The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-20
For the Dispatch.l
General Malone ana the Railroads.

Some people seem to think that General
Malone and the railroads will combine IN
the coming canvass; that makes them nm
easy, and they think the railroads ought to
be concilated. There is no occasion for
alarm. The railroads know General Ma
hone and will not trust him.
No doubt he would be glad to get them.
They have upwards Of 10000 mea in their
service; they have money; and he has said
that il they chose they might combine, sub
scribe 100000, and carry the State-that
amount being sufficient. in his Judgment,
to carry it "either way"
But, rs | said, they know him. The
Norfolk and Western, under his lead,
bought the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio
road. "The Reorganization OF the road
embraced 100000 shares OF preferred
stock-equal to S1j,000,0 0-distributed
among the associates at $50 per share.
General Malone subscribed for 5000 shares
at $50 per share-equal to $40, 000-on
which he paid not cent, II being carried
| for him by the syndicate until it rose in
the market to $500 per share, when they
took the whole block OF his hands at an
advance OF $4,000, paid in cash. Besides
this, he obtained $4,000 from the same
company-upOn claim for services al
legged TO have been rendered when he was
not president Of their predecessor, the At
lantic, Mississippi and Ohio Company
under a decree in which Judge Hughes
said he only gave il because the Norfolk
and Western Railroad Company wished it
to be done, thereby clearly intimating that
there was no legal claim to it." This took
place in the winter OF 1SSl-1SS2.
At the legislative session OF that year
bill, entitled Blouse Bill No. 12l, to
Regulate Freight and Passenger Tariffs, -
was introduced. 1t was modelled after the
Georgia law. But after that bill was intro
duced, the Norfolk and Western railroad
refused to remove Mr.. Fink, the vice. pre-
sident OF the company, and another Of their
trusted officers. both Of whom General Ma
hone had prescribed, and shortly thereafter
ga substitute" was introduced which
will be published in full during the can
yass- which gave to the Bureau Of Railroad
Commissioners contemplated TO be es-
tablished by the bill the right to
order any repairs to the road OF
addition to the rolling-stock, or any
enlargement OF or improvement in
the stations, or any modification
in the rates OF transporting freight or pas
sengers, or any change in the mode OF con-
Quoting its business, all at the sole iudg'
ment and discretion Of the commissioners
but all at the cost Of the railroad, and al
, their risk for resulting damagcs-all these
orders to be enforced by heavy penalty
, recoverable by motion on ten days NOTICE
, 1t further gave such general super
visory control Of the roads and OF certain
important officials as to place them com
pletely at the mercy Of this Bureau.
= AS railroad officials (whateyer else they
may be) are not fools, it is plain that they
cannot and will not trust any man who
would impose on them such terms as th'
above, and no offer OF friendship and ALI
, anee can destroy the memory OF such fact'
as these, or deprive them OF their signifi
canoe with men OF sense.
At the same time the railroads are wei
aware that the Democratic party OF Vir
ginia will treat them Justly, and will nevel
forgive an alliance on their part whicl
will deliver this State over to the c0ntro
OF General Malone and the Negroes
. control whose inevitable speedy termina
tion must bring day Of reckoning TO
them. 'fs
No; the railroads cannot afford 10 max