The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-01-20
sTAUNrON, VIRGINIA. THURSDAY, JANUARY co. 1876

the time the trip is made through to make
the carrying business remunerativc, until the
DETERMINATIONS between through and local
freght S become enormously out of all proper
ton to the difference iii distances. What then?
Would we closeup those avenues OF trade across
the Continent? We have already said we
would not What then do we want. aud must
we have? We want to enjoy all the aslvanta-
ges to which we reentitled by nature and our
relative situation. We, want the west and
northwest to enjoy alt the peculiar advantages
to which they are entitled by nature and their
relative situation. We would build roads and
excavate canals TO penetrate to the utmost lin
its Of our confe(leracy, and they may do the
same to their hearts content, and they may.
and welcome, utilize them all, in the course OF
fair and legitimate traffic. M
Millions to do all this .'bnt not a cent for
tribVte.' Let that be the watch word of the
farmers of Augusta, and OF the Valley. OF the
farmers, do We say? Are there any of our
people, of whatever profession or occupation,
who are enemies to their section? Strike
down agriculture, and the State falls, lacking
its proper support. Encourage, if it is only
BY protecting it, and tile sy,sasperity OF the
State is assured, and the State debt is safe. and
there wou never be another whisper Of repu
diation. Protect your agricultural interests
that overshadow all other interests, for the
fact stares every farmer i'll Augusta in the
face. that he is paying tribute to the western
producer to enable Lim to send his produce
through to glut the markets at our door, AMI
that the tribute he thus pays IS measured by
the discrimination against him. The western
producer is entitled to no such subsidies ION
us, and he would rot be. if there were such Il
thing Is reciprocity between us, and we had
the power TO retaliate. The rights and fran
chises vested in railroad corporal ons are pre-
sumed to have lie n SO vested for benttice t
purposes, and it could not have been coltenl-
plated that they Should lie left untlatnnelet |
to prostitute their powers for purposes Of op
preston 1t is safe to say that the taxpayers
OF HE Valley could far better afford to carry
the entire debt Of Virginia and West Virginia,
than TO endorse this state Of things. Without
that division of labor that inSlres prosperity.
with nothing to exchange for western produce,
i'll the absence OF reciprocity, borne down by Il
uisproportlonale weight of taxation, having to
face the competition, forced upon them by 'll
! que means, OF country imperial in hla2nitl-
Genes extent, and fertility. that pears It's pro
y endless PROVISIONS. into ts.e mar
hets at their doors. having TO contend with even
iie'caithe rings, and all sorts of rin@s,it might
no. no. pe very nspiriting to say to the farmers OF
t 1ne tai'ey' III the language that Milton puts
ilto ti'e mouth of the devil himself, awake,
aa's1' OF &c forever fallen" As to Virginia,
" lei population and wealth, she has CONTRIB
"teu 10 Guild up states and territories IN the
west, northwest, and south. and southwest,
ana INC census tables disclose the fact, thar
liei White population has not doubled itself in
all that period Of time that has elapsed since
the adoption Of the federal constitution. In
the same period Of time the population of
Pennsylvania has Occupied itself. The drain
upon Virginia still goes on. and must be taken
into the account when we come TO speculate
upon the causes Of her decline. Federal poll
ties out OF view, we have here a field on which
her intellectual giants can fight their battles.
and who knows, that in the coming Time she
may not give birth to some Homer to celebrate
III song, and make mmt rial their renown !!
Such field for the display of all that is great
ai!d glorious in true craftsmanship has not
been thrown open since the l,assage Of The
Stamp act. We are proud Of Virginia and Vir-
glna cities, and especially of Stanton. our
city OF the hills. the Athens that is to be of
Virginia. bnt if onr cities will league them
selves with railroad corporations, to build up
and secure The western trade, they must know
that they cai do so only by pulling ours down.
Without legislative interference ani protection.
orr farme"s, as an alternative for self preSelva-
ton aud protection, will have to look beyond
the State, but not towards the west, for mar
kets Where they can eiiecttlatc their exchanges,
and thus escape from the embrace of the ANA
conda that is winding its folds around h,m
AGRTCoLA.