The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-05-04
THE DEMOCRACg AND TINE
SOUTHERN PACIFIC
RAILROAD.


Ono of the most interesting suHscll
which will occupy the attention OF the
coming Congress when 1t sssembles, will
bs the scheme to aid the Southern Pa.
clac railroad by subsidy from the gen.
eral government. This will be psrtlcu-
lsrly interesting to everybody, inssmuch
ss it will, really, show bow far political
revolution has progressed in the country,
and whether Democratic members will
stick closely to the old Democratic idea
Of State rights, and oppose works OF in.
ternsl improvement by the government
of the United States, or whether they
will yield, in degree, their former doc
trines, and consent to this measure.
The chances are that the bill will
pass. 1t Is the prime wedge relied upon
by Mr.. HAYES for disrupting the Dem
ocrstic party, thereby enabling him to
carry out bis "Whig- Republican" plot.
This being so, nearly all the Republican
members of Congress will support the
bill, and as the Democrats will have but
small majority, concerted action on the
part of Republicans will, of itsolt, be al
most sufficient to put it through, and if a
very few Democrats vote with them it
will make the matter sure. The
principal question of interest then lie,
what are the chances OF Democrats so
voting2
1t is almost certain that a majority of
the Southern members will be favorable
to the passage of the bill. All In that
section are much more concerned, at this
moment, in repairing the waste created
by war ard carpet bsggers than any
thing else. 1t is likely that all of the
Democratic party from there will look
upon the construction OF the railway as
q great future benefi! to the South. 1t
will give employment to many persons
now anxious for such, but unable to OBJ
tain it, besides being the means OF
many thousands of dollars being dis
bursed. 1t will be reasoned too, that rs the
North has had the benefit OF government
aid in the building of the Union Pacific
road, it is but fair that the South should
enjoy like advantages, especially as she
needs them a hundred fold more than
the North did, on account of her losses
by the war. These will be powerful
reasops with great many Southern
Democrats, and no doubt will weigh
with them sufficiently strongly to induce
enough to vote with the Republicans to
make the road certainty.
AS we have said, however, the princi.
pal point of interest West Virginians
have In the matter is TO see how far o,d
party lines will be changed, and old is
sles abandoned. Our delegation, hav-
ing no such motives to guide them rs
have the Southern members, will vote
probably, against the bill. But its pass.
age will make new political departure.
The question which SO troubles Mr.. TAR
BOX OF Massachusetts,, "Am l Deno-
crat or is HAYES Republican," will,
tor q time, become more difficult to be
answered, and the parties IN Congress
will find it very hard to tell whom
to regard as friends or enemies. Party
organization will be kept up more for
the next presidential campaign than
anything else, and, indeed, unless thero
is decided change in the policy OF the
administration, it will take such CAM
psign to determine whether the country
is Republican. Whig or Democratic. In
the meantime, we will all look on quietly,
and make up our minds, provided always,
nevertheless, we hope, that whatever
stand the State takes it will still be
under the Democratic nsmo and stand
ard. Let Republicans become Demo
Gratis if they will, but let no Democrat
ever become Republican or be anything
else but q Democrat.