The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1876-05-19
THE RAILROAD WAR.
HOW THE EFFORT TO LOWER THE PRESTIGE or
NEW FORK MUST MJunE IT'S MAKERS.
BRooKLrx May IL, 1874

TO TEE EpnoK or SnH HERALD
The time has come when Nov York should
begin 20 take care OF herself - worse
than prsmeditascd folly for business men
longer close their eyes and ignore the
various attempts which have been made and are now
making 20 destroy the commercial supremacy Of this
city dwarf away from any portion Of tho trade
which ought naturally 10 come hisher, WHICH belongs
logtmatsIy to US and to turn into other chanpelsa
thousand little rilis which should now In volume
and nnd its homo hero
Thrcc great factors-f may such term as de-
scrptive Of what mean--entsr into the solution and
aove tho problem Of our greatness as q commercial
cenue--the New York Central (vanderbiit's road;
tho Eric Railway Through its connections with Union
Pacinc) and Colonel Scotts road, known tho Penn
syvania Central The two former Com
modorc Vanderbilt especially has, In the management
Of the Central proved his entire loyalty 70 the city Of
New York and shown his appreciation Of the vast SUI
periority Of New York Harbor all others tho
continent whence TO reach the markets OF the world.
stupid, narrow-mndcd policy might have suggested.
or some personal spleen might have dictated TO the
veteran Commodore, and induced HIM 70 make Albany.
instead OF New York. the terminus Of his quadrupo
road Tho facilities in all respects as great not
greater than Philadelphia possesses Frcights and all
that Is known undor that generic namo could have
easily been transferred from tho English and
other foreign bottoms At Albany as at New York;
but as has already been said, such a would
have IN violation. not only Of all the natural and
reasonable
LAWS TRADE,
but would have been in conflict with good sense and
reason also. And Commodore Vanderbilt is no fooL
Something like this, however, absurd Ms Il must mp
pear to reasonable and Intelligent business men, -
what tho management OF tho Pennsylvania Central
seem intent upon trying 10 do.
so long as the ato President Of that corporation Mr.
Edgar Thompson lived, It was hardly TO b. expected
that he could from force Of circumstances would
from choice alter or amend tho provincial policy by
which he was governed and by which The road was
controlled.
Like that apocryphal Hebrew maiden, Of whom Va
Came 50 think the hills around her
Were tho boundaries OF earth.
he knew cared for and regarded interests those
OF Philadelphia Wise, good and, in some respects,
great was, Edgar Thompson regarded no horizon
but that which has for It's centre independence Hall
In this even New FORK may pardon something to his
memory, tor Philadelphia 10 pre-smincntly "a CITY Of
homesS Quiet-in most OF the side streets there is
much OF the calm which lends lazy charm TO the
mansions that line tho banks Of tho schuykill and
Delaware and In Chestnut and Market Streets the
principal thoroushares OF this historic city, II 10 but
seldom tina. blind man falls victim 70 tho crush
Hut Edgar Thompson did one thing for which no do
serves our lasting credit.
As Sir Humphrey Davy proudly claimed as his
greatest honor 1.-The discovery OF Mike Faraday."
