Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1879-02-08

Letter Of Hon. B. F. Martin.
wAsuixarox. January %. 1879

WAsHivaroS. January %. 1879.
Hon Geo. H. Iofef. Spe1ia Of DE Aogse
Of Dly1'es Of Vest Iirgiaia.
Ny DEAR SIR learn. by dispatch, in
the newspapers, with some surprise, that ohr
Legislature has passed a res1lution instructing
tie Senators. sul requestiu, the Representl-
tiycs. to vote for the Texas Pacific Railroad
Subsidy Bill. am so colhdeut that this must
have been done Inadvertently, or at least upon
a very imperfect knowledge Of the facts, that
| venture to address You in regard to two or
three points On the general subject. in the hope
that you at least may not allow this decision
to stand without a better understanding Of the
questions involved.
First Ii should be known to our people that
the Texas Pacific Bill as reported from COM
miitce, calls for the endorsement Of the United
States upon a minimum amount of S3S, 750,-
600 Of the bonds Of that company runuiul fifty
years, aud bearing five per cent. interest 10
golI. thus binding the Treasury to pay out to
capitalists 81 .937 500 in gold annually, or an
aggregated early 100000 in all, for inter-
est The bonds are upon ! 400 miles Of road
aud ere at the rate OF $4,000 per mile for the
easy portion, aud $4,000 per mile for the
harder portions Of the route. This Is more
than enough to buidand equip the road at the
present low prices Of labor and material, aud
it will leave a large profit to tho builders with
out recurring them to put iu another dollar OF
heir own money.
Second. Col Scott, tue President of the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company and Of sever
a! tributary concerns between Piusburg and
Saint Louis, is also the President aud Chief
Manager of the Texas Pacific. There can be
10 doubt, thiuk, Of his purpose to make the
line from Northern Texas to the Pacific subsi
diary and subseryient 10 bis roads north Of tie
Ohio river-that is his great motive in getting
up this scheme to make the government build
more roads 70 feed bis overgr0wn monopoly
West Virginia has nothing 10 hope for, but
much to lose, by the adoption Of such policy.
Neither Of the great trunk lines which cross
her territory need expect to get passenger or
a car load of freight destined TO or from the
Far West, if Col Scott and bis allies control
both the Atlantic aud Pacific ends Of the
through line They will be made to work into
each others hands iu spite Of statutory pro-
visions. No set Of men in the country ought
to be entrusted with 90 large and dangerous .
power.
Third. II turns ont that one other company,
and perhaps more, offer 10 build all that IS cs-
sential of this same Texas Pacific road, either
with or without aid from the government or
with very much less, ,ls you will see 10y the
bill OF Senator Johnston Of Virginia. enclosed
herewith than the sum asked by this Texas
Pacific Bill. For instance, the San Francisco
end Of this 32ud parallel road across The con-
inent was originally required 10 be built by
a California company, and that company has
already in operation continuous line from
that city nearly eight hundred miles eastward
20 the interior Of Arizona, where 1t Is rapidly
progressing, mile a day, average, Of track
btiug laid. Attracted by the rich silver and
gold mines f Arizona, and backed by the rich
mines Of Nevada, and California, and her
wheat fields, these capitalists are now con-
structing the western half Of this railroad lice
in order 10 Accommodate such local traffic as
offers, and to participate in tho through bust
ness. Ii is only reasonable TO suppose that
the wealthy companies controlled By tie Penn
sylvauia magnates might, with Ike ease and
propriely, construct the eastern halt across the
level plains Of Texas. At least one Texas
corporation offers 20 build across that State %
a meeting poiut at FL Paso, for "a subsidy Of
$4,000 per mile, and others would be glad 20
10 50 along the same route as tht ex7s Pacific
on the same terms without any ai- alton with
the lines north Of Ohio.
Fourth. Ii will be seen, therefore that Con-
grcss is under DO restraint to vote this money,
as the road is building as fast as could be de-
sired without resor, 10 this dangerous prece-
dent The pecuuiary assistance Of the Feder-
al Government bus never IN all It's history,
been invoked 10 assist internal improvem ents
except on the ground that they were ind-peu-
sable. and were beyond tie scope and ability
Of the States or of associated capital. This
enterprise Of witch more than half has al
ready been built withou; Subsidy in credit. is
evidently not t this class On the contrary.
if it were once understood that the govern
rnent was going into the business Of building
railroads. private capital you'd be encouraged
10 step In and complete It for the rewards which
follow through traffic.
Furthermore, and finally, You ought 20 be
awar, that the people are watching with at
tentive eyes whether the Democratic party
give promise Of trustworlhiness in its charge
Of the public Treasury and the power Of taxa
iion The campaign Of 1876 was carried on
LlE ihclc on AN tuNetAtLo ht4A iNtt~A N~'Ai"sAI
In administration and corresponding reductions
Of taxes see no benefit 10 the poor people
Of West Virginia from tie increased yearly
burden Of taxes to be laid on ,hen FOR the
benefit Of this Texas Company aud besides
there is no good reason why, If this subsidy be
granted, thousands Of others should DOT. You
may have noticed by The debates that we are
charged with the design Of opening wide the
Treasury doors to railloai subsidies on our &C
cession to power. The action Of West Vn
giuia and tgo OF three Southern States on this
matter Of railroad subsidies, confirms this sus-
pioion, aniis injuring US before the country,
in the opinion Of some Of our leading states
men.
You will remember that this is 10 new posi-
ton for me- as took the same ground 10 my
last canvass, in which distinctly stated that
was opp,s-l 70 all subsidies Of every kind,
and # owe NY success 10 one thing more
than another it is 70 this course. ! shall be
very willing to meet my constituents on this
issue in the future as have in Tie past.
-,.. - o-.f 80 make fha rarno -r,r mon. o. Won