The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-02-25
AGAINST THE KENT BILL.
Vicd President Eddy Writes from a
Taxpayer's Standpoint.

standpoint of a citizen and taxpayer
with admirable force of argument
WASHINGTON, D. G., Jan. %, 1892.
Hon. III. G. Thomas, House Of Delegates
Richmond, Va.
DEAR Sir Referring to your valued
favor of the 10Th. in relation to my ap-
pearing before the committee on roads
and internal navigation in opposition to
the Kent bill, as wired you this morn
ming, engagements in Baltimore will pre-
vent my appearing before the committee
on that day, and the views | now pre-
sent are from the standpoint OF citizen
and taxpayer Of Virginia, and not as a
railroad official. Yourself as well as
many members of the Senate and House,
we'll know the interest | have taken for
the past six years in the Agricultural de-
velop1nent of our State as well as in its
development in mining and manufactur-
ing We have within the borders OF our
State between ten and fifteen million
acres of land that has never been titled,
two-thirds of which is capable OF cults
vation as soon as cleared-valuable agri>
cultural and grazing lands. There are
millions Of acres of land that has hereto
fore been titled that have remained idle
since 1864, every acre Of which is capable
of producing re1nunerative crops. The
farmers of Virginia cannot afford to force
n, hn
in the presence of the present great in
dustrial development within our State.
The prosperity of the farmers of Vir-
ginia is assured. and that, too, without
the need of any restrictive railroad legis-
lation. The home markets of the new
cities and towns in the Valley and South
west Virginia, with the annual increase in
population of the leading cities east OF the
Blue Ridge, are furnishing the best of all
markets for the farmer-a home market
IA market at which he can dispose of
everything that is raised upon the farm,
from hens egg to q trotting horse,
without having to deal with the middle
man. You, as citizen of Roanoke,
know the advantages of this home mar
ket to the farmers of Roanoake, Franks
lin and Craig counties, through the
builing up of Roanoke and Salem and
the great increase in the non>producing
population in those cities, as compared
with the markets they had to seek ten
years ago, viz, the cities of Virginia east
of the Blue Ridge, or Washington and
Baltimore.
The same home market will come to
every farmer from north end OF the
Shenandoah Valley to the extreme
southern and southwestern end of the
State The same home markets are
growing for the farmers east of the Blue
Ridge by reason of the increase in popu
lation of every city and town in the
Piedmont and Tidewater section, with
additional advantage of having short
railroad hauls on the their farm products
to Washington, Baltimore, etc.
The farmers of the Valleys should APP
preciate the new markets that have been
opened up to them in North and South
Carolina and Georgia through the CONS
pleiion of the Roanoke and Southern
and the LYNCH u"g and Durham rails
roads, They will find there the best
markets for their grain and hay. can
not believe that the intelligent, progress
sive farmers of Virginia ask for any
legislation. If they will only consider
what the completion OF these two lines
In 1c will do fCr in no fin
ture they will not ask for any legislation
that will cripple in any way these new
enterprises. The non producing popu-
lation of our Srate in all our cities, mines
and manufacturing establishments, is in
creasing much faster than the population
of those engaged in agricultural pursuits,
and all for the farmers gain.
| am advised that the inquiries for
farm and grazing lands are very numer-
Gus, coming from every Northern and
Northwestern State, and the prospects
for desirable immigration of the class of
farmers that we desire for our State is
more promising now than ever before
AS you are aware, the great development
la within the last ten years has brought
to us thousands upon thousands of skill
ed mechanics of all kinds, thereby in
creasing this non-producing population,
and increasing taxable values. This all
rebounds to the benefit of the farmer,
and l therefore cannot bring myself to
believe that the farmers of Virginia,
those who till their ground and raise dis
versified crops. favor any measure that
would, in the least degree, hinder the
continued increase of manufacturing in>
dustries or the continued development
of Virginia's great mineral resources.
The future prosperity OF Virginia, which
| believe will depend in great degree
upon her mining and manufacturing in
dustries, should not in any way be
threatened by any unwise legislation.
Compare the condition Of our mining
and manufacturing industries to-day
with those of the New England States,
and States of Pennsylvania and Ohio,
and see there the most prosperous far
mers of all the States in the Union; and
looking for the reasons that make them
prosperous you will find it to be home
markets furnished to the farmers in those
States by the great manufacturing towns
and cities, and mining development
AS a citizen of Virginia, believe any
antirailway legislation at this time I'M
wise and dangerous to the State at large.
Yours truly,
(Signed) CHAs. e.. EDDY.
Mr.. Massey's Defense
We publish from the State the state
ment of Mr.. Massey, Superintendent of
Public instruction, in reference to the