South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1879-01-31
Letter Of Hon. b. e. Martin.
WARRINGTON. Jan. 22. 1879.
Hon. Geo. II. ho0en. Speaker of Me House

81 Delegates Of Wesf Viryinia:
My DEAR SIR IL learn by dispatch
In the newspapers with some SURPRISE.
that our Legislature has passed a reso'
luton instructing the Senators and re-
guessing the Representatives to vote for
the Texas Pacific Railroad Subsidy bill.
| am so confident that this must have
been done inadvertently. or at least up-
on very imperfect knowledge OF the
facts. that l venture to address you in
regard TO two or three points on the
general subject. in the hope that YOU al
least may not allow this decision TO stand
without better understanding of the
questions involved.
First. 1t should be known to our
people that the Texas Pacific bill. "A re-
ported from committee, calls for the en-.
dorsement Of the United States upon a
minimum amount Of $s8. 900 of the
bonds OF that company, running fifty
years. and bearing i've per cent. interest
in gold, thus binding the Treasury TO
pay out to capitalists 81 1877 500 in gold
annually, or an aggregate OF nearly
S91, 100000 in all, for interest. The
bonds are upon l, 400 miles Of road, and
are at the rate Of $4,000 per mile for
tho easy portion and SIS, 900 per mile
Tor the harder portions Of the route
This Is more than enough to build and
equip the road at the present low prices
OF labor and -matarial. and it vii; leave
a large profit to the builders without re,
curing them to put in another dollar Of
their own money.
Second. Col Scott. the President OF
the Pennsylvania Il. II. Co. and Of sew
eral tributary concerns between P;tts-
burgh and ST. Louis is also the Presi-
! dent and chief manager Of the Texas
Pacific. There can be no doubt, | think,
OF his purpose to make the line from
Northern Texas to the Pacific subsidia-
~ and subservient to his roads north Of
the Ohio river-that is his great mott We
in getting up this scheme to make the
| government build more roads to feed his
overSrown monopoly. w. Virginia has
nothing TO hope for. but much to lose,
10y the adoption of such a policy. Nei.
Their Of the great trunk lines which cross
her territory need expect to yet pas
sengcr or q car load of freight destined
to or from the far West, if Col. Scott
| aud his allies control both the Atlantic
and Pacitic ends OF the through line
They will be made to work into each
others hands in spite OF statutory pro.
! visions. No Get of men in the country
ought 10 he entrusted with so large ard
dangerous power.
Third. 1t turns out that one other
company. and perhaps more, offer %
build all that is essential Of THIS same
Texas Pscfic Road, either without al!
from the government or with very much
less, las YOU will see Ivy the bill of SEN
ator Johnson, Of Virginia, onClo led
herewith,) than the sum asked by this
Texas Pacific Bill. For In stance, Il e
San Francisco end OF this Sind pa-al.
lei road across the continent. was oripi.
nally required TO be built by CalIfor-
mia company. and that company has a.
read i'm operation continuous line from
that city nearly eight hundred miles
eastward to the interior of Arizona,
where it is rapidly progressing mile
day. average. Of track being laid. Al.
tracted by the rich silver and gold mines
of Arizona. AMI backed nv the rich
mines of Nevada and California, and
her wheat fields, these capitalists are
now constructing the western half OF this
railroad line in order to ascomao ate
such local traffic as otfors, and to psrti.
cipstc in the through business. IL is on.
iy reasonable to suppose that The veal
thy companies controlled by the Penn.
sylvsnis magnates might. with like ease
and propriety. ouStrGct the eastern half
across the plains of Texas. At least
one Texas cooperation offers to build
across that State to q meeting point al
FL Psso, for subsidy OF $4,000 per
mile. and others would he glad to do so
along the same route as the Texas Pc
cite, OH tNe same terms, without any
utilization with tie lines north of the
Ohio
Fourth. 1t will be seen therefore,
that Congress is under no constraint to
vote this money, as THO road il building
as fast as could be de sired without resort
to this dangerous preceden'. The pc
cunsrv assistance of The Federal GOV.
ernmont his never. in all its histoi v.
been invoked to assist internal improve
ments except on the ground that they
we're indispensable, and were beyond
the scope and ability OF the States, or
OF associated capital. This enterprise,
of which more than half has alread y
been built without subsidy or credit, Is
evidently not of this class. On the con.
trary, If L. were once understood that
the Government was not going into the
business building railroads. private
capital would he encouraged to step in
and complete it for the rewards which
follow through traffic.
Furthermore. and snnlly, you ought
to be aware that the people arc watch
ing with attentive eyes whether the
Democratic party gives promise OF trust
worthiness in its charge of the public
Treasury and the power Of TAXATION
Tue campaign Of 1876 was carried on
the basis Of no subsidies and greater O..
economy in administration and cores
ponding reductions Of taxes I see no
benefit 70 The poor people Of West Vir-
ginia from the increased yearly burden
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