The Big Stone post. (Big Stone Gap, Va.) 1890-1892, 1891-03-20
Railroads and pemagogues.

seem to be doing all in their power to dis
courage railroad construction and to en-
barrass and cripple the lines that are al
ready in operation. Unfortunately, it
seems impossible to have legislative
body in any Southern State, majority of
whom are not demagogues. They pander
to the narrowest and most ignorant preju-
diccs of the people and many of them are
as narrow and ignorant as those who elect
them.
That the measures introduced if not
passed are calculated to intimidate CAPT
tai and prevent investments in the South,
is very plain. Northern investors pay
more attention to such matters than is
generally supposed, aud measure merely
introduced in legislative body by some
blatant blatherskite may often turn the
scale against an enterprise and prevent
all investment Of millions.
Friends of the South who live in the
Northern money centcrs observe and
dcplorc this disposition; and Mr. Hewitt
took occasion the other day to refer to
it in his letter declining an invitation
to the Steel Banquet at Chattanooga.
In the letter he says:
81 am afraid that the Southern people do not arpre-
ciate how much they owe to the managers OF the
great railway systems Of the South for the remarkable
progress which has been made In the development OF
the coal and iron resources Of the Southern country
1 know Of nothing in the history Of industry more
remarkable than the intelligence with which the
railway managers have recognized the necessity for
low frcights on raw materials, and il to-day the South
has demonstrated its ability to hold It's own in the
markets of the North for its products, this result is
due entirely to the liberal views which Mr hman and
other gentlemen associated with him and in other
railway systems have adopted in dealing with the
great problem OF transportation. Instead OF try
ing to embarrass the plans and restrict the powers
OF these bcncfactors Of the South the Southern States
ought to give them carte blanche to carry out their
plans on the broadcast possible scale, and free from
injurious conditions which only impede the work OF
production, and increase the commodities to the con-
suncr To-day the South has the cheapest transpor-
taton in the world and hence it is the most prosper
GUS region in the world This state Of affairs, however,
will not last long II the Legislatures OF the Southern
States shall attempt to impose obnoxious conditions
upon the investment OF capital, which must neces-
sarily come from the outside. The great want Of the
world is capital 1t is the only source from which
labor derive the means OF support when It Is en-
gagged in the work OF production. The attacks which
have been made in various directions upon the security
which capital requires for its protection will only
round the borrower with unfavorable conditions
than those of which he now complains. Good faith
is the foundation OF progress. II the South shall
sernly set its face against all reputation, against all
violation Of pghtcd faith, Its future is assured and
its people will be the happiest and most contcned in
the world
No intelligent person will deny the
Justice and wisdom in these observations
The result Of it all is that owners of
Southern railroads are compelled to en-
ploy costly corps of lobbyists to prevent
the utter confiscation or destruction of
their property. Yet the presence of these
lobbyists in State capitals is made the
pretext for more aggravated and oppres-
sive legislation. What would become of
these great enterprises, involving the in
vestment Of hundreds of millions of
dollars, but for the agents employed by
the roads to look after their interests and
expose the vicious character Of the num-
bcrless measures introduced for their de-
struction? It is safe to say there would
not be solvent railroad in the South
to-day but for these much abused lobby
lists. AS for constructing new lines and
developing mineral regions of the South,
the thing would be impossible if the dem
agogues were allowed full sway.
It is clear that as long as the people
elect ignorant and irresponsible represen-
tatives to the Legislature, the corpora
lions whose destruction is threatened by
them, must employ lobbyists and, if neces-
sary, resort to bribery. Self prcserva-
ton 10 as much the first law Of q corpor-
alton as it is of an individual. It is not
that they wish to corrupt the represeta-
tives Of the people; but with a knife at
their throat they simply surrender part
of their property to save the rest aud per-
haps life itself.
Legislatures should trammel such en-
terprises as little as possible. Stringent
laws should indeed be passed inAicting
the seyerest fines and penalties for damage
done through the negligence or incom-
potency of officials, and as rigidly en-
forced by the courts; but beyond this
every proper aid and encouragement that
a Legislature can afford these valuable
industries should be freely granted With
out them the South cannot possibly be
developed. BY their aid it will, in twenty
years, become the richest half of the
Union.
WE give Dir, Longini the benefit of another
card about the dams. We have also received
. longer enc from Messrs. C. II. Lewis and
BENZ. Sharpe based on the assumption that thel