The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-03-24
Xlclln,ol1d 1llsp1ttlt,
,,,x MARCH 81, 1873
.,,o North Carolina Gauge Question

1tlr
,,se the term "friend" in no idle or ins'nce'e
unnecessarily, and a'io" US "
cav mos, uurcasonably, excited over tne "''''
ter Of the change Of gauge upon inc 'S.'""s
ho,wecn Charlotte aud Greensboro, ohfea.
sonablv so for these reasons: Inc chanseo'
s,.ncc nstwcen those towns does "a'neTeo%
,ho a;tsculty in the way Of the commerce 90
,ho scs,o,,s Of North Carolina. That the
a;s,cu,ty is increased is asserted only oy
,,oso ,orsons interested in obstructipg the |
commerce between the South ana NRSlna
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES who care no more about
North Carolina commerce than doese Modoc
Ipdian-peSsons who desire to take North
CAROLINA commerce neither 10 Moth Caro-
lima nor Virginia city, but directly to some
CITY north OF Virginia.
The breach Aetween the GuW States aud
the North Carolina sea'coast ga CharioNe
was the SreaS of gauge at thatta~n. Below1t
was the 5 feet gauge, north Of 1t ieetst
inches. BY thc'change OF gauge to Greens
boro' the bresk is simply transferred to that
town-North CAROLINA having still the one
break and no more.
Now, If we were North Caroinian, and
were asked what would be the best thing
for that State, we should say an uss-oken
ra,lcuad gauge froudtkc Gulf to Whining.
ton, horeheed City. and Newter1. And
this IS the very thing that the owners and
iessees of the North Carolina road and the
Atlanta AIRLINE propose to give her. The
break bet ascen those ports aud the CUR
upon these linesat Charleston created great
expense and much delay in the management
of those roads, and the owners end iessees
SAW that at woud'be enduringly to their adj
yaptage. NJ well as to that of North Carolina
herself, M they could make their gauges anl-
form With the ,Danyille road and With the
Atlanta line below Charlotte,-so in leasing
the North Carolina road they stipulated for
the right to change the gauge Of that road.
Aud now, having given us'a uniform gauge
to New Orleans, they propose immediately TO
give North Carolina tie ssmeuniform railway
from the Gulf to her own ports. What more
oeuld she ask?
Would our friends Of North Carolina be
satisfied at q break of gauge in the way to
their cities, provided they coNld impose t,r0
breaks upon our Vrginiacemmefce? Would
that be practical view of their own in
ferests? Would it not SAVIOR more Of that
sort of csp,iousDess described as cutting OF
ones nose to spite the face? Would they
prefer to inilct an Injury upon Virginia
the old companion in pence and in war OF
their own State-rather thun acquire an adj
yantagefor themselves that admitted Virginia
10 equality with their own Commonwealth:
We submit that this is not ncighborly, and
is most ungraccful, view of the kindly re-
lations which have subsisted between the two
States.
Irrespective of the social and neighborly
feelings which have marked the intercourse
between North CaroIinians and Virginians,
the war upon the change Of gauge now so
bitterly wageti in North Carolina would be
both unwise and uncvil. Virginia desires
that the people of North Carolina shall have
the most unrestricted traEsit for all their
commerce through her territories. It's to
her interest that North Carolina should have
it. Communities fare best who afford the
best facilities to trade. North Carolina should
award to Virginia all liberty and facility TO
commerce that she desires for herself, and all
that Virginia accords to her. That is the way
to benefit herself
A uniform gauge with the South is the
best thing that can be secured for North
Carolina. The prominent and most active
opponents Of this uniform gauge are the
friends of the kreaks-those actively en-
gagged in hurrying southern commerce
through both North Carolina and Virginia.
There are goodiy number Of such people
in tins State who acc ready to assist those in
North Carolina TO o&struct the Atlantic line.
They are friends of neither Virginia nor
North Carolina coEaGlercc, but the enemies
of both.
We dsplore the spirit Of hostility to the
change Of gauge shon'n at Raleigh 1t is
unfortunate, and directly opposed to the
true interests of NoSal Carolina. Chose
interests tell tue North .Carolnians clearly
that the best thing that could be done for
their S,ateis to connect their principal cities
by uniform gauge with the whole S&th.
We warn the people Of North Caroi:na
against party that is alike hostile TO The ir
and TO our. commerce, and We impIOrc them
for the sake of their and our .Lest Interests
to abandon their error Of exposing uni
form gaugeho tie Gulf, that will be The best
for their commerce rs well rs for ours.
Break the gauge and you do us sNat injury
and gain nothing Jor yourselves, but lose
intellectually. We speak most SINGER ely, de-
string the best success to the comRer.cial en-.
terprises of North Carolina.
We repeat that the best thing for a COM
mercial people is to give TO commerce very
liberty and facility that is possible. No COM
munity performs its duty to society that per-
mits travel aud commerce to be interrru ted
within its territory; and in this day OF .en-
larged aud liberal commercial ideas no cvlu.
munity can long maintain such inter- f.
lions. The world holds such people as H.
hosptable and unwiseIy selfish. We tr,At
that The people OF neither North Carolina nts'
Virginia can be paced in this discreditabl,'
category.
There is one good result which we hope
will attend the establishment of through
rail connection bet Teen Richmond and At
lanta. Under the present dispenSation pas.
sengers from the North who pass through
This min d.. l..