The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-01
FOR the Good Of Richmond.


or that public measure was passed oy tne
Legislature for the good Of Richmond III
hardly single instance Is the assertion TUE
In some cases 1t Is simply lie With eareum-
stance. For instance, when. years ago, eer;iI
tain towns combined to infict upon hlcn-
rnond a great wrong, it was charged that the
canal was built for Richmond. That Wasto
lie with circumstance. Richmond, Indeed,
was located upon the James river, Along
whose shore the canal was necessarily built.
II she. had been located elsewherethe ctrctna'
s,oace would bave been wanting. IT was,
sherefore, not just to say that the canal was
butt for her. It was built for the good Of
the State for the utilizing Of her resources
the extending of her manufacturing power
by increasing the material and means for
manufacturing, sc. r-f r.Er/SsyF
And how did the combination display
their idea of the benefit alleged to have been
Intentionally conferred upon Richmond!
their idea of the nature of the obligation to
respect the intentions OF the State to- do
Richmond q good Why, having succeeded
in carrying hostile measure mainly
through assaults upon Richmond, the corpo-
ration which grew out Of 1t proceeded to Inn
pair the business Of the canal by o treatment
which threatened 1t with destruction. That
is q specimen Of the way the claims Of Rich.
mond have been been deprecated and her
interests directly assailed. ,.a- ~.a .,
"All for Richmond" say people who seek
the establishment Of visionary schemes, and
who endeavor to press forward claims with
little merit Of their own by depreciatiDg
those of Richmond. 1t has been for years
chosen bit of strategy with lobbyists and
advocates to make Richmond q salient point
Of attack to combine parties in the Legis.
Iaturs to carry schemes that have not
enough merit In themselves, and can only
triumph through prejudice and hostility to
Richmond.
No city could be more free from the charge
OF taking advantage Of the presence Of the.
Legislature within her boundaries. Time
and again it has been charged that Richmond
brought to bear her hospitality and good
cheer with the view of influencing legislative
action. We have lived here long, and we
have neither seen the signs of such pur-
pose nor the fruits of such appliances. The
people of Richmond have literally and hand
somely employed the rites of hospitality
purely for social pleasure. The en-
tertainments were given in. accordance
with the usages and generous impulses
of society. Had the Legislature not
been here at all, those pleasant ceremonies
would have gone on; but being here, it
would have been churlish and unrefined to
leave the members Of the body outside the
pale Of hospitality when by every consider
alton they were entitled to respect and social
distinction. We can say with perfect truth
and with positiyeness that Is Well sustain
ed-for our relation to public affairs enabled
us TO know what we say-that the hospitali-
ty cad elegant social ceremonies Of this city
have been employed with 10 intention to bias
the acts of the Legislature. If there are ex-
ceptions to the truth of this assertion we do
not know them, and they must have been SO
rare as not to attract attention.
Yet there are communities which have
charged Richmond with the liberal exercise
Of her advantages for her own behoof until
they believe the charge. We invite all to
look at the facts. There is no other so.calied
B city In the State which has been so delibe-
rately wronged by the utter indifference
shown towards her in the legislation of the
State. She has been the goose that has laid
the golden eggs for the State; and while she
has not been cut open to get all she has at
once, she has not received the favor and sup
port at the hands of the State which she de.
serves. ~.
Why, no longer ago than Saturday
worthy country gentleman declared that the
through freights on the Chesapeake and Ohio
railroad were for the good of Richmond to
the injury Of the local interests along the
line. The charge is attributable to the pre-.
valence Of a prejudice against this city. The
through freights, as we showed yesterday,
are regulated by circumstances not inyolv-
ing Richmond-by the very powerful compes
tition for the through freights now carried
on. This competition oftener results in her
serious Injury than IL does to her bene.
flt What does this underwriting In the
through business from North Carolina,
and the South, and the West, do for herr 1t
has been gradually sweeping away the
trade within the proper trade.sphere of
this city. Richmond here suffers q great
wrong, to redress which the power of Vlr.
ginis should be exerted-thus exerted for
the good of the State, she deriving more
wealth and general benefit from Richmond
than from half dozen other places of high.
est dignity within her borders.
Apart from through freigbts, and con.
sidering local freights alone, in what respect
can Richmond be benefited by the discrimi.
nations against them? In none whatever.
The local freights are peculiarly hers, and
when they are oppressed it is only Cypress.
ing Der.
Virginia has In Richmond city that
peculiarly deserves her favor and protection.
The State has nothing in the city line to
boast OF. She should make the most of
what she has. We have often shown that
from natural causes and the commercial con.
ditions Of the commerce of the Atlantic
shed 1t Is impossible that any other locality
within the State can excel Richmond
in the yigor and success OF her CONNER
clal power and growth. The facts are un-
answerable. Then, Richmond is the point