannot possibly be deprived OF
bv any form of cheating.
We assume that Il railway of such magni.
rude as the Southern Pacific railway cannot
be dwarfed to uses of mere section. lis
oostion inevitably makes it minister to the
wants of the whole nation. The climatic
difficulties that render its construction neces
siry will compel it to bestow at least distri
butiye share of its transportation upon south
ern cities. That its operators should desire
90 reject southern business we think incredl'
Die. We cannot imagine condition OF
things which should ALLEVIATE great south.
en- trans continental line from southern
business, even if it's conductors could De
such fools US to run against their own in,e-
rests.
We are decidedly southern in our prefer
erces, but we cannot 90 SO far as to be always
the lookout for inimical schemes from
I he North. For instance, we want trans.
continental line by the Southwest Pass. We
have no money to build it, and we will thank
anybody for furnishing the means and en-
orgy to build such'a road: a road we think
eeedcd for the national good and for equality
between the North and the South
IN the matter of these Pacific railways. We
should not only agree to this, but we should
80 for liberal encouragement by the Federal
Government, and deem that we ran no risk
in doing so. Can the northern schemers
transfer the southern territory to the North!
They can as easily do that as nullify all the
circumstances of distances to the Atlantic
coast and ports and the climatic influences
that will bear upon the Southern Pacific road,
- and give it distinctive character.
Death of Governor Graham.