The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-11-01
Farmers, Look to your interests

roads, corporations and lobbyists. Not q
fight against the railroads because they
are corporations, but fight to compel
them to stand on an equal footing with the
people, to assume their just proportion of
the burthens of government, and to say to
them plainly and firmly we intend to grant
youno immunities; we intend that you shall
meet your obligations to the State just as
we meet ours, and we intend, moreover,
that you shall not discriminate against us
in your charges for freight.
Look for one moment at the injustice
which for years has been practiced on the
farmers of Virginia.
Whilst land and personal property, under
Democratic rule. was i'll most instances as
sessed to it's full cash value, and whilst
much Of it did not pay per cent. on the
investment, the railroads Of the Common
wealth paying from s to Is per cent. profit,
were assessed at less than ONE-FoURTH OF
their value. You could not BUY them at
$25, 900 per mile, and yet the Democrats
assessed them at $4,000, realizing tax OF
but $40, 559. GA out of that vast investment.
When the Readjusters came into power
they quadrupled the Democratic assess
ment and the State now realizes an annual
income from the tax on railroads of $780,
454.92.
The contest being made in Virginia to-
day. is the contest of these railroads to get
the Democratic party in power again SO
that their taxes will be again reduced.
That is the explanation of the large sums
of money being used in every section OF
the State. These roads can afford to spend
100000 in this fight, for they will get it
back again in single year if the Demo-
cratic party is restored to the control OF
the government. That too is the explana-
tion of the deep interest Mr.. Barbour,
Gen. Wickham, and the rest of the rail
road officers are taking. They know that
| if the Readjusters remain in control that
railroads must come up sqnarely to the
mark as other property holders do !; they
know that they can expect no exemption
| from a just proportion of taxation, and
| they know, too, that there will be read
justment of the freight rates throughout
the Commonwealth. They are putting up
| thousands of dollars to beat the Read
justers and they can well afford to do it.
But can the farmers of Virginia afford to
allow them to succeed? Can they afford
to have their property-much of it unpro-
ductive-taxed to it's full value, whilst the
property of the misunderstanding large
dividends-is taxed not one-fourth as much
as it should be T?
But not alone in taxation have the rail-
roads enjoyed special privileges. They
have been permitted to run. rough-shod
over the people who are forced to patronize
them. The farmers of Virginia well
know that they cannot, under ordinary Cir
cumstances, compete with the fertile prai-
ries of the West in the production Of
grain. There the soil is rich and smooth
and the farm labor can all be done with
machinery. Here the soil is worn and
rough and has to be cultivated as best it
can. And yet with the natural disad-
ginia labor, they are forced to contend
against the most unjust and outrageous
determinations iii freight rates. A bushel
of wheat can be sent from Chicago to New
York, 1000 miles, at but little more than
it can be sent from StauntOn to Richmond
-136 miles. And bushel of wheat can be
sent from Staunton to Baltimore at less
cost than it can be sent from Harrison
burg to Baltimore, although the distance
from the latter point is 26 miles less than
from the former. The reason of this is
that at Harrisonburg there is no competi-
ton, whilst at Staunton there is. In other
words, whenever it is possible for the rail-
roads to gouge the farmers, they do it with
out mercy. All this is wrong radically
wrong-and it will only be remedied by
placing in power the party which will COM
pei the enforcement of a uniform tariff Of
freights, thus enabling the farmers of Vir-
ginia to stand on an equal footing, SO far
as the cost of marketing their products is
concerned, with the farmers of other Sec
! lions cfere the railroads are under State
control. Will the Democratic party grant
this relief? Look at the men who are
leading it and answer the question for
yourselves. The head of the party is Mr..
Jno. S. Barbour, the president OF rail
road under the control of the b. Il o. and
foreign corporators Gen. Wickham of the
c. & O. Il. R., although pronounced Re-
publican, is being supported by the DEM
ocrats, and thousands of dollars are being
spent in the one Senatorial district to elect
| him Mr.. Echols, the son of Gen. Echols,
is put up in Augusta, and throughout the
State railroad lawyers and railroad en-
ployees are working with might and main
to give the control of the government to
the Democracy. Can.the farmers look for
support and redress of the wrongs in
flicted upon them if the men who have
perpetrated those wrongs are given abso-
Lutte control Would they commit their
flocks of sheep to the care OF the wolves
that have mercilessly preyed upon them
The Readjusters have already shown
their faith by their works. They have put
a stop to this exemption of railroads from
taxation. If continued in power, they will
compel them to discontinue the ruinous
| discrimination in freight charges they
will compel them to fence their lines Oh
either side, and they will compel them to
pay promptly for the stock they kill, in
stead of forcing the owner of the stock to
enter into "a costly litigation to get his
dues.
Farmers of Augusta, can you hesitate
to, uphold the hands of those who are work.
ing for your interests ? Answer at the
polls. On the one side stand Fnlcher and
Hamilton, whose interests are your inter-
ests and who are committed to the sup
port of these reforms, if you elect them.
On the other side stand Echols and Opie,
the one lawyer and the son of one of the
railroad magnates, the other man who,
| if sent to Richmond, will be under the in
fiuence and control of Barbour, Wickham,
and the men who represent the agencies
of your oppression. Choose ye between
them, and remember that the bed you
make YOU must lie in.
The Outlook.
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