Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-01
STATE CONVENTION.
SOME REAsoss WHY ONE SHOULD BE
HELD.
An Important Question Discussed at
Length-soms Interesting
Facts and Figures.
To the Editor ofMe Dispatch


The people OF Virginia, as well as the
people OF all other agricultural States il
the country, are engaged in desperate
struggle with those classes who fire.
auently. by corrupt means, have OBJ
famed privileges from the legislations,
both State and Federal, which have en-
ahled them to impose taxes upon the
people 30 oppressive that, unless the law:
granting such privileges are substan.
TALLY modified or repealed. the end must
be forcible resistance.
1 So FAR MS these exactions are the re-
suit Of war tariff this article does moi
propose to deal with them. We only re.
fer to them to emphasize the fact that
agriculture and labor in this State are
to-day staggering under load Of taxa
ton which it is impossible in the very
nature of things can continue much
longer. The farmer and laborer in this
State are gradually but certainly being
driven to the wall. The cities and the
railroad towns where lots ore on a boom
nav not realize it. The boom in the
"New South" has not reached these
classes. II NAV put up the price OF
town lots, increase the price Of iron
and coal-lands for the benefit Of the
capital which has come from without the
State for investment, but the price OF
land on which are grown wheat, corn,
and cattle must Notwithstanding sink
lower and lower, and labor and indns-
tries dependent upon agriculture must
still lack their reasonable compensation.
The same causes that have filed Ire
land with paupers and have caused her
lands to be held by English landlords are
at work to-day in Virginia, and unless
arrested in their operation must produce
the same effect here. The farmers bal
ance for several years past has been upon
the wrong side OF the ledger. His debt
is, as a rule, increasing from year to
year. There is but one end TO this, as
we all Acknowledgement upon his Oblga-
tons, and then the creditors suit to en-
force the liens upon the land. When
this time comes who will be the pur-
chaser Does it require stretch Of the
| Imagination to answer ? Seine non-resl-
dent protected manufacturer or some
railroad-man, whose pockets are plethonc
with the dollars that have been taken by
the force, not the right, OF law from the
pockets Of the landowner.
The intelligent man who will stop to
think hut one hour must be stricken
with blindness who does not see that
bankruptcy is staring the Virginia farm
er in the face. The exactions in the eK-
cessive and discriminating rates charged
| by the railroads are amongst those that are
most burdensome to the farmer. The peo-
pie of Virginia have been heavily taxed ia
| the past to build railroadsand waterways
/ for their own convenience and accom-
mediation, and these her own highways
/ have been used as the means of depre-
ciating the value of her own lands and
products by discrimination which az
fords cheaper transportation for the pro-
ducts of other States. The practical
effect OF this discrimination in railroad
rates has been TO transfer the lands OF
Virginia west Of the Ohio river. Poor
/ old State, she is like the shoemaker's
wife whose husband makes shoes for
everybody else's wife and allows his own
to 90 barefooted.
The following figures are believed
to approximate correctness: 1t costs
about II cents per bushel to ship
a bushel of wheat from Chicago to Balti-
more, about 10 cents TO ship bushel OF
wheat from the Valley to Baltimore.
From these rates it will be seen that
those whom the people Of the State have
intrusted with the management of her
own highways have, in fragrant violation
of this most important trust, eXtOrted
from them at least ten times as much as
they charge the Chicago shipper-that
is to say, the rate charged is 1T least ten
times greater.
There are raised in the three divisions
of the State known as the Valley, Pied
mont, and Southwest in an average year
about 5000, 900 bushels OF wheat for
shipment either in bulk or -Four, and for
shipment in bulk, or in cattle, hogs, &C.,
about the same number OF bushels of
corn. As compared with the rates
charged the western shipper, the farm
products of the people of these three di-
visions of the State have been taxed in
excess OF q reasonable rate at least five
cents per bushel On 15,600, 600 OF bush
els shipped, or 3s0e, oe0 by discrimina-
ton has been annually extorted from the
farmers residing in these portions OF the
State
1t is impracticable to estimate the sg-
gregate exaction over and above rea-
sonable rate by q discriminating rate
upon what is consumed by the people of
the State. This discrimination against
the State is most burdensome in the rate
charged upon coal, salt, sugar, iron, fer
tilizers, agricultural implements, AID
other articles necessary to the people and
requiring to he transported by rail to the
consumer. The local rates upon coal, as
every consumer knows to his sorrow, are
such that the price of coal to the con-
sumer, in which the principal element Is
the freight charge, rules at from $3.50
for soft and 1915 for hard coal. There
can be but little doubt that the people Of
Virginia are paying an aggregate in eX-
cess Of a reasonable rate upon what Is
produced and consumed at least 81, $780,
900 annually.
How is this robbery of the people By
their Oun agents to be arrested
The Legislature has shown itself in-
competent TO give the needed relief. TO
each one of the three last sessions of the
Legislature have the tax-burdened peo-
pie OF this Commonwealth appealed for
relief, but have appealed in vain. The
agents and attorneys representing the
railroads OF the State have hocked thither-
ward like the tabled harpies Of old. The
shipper, vino has fattened at the public
expense in his enjoyment of special
rate, has been summoned to prove that
it would be an iniquity to take away his
privilege by giving TO all citizens equal
rights ia the use of the public property,
and through such means and by induce
ments conceivable and inconceivable,
proper legislation upon this subject has
been thwarted.
1t is known to many Of the people OF
the State that bill almost identical in
its provisions with the interstate COM
nerce bill-the only substantial differ
ence being the insertion of a provision
providing, in effect, that the people of
Virginia should not be charged over
their own roads greater rate than is
charged to shippers outside of the State
affar having nassed the House nv q larOa