Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-01-25
FRIDAY MORNING. JAN. Is. 1884
THE GREAT CORPORATIONS
AND THE La ".

AND IHE La w.
Ever since Virginia commenced that
upward course in development upon which
she entered few years after slavery was
abolished BY war, her press has been
representing her advantages as place for
mining, manufacture, railroad building.
and every sort of investment Of capital.
It has, with brief intervals, spent the time
in urging foreign capital to come to Tir-
ginia, individually or in corporations, and
invest. Strange to say, the brief inter-
walls which form an exception to the rule,
have been and are now spent in denoupc-
ing that foreign capital under the name
OF foreign corporations, and proposing
measures to curb and repress them by
law. The arguments used have the merit
of appealing to the popular sentiment
which in every cline and locality has a
silent If not aggressive dlstrust of every
thing foreign and are nearly as well found
ed on reason as the objection of the Sab
bath school boy to being questioned about
Adam on the ground that he didn't come
LilSl0 W lC0tA dOO0u AoAO1ShOAos ooi
local committees visit the great cities Of
Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York,
urging the capitalists to take stock in
building or restricting our railroads; en-
treating them to take two-tbirds, seven
eighths, all the stock and control if they
will only come, and after the roads are
built the cry of foreign corporation, ex-
tortion and monopoly is raised. 1t would
be bard to understand from their COM
plants what they actually do expect from
foreign capital. Does Virginia expect
Philadelphia to put her capital in a road
from Stuart's Draft in this county to
Potts Dam on the Southern bora er of the
State with no connection at either end
Hardly; Philadelphians put their money
where it may secure some good to Phila-
delphia. Does Virginia think that Hunt
ington. who got possession of the Chesa
peake & Ohio railroad, which we were
unable to finish. was a railroad philan-
thopist going about picking up dead rail-
roads and setting them on their feet for
the benefit of the localities they traversed.
Hardly; Huntington was after link in
his Trans Continental line. Are we to
believe that Boston, which is now invest
ing more money in the Southern States
than even New York, or all the
great seaboard cities combined. is on q
mission of philanthropy or profit?
But it is asserted that after these for
eign corporations get "a path way across
Virginia or foot hold therein. they not
only divert her natural trade. but set up
some oppressive regulations. So they do.
and they ought to be resisted just as every
other business oppression or wrong is re-
sisted by competition. Open the door to
all; pass q free railroad loay. A strong
monopoly that is obnoxious will soon have
competitive line running parallel with
it. We presume Chat most of the men
familiar with the struggles in the Virgin
ia legislature twelve years ago saw thei
ending with the strong conviction thai
Virginia and every State ought to have
free railroad law. Give any organized
body Of men charter for any railroad
they please to build, with the m Dst glgan
tic privileges of improving and developing
the country they can ask for, and make il
forfeitable if given time for completion
IL not complied with. Don't Keep the
State under oppressive railroad regula
tions by giving one road charter from
Stuart's Draft to Potts. Dam and the
forever after refusing another compan,
the privilege of running another road be-
tween the same points, thus putting the
people along the original line completely
in the power of the existing monopoly
The wailing over the exactions of
monopoly cannot in that case have the
weight Of sincerity. It is fact that one
of the most important mountain passes
10 Virginia has been held 10y charter fol-
years, by a company that has not laid
tie nor driven a spike in that gap. and in
al. probability never will. If it is anger
Gus to the interest of Virginia cities that
her territory should be used as thorough
fares to draw trade from them, how rnuci
better is 1t that thoroughfares should be
allowed to be closed and the natura
trade Of those cities never allowed to resc
them? What would be thought OF Gu
judge of the circuit court if ne should IF
fuse charter for another iron mi,linp
company in Augusta because it would b
likely TO damage the interest of oD
already established, or that the new com
pany would carry all its ore to Plttsburg.
instead Of having it made into pig al
Staunton furnace as the already char
tered company was doing. And yet that
is precisely the situation of the present
railroad law Of Virginia. The great cities
themselves up, and we of the country are
anxious to see them grow; but we away
off here in the mineral regions of Virginia
want some ne,g cities built up for our
selves.
A very large majority of the members of
the Virginia legislature do rot represent
the cities, large or small; they represent
the country. Those that are from the
mineral regions of Virginia represent
with an exception, (Lynchburg) no cities
at all. They have the care of the interests
of our people who want their country de-
yeloped; who are back in the mountain
regions and can never hope for large com.
mercial towns, but can expect large manu-
featuring and mining towns. A railroad
that has capital and will meander through
the State establishing town here and
there. like Roanoke for instance, is to
them blessing. More, than one railroad
corporation like this wonld be just that
many mere blessings. The new life in
Virginia is not confined to tiles; there is
much more Of it out of the towns and on
the farms than the town people think.
The farmers of the State would like to
see dozen railroads running through