Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1848-05-13

productive SOIL unoer heaven, ana win
exhaustless stores Of mineral wealth, if we
are to have no means of rendering these
blessings avaiablel To question the wis.
dom and policy of such works, is to shut our
eyes to the lights of experience--to become
blind to the results of daily observ alton, and
deaf to the teachings Of example. But we
are told that if the policy of the Wings chad
prevailed in our legislative councils, Mis-.
sour, like certain other states, would now
be involved head and ears in debt and her
citizens groaning under enormous taxation"
That several of the States have pursued
wild and reckless policy on this subject, and
thereby become involved in grea, financial
difficulties, is unhappily but too true; but
we think there is no authority for the as.
sertion, that these States were under the
influence of Wing counsels-or that these
debts were the results of Wing policy-so
far from it, those States most deeply indebt-
ed, are those in which, unfortunately, Wing
counsels have not prevailed. If they had,
we have reason to hope, they would have
been saved the necessity of resorting to the
disgraceful expedient of repudiating honest
debts, fairly though recklessly contracted.
But we are further told that the Federal
doctrine is, that a public debt is public
lie blessing" For aught we know, this may
be the Federal doctrine; but it is not the
Wing doctrine; no Wing press, orator,
statesman or politician, so far as we know
or believe, has ever announced or advoca-
ted such doctrine. We are quite sure that
the Wing party of Missouri maintains no
such postion--nor do they advocate any
wild, reckless and imprudent system of i'm
provement by which the State could "be in
volved head and ears in debt" and her cti.
zens made to groan "undur enormous Taxa.
ton" They neither desire nor would they
tolerate such a system. But they do most
earnestly desire that we should at least
commence such works as our means and re-
sources will prudently justify, and that we
| shall extend them as our means increase. If
we cannot make one hundred miles of rail-
road or turnpike, let US make fifty; or if we
cannot construct fifty, let US make twenty
five. If we cannot slack-water our streams
requiring such Improvement, let US COM
mence with the most important one, the
Usage for example,; and when that is COM
pleted, commence the one next in impor-
lance, and so on, from time to time, as our
great resources are developed, until the SOL
itude of our rich, but now untitled praires,
is broken by the shrill whistle Of the loco
motive or the putting of the steamboat. We
cannot, if we would, shut our eyes to the
magnificent results Of such enterprises in
other States. Where would Massachusetts
be, without her numerous railroads. inter-
secting in all directions her rugged and fin
ty surface, and diffusing life and energy
through every branch of her Industry
What would be the condition of New York
without her great canal, stretching like a
silvery link from the Hudson to the Lakes;
and which, when first projected, was ter
med in derison, "Clinton's stupendous fol-
, ly?" To what does Ohio owe her rapid and
! almost incredible increase in population and
wealth, more than to her railroads and ca
: mails. In short, almost all our sister States
are moving on surely and rapidly in the
same great highway to power and wealth.
: Kentucky has nearly 500 miles of turn.
! pike, and we believe about four hundred
: miles of slack.water navigation, in success.
, full operation. Nor is Tennessee far behind
5 her. Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia
J are all animated by the same enlightened
} policy. Whilst Missouri is almost the only
7 State in the Union that has not within her
7 borders single mile Of railroad, turnpike,
= canal or slackwater, except perhaps few
J, miles turnpike in the immediate vicinity OF
3 St. Louis, now in the progress of construc.
3 ton. 1t is the duty, we think, of this young
8 and vigorous State, TO arouse itself from
. what we would term this apathetic indif-
: ference to its best interests; but what we
s suppose. our opponents would designate as
0 "a mastery inactivity" Nor is there the
r slightest foundation for the idea that such
r works cannot be constructed without re-
d sort to heavy and oppressive taxation
n Such has moi been the result in New York,
r Massachusetts, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee
}. Georgia, or South Carolina; nor will op.
pressive taxation ever result from any wise
d system of improvement, judiciously planned
: and faithfully executed. For these reasons
c we invoke your earnest attention TO TIL!
e subject in the approaching elections.
r, On the subject of Banks and Banking
: we have but few remarks TO make. Unless
s. our fundamental law, the State Constitu
e ton, shall be abolished or modified by TIT
it people, we can have but one bank in thi
il State. We are not aware that any ISSUE
g is expected to be raised before the peopl
y on this subject; but if so, whilst we dis
Of claim, in advance, any desire upon the par
a. of the Wings Of Missouri to engage in
ID wild and reckless system of banking, W
Of at the same time repudiate, as unwise il
IN theory, and as extremely pernicious, if no
'e entirely impracticable, the crude and ultr
re doctrine that the immense and rapidly Ell
nj tand;no commerca nf a country like OuT