Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1881-02-03
The Railroad Figbt-What 10 al
Stakel

ion necessary 10 enable new competing
inc of railroad between New York and
Washington to pass through this city and
State may fail It requires teo-thrds
1ote to secure the passage Of tho bill, aud
persistent and powerful Efforts are making
% prevent the obtaining o, such a vote.
Both sides In the fight are using thtit
utmost efforts, OF course, but The fight o.
The Delaware Western and Baltimore &
Ohio is made openly to secure charter
and right Of way for a competing road,
while that of tine other side Ia not made
20 openly in behalf of it's real object,
which Is that the Philadelphia, Whining
ton & Baltimore road may prevent any
rival from competing with it for the trade
of this State. Yet this is the whole ques-
ton as between the two interests, and 1t
ought to be very plain to anyone that such
ia the case.
So far as these two rival interests are
concerned 1t is not necessary for the |
people of the State or their representatives
In the General Assembly to manifest
affection for either. II is their duty to
look at the matter from the standpoint Of
the public interests, aud simply ask them
selves what is the question before them
and how decision is likely to affect the
welfare of the people of Delaware.
What then ia the question? Is it for the
Legislature now sitting at Dover to decide
whether a competing line of railroad shall
be built between Philadelphia ard Balti-
more or not? By 10 means. That is
decided on already, and the capital neces-
sary is at the command of those intending
to build such a line. The general railroad
laws of Pennsylvania and Maryland make
1t entirely practicable for them to do so
and the interests of the roads competing
with the Pennsylvania railroad make it
desirable that this middle link in another
great line between the North and South
shall be built, and as sure as the sun will
rise tomorrow 80 sure will this be done,
What then is it that our Legislature has to
decide concerning the matter II is simply
this. Whether or not the road, which will
surely be built, shall pass through this
State and this city, or run around Della
ware through Pennsylvania and Maryland.
The right to make their roadway
through the northern part of this State is
all that the projectors of this scaeme ask
at the hands of the Legislature of Della
ware. They seek no subsidy, and NJ
special advantage. They will give oul
people now avenue and afford the Stat
anew property subject to such just ant
equal taxation as it is its right to impose
They offer advantages, and demand moth
ing but the right to exist on Dslawar
soil. Suppose that there were not NOR
than ten people in the whole State VIII
would be profited by their competition
with the existing road, why should the re
mainder of the people object to these lei
enjoying the benefits which cost th
others nothing? There is not, and cannc
be, any public reason for opposing til
legislation sought, and would not be if
promised to benefit single citizen of th
State, so long as it would work no injuy
to any other citizen. -..."
But such Is not the condition. Th
new line does promise to benefit not on
nor ten, but more than fifty thousan
people of this State and to work no injui
to any. Suppose, as is alleged by som
that it will do no good to Kent or SUISSE.
that is no reason why they should deny
the people OF New CASTLE county an a
vantage which costs Kent and Suss
nothing. To the people of this city 81
county the presence of competing lii
will bring advantages which are mantle
TO any one capable of thinking on ii
matter, but great as these advantages a
they sink into insignifcance beside t
possible injury to US from any acti
driving this line away from our State
present, with only one line, we are on I
great highway between the North and t
South, and the only one convenient
travel between the capital and metropo
of the country. 1t would bs an hundrt
fold better for ua that no new line Shot
be built than that one should be bu
which would divide this current OF ira
and carry large part of it past US a
distance. II there was such a desi
we would be powerless to Prev
its being carried out, but {
people would most assaredly watch
execution with gloomy apprehension a
alarm. What then will be their feeiiI
il they actually see their own Legislatu
not merely looking with complacency
such disastrous blow at our interests,
actually forcing such new line away fr
our doors and compelling it to keep q
distance, on the territory Of other stat
1t would be exssperating to degree I
the members of our Legislature, listen
to the plausible pleading of the open
secret counsel of the Philadelph'a, '
mington and Baltimore railroad have
conception of, and if our people rel
come to believe that SO insane thin
possible, we have no doubt that they
express their feeling on the ma
with a force and emphasis
will be understood At present,
we have said, they cannot br
themselves to believe that any membe
sDelaware Legislature would really ST.
such blow at the rights, as well sa
interests, of any portion OF the people
Delaware, for the very purpose Of !
dering them absolutely dependent o
single railroad company. 1t is inc
ceivable, and we can hardly bring
selves to believe it sufficiently to pro
against such folly. 1t seems like raj
clamor to prevent men from wantc
destroying the property of others,
thrusting their own hands into the fire
Yet we have to admit to ourselves
there is something in the talk OF dai
of defea. Tor this measure, and
warn the people of Wilmington that
time that they shall arouse themselve
protest against SO serious blow at t
interests as the driving away from t
of large part of the travel which
flows through their streets, and the lot
that ease OF access which has contrib
so much to their prosperity In the