Edgar Thompson could demand with equal satisfaction
that The had discovered Tom Scott"
| so long AZ Scott subordinate 10 Thompson he
accomplished by quiet but effective means much that
resulted 10 the good Of the road and Of benefit to the
whole country Scott never slow TO urge upon its
directors broader and liberal policy Tor Pennsyl-
wanna Tho lease Of the New Jersey roads was con-
summatcd through SCOTS fundamentally, although
others in the confluence Of Mr. Thompson and moved
by fears that Philadelphia was about in some remote
New YORK ds expressed grave ana
| doubts as 70 tho propriety Of the acquisition The
largo sums Of money, amounting to many millions,
which have already been expended in improving these
roads accords with Scotts early and far-sceing policy
But since no has assumed The presidency Of PennsyI
4 vania Scott seems TO have
LAID ASIDE HIS FORMER CHARACTER
and have gathered about him the tightly fitting robes
| in which President Thompson clothed himself and
which he perssisd in wearing hour OF his DEATH
To-day Scott lies railroad Hercules poisoned BY this
| ''shirt Of Nessus" He Is becoming more "Phiadol-
| phiano than Thompson He has acquired, q
cost Of 81 000 the old dismantsd yard with
double purpose OF shutting out Garrett and the Bal
tm0re and Ohio road and ut time Of seeking
10 pacatc The fears VI Philadelphia with the promise
that the yard 10 to be the terminus Of all his
debt 10 HIM than that little State has admitted Tho
Harsimus Cove Proper.y u Jersey cry, purchased
i Is for the transfer Of all the cereals for ship.
Eent to the markets OF Europe, has, Is
confidently assorted been dedicated TO abatloir
purposes ard to DO turned into vast
and vulgar slaughter house, to become perpetual
nuisance the nhautans 1.-Two he desires
20 into The shsep and bone boiling business let
MIN move over ana beyond Bergen Heights Hursmus
Cuvc should be lined and crowded On all sides with
to furnish ali the ac,tcs for ransactng commerce
Of thescontinent large proportion OF which Scott
can, u he Is not swayed ny local Ideas, control
which 1t IL to be devoted may seem Of small moment
But demonstrates the tact that Colonel Scott Is At
present dominated by narrow, local, "Phsdoipha no.
tons when he should rise equal TO the occasion and
grasp the broad generalization that New York Is the
emporium OF the continent The attempt to stop be-
fore getting here or divert elsewhere from New
York what belongs TO New York, ought 70 prove as fu
tile Ms the effort Of Senator Window ana his committee
Estimated OF 500 OO0 for connecting the great
lakes and the interior OF the continent with the Mlssis
sppi and ct Lawrence, and thus dram away its West
! orn commerce. from Now York. But II was long ago
discovered that all such schemes and theories
either Of these routes 70 Europe tina. grain
sent by the way Of the mississippi and New Orleans
would , o s ons Ss 81 wrcncs ro"c by
| OF Toe, Is practically closed for half the year
All attempts, It may tnen DO said IN few words, 70
/ ignore New York the monetary and commercial
centre or the have failed disasirousiy II re-
mans TO b seen whether tho desire to drive Colonel
Scott into q sinilnr attempt will succeed Let US sup
pose that il does--what will bo tho RESULT
First OF all, the moment II Is known in London that
IL his seek 10 Philadelphia and not
New York hs terminus the bonds Of his road will de-
preciate In value ut least twenty per cent
Engl'shmsn know tho geography o. America better S
in this continent IL based upon their condolences in
Again should he do this scott win mover build
ms rExAs-PAcrYIC ROAD
Most certainly not e y is once understood that he
more his bonds not IL backed by tho forfeit Of The
Shylo.k's pound oil flesh.
The question Of Congressional subsidy has, thus
far boon answered by emphatic NO" But wcro
he ~ rid himself Of the narr0w-mndcd and provincial
dens by which he seems TO be governed and make
Il known that New York is TO be the grand cnfrepct
between America and Europe, New York would respond
With subscription Of enough millions 70 complete the
Texas Pacific.
Besides, Philadelphia has no money; New York has;
but New York Is disposed 10 invest u Tor the ag-
grandzenent OF any other city TO do would violate
mos only all the laws Of 'selfprotection," but would
look like assisting stop the tide and onward flow
Of . trade which grnvitatcs naturally toward Man
haitian Island tho waters OF follow the
As well might Disraci DO expected TO contribute 10
speculative project for dvertng from its that
current of tho worlds commerce which flows through
the sucx Canal and finds It's way 10 the heart Of
London
Of his Philadelphia policy Prom Philadelphia to