The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-03-08
We need not say that we do not endors'

all Of the following communication. We
,et Colonel Swami speak for himself
Tlsc Fast and the. West. the Mesropoii-
tan Press. Autobiography, &c.
To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
The system OF railroads running east and
west has built up some great citics-New
York, philadelphia, Boston. Chicago. Bal
timore-- and many small ones. Cincinnati
has also grown into a great city. mostly
from the same cause. Ii has been, or
soon will be, demonstrated that rail-
roads running north and south viii
have many advantages over those running
east and west; among them climate. also
the movement OF coal, iron, &C., not TO be
found on the eastern and western ilne OF
roads. They who ship 10y these eastern
and western roads complain mucn, ana
perhaps Justly, Of high and whimsical
charges, &C., while those cities can but sec
that every railroad running north and south
will divert commerce TO more southern
norts as well as manufactures TO
other and vastly more favorable To-
calities. and also open up cheaper sup
DIV OF coal and iron; and they must know
this will be very great gain TO the people
Of the South and West. The interest OF
The great West and South Is nothing to
them save so far as il fosters their wealth
and promotes their own interests; hence
they are giving couDtenance TO what Is
called anti-monopoly. They would have
the Government and the States take
control over freight and travel, know
inp that this would check. IL not
stop. the further building OF railroads
North and South, and hence leave the
southern routes unconstructed. and there
fore forestall their rivalry. These cities
also see that the Improvement OF orr rivers
will divert commerce from them TO other
great centres. Hence they are opposed 10
the Improvement OF our rivers ana the
construction OF cansls running south,
and their representatives and Lobbyists
resort 10 all kinds OF false argu-
ments. false statements, ridicule, ana
fraud TO prevent their Improvement, ana
they even 90 so far as TO claim for the IRE
sident OF the United States the right 10
withhold the money appropriated TO tbs
improyement--a claim most extraordinary
and imperious. They would resort TO laws
the most extraordinary and revolutionary
TO take from railroad companies their char
ter rights as to freight and charges, know
ing. as they well know, that the iudicious
Improvement Of our rivers would reduce
railroad charges to the lowest minimum.
but at the same time divert commerce to
other centres.
Communism and socialism, as we under
stand them, is the taking OF property from
the owners without compensation for the
benefit, or supposed benefit, OF the com
munity. We had a tremendous example
of this i'm the emancipation OF slaves with
out conversation. Are we to have another
example in taking from the railroad cOrp0-
rations the control over their own pro-
perry? II so, then the Government be-
comes at once the great centre OF COM
munism and socialism. If the people are
dissatisfied with the way the railroads are
managed; II they believe the rail-
roads, bondholders, and bankers are
robbing the people, and by their
nefarious practices cndangering our
rights, rs they have abundant cause to
believe, then let them build railroads OF
their own; let them pay oil the bonds; let
them annul or refuse further charters TO
the banks; let them construct roads east
and west and north and south; let them
make nayigabe the great rivers OF the
South and West. This would be lawful
and wise; this would reduce freights TO the
lowest minimum, and this would still the
clamor OF the socialists and communists OF
the great commercial centres called anti
monopolists. This would give illimitable
markets for coal and iron and all we can
make; this would open up our coal
fields; this would reduce the pretended
work of protective tariffs to a farce. But
this would not benefit those great con-
mercal centres. These great cities, pre-
tending to be national and the champions
OF law and order, national, however, only
so far rs ii enables them TO rob 40,00J,0O0
people,) are making war upon all the
people, on these vast and growing pOpula-
tions of the West ard South I'm particu-
lar, now getting to understand their true in
terests. and beginning to see themselve
mere asses under the wnlps and burdens
Of the East, mere herd sucked by flies.
These 40, 100000 people are growing l,5OO,-
600 year. In ten years they will count
G0,00O,0C They are also growing in wis
dom. The cry about slavery no longer
warps their judgment or blinds their eyes.
The howl about Confederate brieadiers no
longer deceives. The stuff about negro
rights and negro oppression has lost its
power. The negro is as well TO do rs any
laborer on earth-fat, sleek increasing
rapidly, with as much practical freedom as
he Is capable of using nay more.
How long will 4O,000,O00 Of people allow
themselves to be cajoled by the press, poll
ticians. LOBBYISTS, &C., OF these great, mag
unanimous, liberal, humanlty-loying cities,
and robbed and plundered by few money
and manufacturing lords?
we will see. JOHN s. SWAMI.
Charleston, ". Va, March /, 1888.