The Mt. Sterling advocate. (Mt. Sterling, Ky.) 1890-current, 1898-01-25
STERLING. KENTUCKY. TUESDAY. JANUARY %. 1898.

stopping 10 think, and succeed ; this is
luck; while others fall even after
they have studied the chances; this is
error of judgment, resulting from III
sufficient testimony or lack of proper
investigation.
Philosophers have evolved doc
trine of universal doubt" thus
arming Che skeptic with weapons that
not only fetter moral thought, but
prevent advancement in all industrial
enterprises. But the wisest philos-
ophers have never vet, and never can,
give the business world rule of cer-
tainty. The safest rule of action is the
law of reasonable probabilities. The
judgment can safely act on this rule,
aud business ethics require this and
nothing more greater caution will re-
tsrd, if not entirely, stop all advance
ment, less frequently brings disaster.
We are living in progressive age,
and duty to ourselves and to future
generations demands that we should
make the best of our opportunities
and leave nothing for them to do that
we can do ourselves. They can be-
gin where we leave off, and the world
will be all the wiser and better by
reason of what we have accomplished.
All Col. Boone and the other pro-
moters of the Black Diamond railroad
ask of the people is, to thoroughly in
vestigate the plans and prospects of
this great enterprise and try it by this
rule, and if they are not convinced
that the probability of success greatly
exceeds the possibility of failure, they
will not be expected to aid in its pro-
motion. 1 have yet to find the first
man who does not freely admit and
believe that this great trunk line,
when built, will pay good dividends
to the capitalists who furnish the
money for its construction, In other
words, it will be good, safe, and de-
sirable investment.
Passing as it does through the most
fertile portions of the great States OF
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Kentucky ;
traversing and having tributary to 1t
in Kentucky, Tennessee and North
Carolina the greatest and richest area
of mineral and timber lands on this
continent; sweeping through the cot
ton belt of South Carolina; furnishing
to and receiving freight from the
countless ships of all nations at its
three termini, Charleston, Port Royal
and Savannah, when the opening of
the Nicaragua Canal "a mere question
of time) shall have revolntionized the
marine commerce of the world, and
made these cities the greatest coaling
and shipping stations on the Western
hemisphere; connecting at its three
great Northern termini with their
magnificent railroad systems, putting
it in touch with the agricultural re-
gions of the great Northwest, we can
not doubt for a moment that this
grandest railroad enterprise ever con-
ccived by the mind of man will at
once command the attention and con-
fdence of capital sufficient to insure
its speedy construction.
The building of this great road will
be the naturalization of the dream of
Calhoun and Hayne; the realization
of the hopes and the fulfillment of the
prophecies of the wisest statesmen of
the South.
Then If we believe (Which we all
do) that this road when built will
pay, that it will be good and safe
investment, we must of necessity be-
lieve that sufficient money can be OBJ
tanned to construct it and that the
road will be built; for we all know
that there is enough idle capital seek
ing good investment to build dozen
such roads. And the magnitude of
this enterprise is one Of the strongest
arguments In its favor for capital
seeks large investments when salts
fed that tine securities offered are
good.
We must come to the inevitable
conclusion, then, that the probability
of building the Black Diamond is
much greater than the possibility OF
failure; in fact, 1t approaches as near
the line of certainty as any business
proposition we were ever asked to con-
slider. Then, from . purely business
standpoint, laying aside all thought
of future advantages to Mt. Sterling
and Montgomery county, is there
not sufficient probability Of its success