Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1876-06-13
The Atlantic Mississippi and
Ohio Railroad Case.

Lie IGlClllllOuu ENQUlkEk, ldS
the following dispassionate article
on tho President of the A. M.
6 o. r.. r. Co. OF course it is
not our purpose to endorse all the
views get forth, but coming from
such source they will be read
with Interest," Ed. NEWS.
The United States Court, Judges
Bond and Hughes sitting, on yester-
day announced their decisiOn to the
effect that the court deemed it best for
the interest of all parties that the
road should be placed i'm the hands of
a Receiver. This interrupts if it does
not terminate the long reign of our
Railroad King, which has certainly
not been peaceful one.
We are not one of those who have
INDUCED in unlimited condemnation
of Gen eral Malone. or his manage
ment of this road. BY no means his
enemy, neither have we been his de-
voted adherent and apologst. 1t is
unfortunately true that nearly all who
have heretofore discussed him and his
affairs, may be Classed under either
one or the other of these heads. Surely,
however, his enemies must admit, in
all fairness, that he Is no ordinary
man. He contemplated great schemes
and mas had great opportunities, but
it is yet to be demonstrated whether
he made a proper use of those oppor-
tunities. He is one of the few men
in this State who ever had any perfect
and consistent conception of rail-
road policy, or ever attempted to inn
press one on the legislation OF the
State. With best wishes for his sue
cess the State has dealt literally with
him never refusing anything /: never
hesitating to comply with his slightest
desire. In fact since 1869 our Legis-
latures have only seemed to assemble
in order to register his DEGREES, so
great has been the confidence of q
majority in his ability and integrity.
Aspiring public men learned to look
to him, instead of to the people whom
they should have served, as the War
wick at whose hands they were to re-
Ceive their crowns. We do not mean
to say that none of our public men
We're independeI Of his overshadow-
ing influence, for there are many
shining examples of this class, but
many such paid the penalty of their
independence by incurring the dis
pleasure of his enlisted supporters,
and having their merits deprecated
or passed by in contemptuous silence,
whilst praises and hOnors were lavish
ed upon his faithful followers.
Never before has any one man eXer-
ciSed so OVerweening an inf1uene in
this State, and it is now useless to
speculate as to how he obtained or
maintained this influence; but we may
be permitted to hope that no man in
future will ever have as much; for that
therein lay danger is not to be denied.
We freely admit he has decided talents
as railroad man, in fact that he is as
great railroad man as any of his
competitors in or out of this State !;
and if he had confined his attention to
Tailroading alone he might have ac-
complished more, and might still
have been at the head of great enter
prise, 1t is boldly charged by his
enemies that the earnings of his road
have been diverted from legitimate
purposes and used to secure political
power. This has not been demon
strated to our satisfaction; but in the
course of the trial counsel for the
English bondholders openly announc-
ed that they proposed to require a
strict accounting at his hands, and we
suppose that all the facts will be de-
veloped. 1t is certain that he does
not object to Investigations and for
all interests involved it is better to
have facts than rumors. Our best
wish for the plucky Railroad King is
that he may not meet the fate of
others in like situations, but may lose
mono of the friends who sailed with
him when prosperous breeZes filled his
sails.
The misfOrtunes which have involv-
ed one of our great railroads in disas-
ter command our profound sympathy
We deplore the necessity for appoint
ing Receiver, and only hope he may
be one worthy of this important trust.
Still candOr cOmpels us to say that we
do not see how the court could have
decided otherwise. The road Is un-
doubtedly insolvent, and the creditors
had "A right to the relief they asked.
As to the counsel who participated in
this case, the most we can say of them
is that they exhibited much zeal In
behalf of their respective clients. II
may he that we expected too much OF
them, especially as some of the coun-
sci Tor the plaintiffs came all the way
from the great city of Gotham, and
we've heralded in advance by the
trump OF fame.
1t seems to us that the Atlantic. Mis-
sissippi and Ohio Railroad still has q
great future before it, True, its en-
barrassments are great, but greater
have been overcome in the history OF
many such enterprises. 1t is ouI
earnest hope that its credit may be
enhanced, its value improved, hs
revenues increased during the term
for which it may bo in the hands OF
officers of the court. These officers
will have no light task and must ex-
pect to be held to a strict accountabili-
ty not only by the court, but by the
people of Virginia who have a deep
interest in the property In question:
Meantime is is to be hoped that the
great abilities and extraordinary ener-
gy of General Malone may not be lost
to the State. We cannot afford to lose
so valuable q citizen, and we know OF
no way in which his talents and ener-
gy could be so usefully employed as
in some influential capacity in the
new management OF the great enter
prise to which the best years OF his
life have been devoted, and about