Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-02-23
JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, 1876



Messrs Editors The Supreme Court after
full examination Of the cnse, have decided that
,nS US ooKs. static vermont rai'road cor
poration we're legally elected. The court found,
among other things, that the two thousand three
hundred and fifty shares Of stock were an asset
Of the company, which 1t was lawful &c SELL and
the same having been sold to langdon and Mills,
TO raise money to meet nm obligation that was
soon to become due, It was q legal transaction
Even those hired servants who have so penistently
maigncd our courts for the past two or three
years, are obliged to admit that this may be
good law" but at the same time make scandal
Gus insnuatons against our courts, that should
arouse every citizen Of Vermont sufficiently at
least, to put them upon an inquiry into some Of
these things Bismarck has said that Vermont
possessed the most perfect form OF democratic
government in the world. And certainly the judi
cal branch has always been held to be above even
a suspicion Of intentional wrong.
Parties are often disappointed by the decision Of
the court, and sometimes much displeasod, but 1t
is only within two or three years that we have
heard serious reflections against II, and We find
that these originate outside Of the state although
they find tools within our state that will ped
die falsehood for money; hired mourners who
make great ado over dead causes irresponsible
parties who are willing to do the yilest kind Of
work for pay Their venom has been directed
against judges referees auditors masters, and
almost every one connected with the railroad
cases in general, and Governor smith, and W. C..
Smith in particular, all Of whom are men OF un-
blemished character and in fact among the very
best citizens Of the state.
This is clearly traceabe to the great railroad in
terests Of New York There has been constant
falling Off in their business with the West, aud
they have looked with jealousy upon this great line
from Chicago to Boston over the Central Vermont,
with q fixed determination to disintegnte the
consolidated management--to break the line mp
and separate each of the original roads so as to
make it little road by itself, running from nowhere
10 nowhere and have to spend all It's force in com
petition with the others, while all kinds Of freight,
and especially through freight, would cost the
people much more than it does now
II they had succeeded in their attempt TO buy
up stock sufficient to get full control Of the Cen
trail Vermont railroad, they would have accom-
plished this result So that every citizen OF this
state as well as all New England, has reason
to rejoice that these men Of Gotham did not sue
coed. The people Of Vermont should distinctly
understand that all these accusations against the
managers Of the Central have been originated and
promulgated by New York ring through such
agents as they could find willing to do such work
and that after all their noise they have in every
instance failed, utterly, to show a single thing out
Of the way.
That this great line has It's center here in Yer
Il
mont-that this state has produced the men who
could build up such a magnificent thoroughfare
the citizens thereof may well feel proud. Gov
Smith and his associates took charge Of the ruad
in 1858 when it was in rundown condition
with unfinished road bed unsafe bridges AND
poor rolling stock, and earning only about sever
hundred thousand dollars per year. They hav,
caused the road-bed to be thoroughly finished
adding various Improvements in the way Of side
tracks rails bridges, with depois, engines anc
cars equal 10 any railroad in the land, while tn,
earnings have increased 10 about three million
per year Allowing seycnty-fye per cent for run
ming expenses, this would pay profit Of six o.
seven per cent ON the whole cost Of the road, an,
all the debts whenever these are adjusted an,
properly funded by the owners
And this has been accomplished under all III,
disadvantages ana cA- tilsth winch a large amour
Of litigation must necessarily involve but which
we hope, has been ended by the quo rarraHto de
cision. There are railroads where an immense
business is done, while the public have very poo
accommodations.
The depots are dnapidatcd the cars uncomfort
able and filthy, while the owners put large diyi
bends into their pockets But having regard 70
the rights Of the public the Central Vermont ha
been provided with comfortable depots and cars
| having permanence Of structure that has an ey
to the future OF course it has taken grea
amount Of money to provide these things yet IA
doubt this will ultimately prove the more profta
| bic course
But the joke Of the occasion appears when thes
men Of Gotham, who count their incomes by mil
| lions upon millions, these railroad kings who will
their untold wealth try 10 control the traffic 0
the nation, and extend their immense power l.
sell and bully the courts Of New iork-ties
mon, after using all their mighty enginery in on
state in order to destroy the Central Vermont
when they have utterly failed in their deyilisl
work, they become so " humble, and say through
their Vermont mouth-piece, with all the humility
Of urah lIeep "well, the Quo Wauanto decision
may be good law, but we suppose it is becaus
might means right" "