The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-02-21
rror .he nispatc,,.l

Two zsAn@S I'm
Aiessrs. Edisnrs,-- -diiigens reader OF
! Tour paperlfoY many years,i have This TO
saw :sThas whatever other fault may be laid
1 nit your door you hsye NOT failed IN duty
ITO Virginia, but have always anVocateu
| whatsyou deemed best forthe puod1c inter.
ests OF our; state at large. anu OF the Guy OF
Richmond in particular. Theretope l
would respectfully eall your specla ~ aIten.
tion to the dangers sllet no " threaten tnose
| interests under the guise OF q. proposition
to amend the charter Of the Buchanau ana
Clifton Forge Railroad Company.
I do not intend to. argue, (What an nus
enthusiasts and interested men admit, Cttle
superior cheapness OF water transporla-
| ton; or the expedieDsY OF retaining under
oar own control what should be the master
fmnroyement of the State and of the United
States: all are agreed on that but the mon
who wish to appropriate it to themselves
Rut state at once thaBin my opinion two
rings have united to ges possession OF OUT
kading lines OF railway transportation with
purpose to dry up the canal ana run trace
away from all our principu! cues.
Their plan I believe TO be this: 10 de-
feat the present bill leasing the canal; TO
help the Buchanan and Chiffon forse ram
yoad get what it wants from the present
Legislature; to let that concern founder
| along until. in some short time, they are
ready to have it sold, and then to buy itard
the whole canal: to permit certain parties
to take, az their share, the dock and the
water-power of the canal, now worth SOU
600 per annum; to am,lse Richmond With
the idea of railroad on the canal tow
natb: to run railroad from Clifton
Forge to Lynchburg; to buy the Atlantic,
Mississippi and Ohiorailroad, and to cutthat
in two at Lynchburs; to give the upper part,
that west Of LyncbburS, to the Baltimore
and Ohio rail- DAD, not that they may oiier,
what no doubt they will faithlessly promise,
better terms to the Southwest, but inst they
may secure through inland cotton route
from Memphis and CHATTANOOGA at Che eX-
pense of the Southwest; and finally to give
all of said road east OF Lynchburg to the
Chesapeake and Ohio road, which will con-
meet with it by rail from Clifton Forge as
aforesaid.
The effect OF all this on Virginia cities Is
plain. Norfolk, now the second cotton-port
OF the Union, will lose all OF that trade
which the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio
railroad now brings, or will hereafter bring
her. Richmond will be left with dried-up
canal, upon whose tow-path railroad can
never be built, and would have no connec-
tons, il it could, with her southern trade
tapped at Danville, her southwestern at
Lynchburg, and her western at Staunton
and Gordonsvile. Lynchburg would be
way-station, and Petersburg would nave TO
live on peanuts and such meagre drlpplngs
as the Robinson branch OF the Baltimore
and Ohio railroad should choose her to get
from Weldon. And as to country produo-
tons, the history OF the combining purcha-
sers shows that they will be mulcted in ex-
z.o.1,f, I'D I, 90.
ruinous discriiminati.csn to entice through
7 frrcc..gnts to come forward. This has been
lately proved before committee OF the
Senate beyond denial.
All this game is to be played in the Legis-
lature with the votes of honorable members
2 used as counters; and some Of these count
ers the votes Of trusted representatives OF
Richmond city. We are to be persuaded to
ruin ourselves by speclous arguments or by
some other OF the potent influences that q
lobby knows how to WELD. The cities arc
| to be invoked to sclf-immolation by these
: high priests OF monopoly, and the men
whom they r1dicule as having hay-seed in
their hair are to be led up like bullocks
ITO crop the howery food"
All this will be denied, of course. Who
expects these people to spread the net in
, the sight OF our legislative birds? Can
prove it? No. Men engaged in that sort
Of business keep their counsel too well fol
that. The ring that is used by these knights
of the golden circle, like all other rings,
shows neither head nor tailor, II it does,
it is like that ring emblematic OF Saturn, the
great cannibal OF the gods, serpent with
its tail in its mouth. But this much many
know: That years ago the then and present
president OF the Baltimore and Ohio road
tried to get this very cotton connection,
and failed. And this much every man can
see: That the plan is within the range OF
possibility and that railroad presidents, as
a rule, never scruple to do what suits them
whenever it is possible, and never hesitate
to sacrifice all interests that tllwart their RI
pacity.
The men to be suspected are mainly Mr..
Huntington and Mr.. Garrett. Both are
known Us men OF great ability IN their line,
men not to be despised, but to be guarded
against: and believe they are now repre-
sented ia Richmond by agents and emissa-
res. Both head formidable rings intent on
public plumber; and both are enemies Of Vir-
einia. Mr.. Huntington's tariffs show what
he is. Mr.. Garrett is the man who laid
his sacrilegious hand upon the sacred SOW
creicntv of the State and rent her terri
tory in twain. Exacting what he could
from each portion, he now seeks to COM
plete the ruin commenced years ago in cold
bloodei policy.
Does the Legislature agree to that ? Will
the press see it done without lifting hand
to prevent it? Shall Virginia be "as
sheep dumb before its shearers ?" hope
not. All that can do is to uncover the
position OF the enemy; to unmask his bat
terles. have done 1t.
OLD VIRGINIA.