Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-05-09
For the Eastern Times.
Il. and p Railroad.

| 49, 0Ak0 xAdAAO dus
Mr.. EDITOR :-It is with much pleasure
have learned the recent move of the Directors
of the Kenncbec and Portland Railroad Com
pany, to complete this enterprise and can
but hope it may be successful. The measure,
to my own mind, seems obviously wise and
proper, and a correct view OF the subject. will,
think, insure the support of nearly the entire
community.
Very few doubt that the introduction Of
steam power into the business of life is a
great blessing to man,-that vast amount OF
labor can now be performed by its agency, that
millions Of men could not accomplish without
it,-that to render this power available in the
form Of Railroads, similar to the one under con-
sideration, much labor is necessary; and as
the "laborer is worthy of his hire much mon
ey is required. This cannot be furnished by
one individual or many individuals and if it
could, it seems to me not desirable, inasmuch
as the pabiic are indirectly benefited; SO the
public should participate according to their
ability in furnishing the means to accomplish
the work.
l am happy to learn that some of the cities
and towns have so nobly come to the rescue.
and thakpur own city, if not first, is at least
secondM the good work, and other towns no
doubt will follow on, and thus complete this
great enterprise.
Some difference of opinion must always be
expected. A thinking people always differ
more or less on all important questions.
The principal ground of opposition to this
measure, learn, is oppression to the poor"
Now, Mr.. Editor, if it is fact, that the COM
pletion of the Railroad, by the city of Bath. or
any other city or town loaning their credit for
the purpose of procuring funds for this object,
does in the remotest degree tend to Cypress the
poor, it is entitled to great consideration but
let US look at it little, and inquire who are
the poor, and who the rich. These are rela-
tive terms, and differ in different communities.
With us, it seems to me, we have none that
can be styled rich, at least as the Rothchilds
and Barings of the old world, or the Girards,
and Astors, of the new. That we have men
who possess some surplus, beyond the calls of
their ordinary business, it is true and how
do they use it by loaning it at high and ru-
nous rates of interest, (ruinous at least to
those who must hire,) or do they invest it in
works of public benefit such as Railroads,
Churches, Magnetic Tclegraphs, Public Houses
sc. SC: 1t is obviously true, that the latter
and not the former is to general and almost
universal extent the mode of proceeding.
But let US inquire who are the poor upon
whom this great evil is to come Not the
man surely, who with the sweat of his brow,
and his iron arm, and industrious life, labors
from day to day, furnishing his family with all
life, and lays up something at the close of the
year surely such an one is not poor.
Who then are the poor: To give an intelli-
gent answer to the inquiry, must 60 to yon-
der aims house, and look in upon those unhap-
Ply men and women, who by MISFORTUNE
sometimes by vice,-have found it necessary
to take up their abodes within those dreary
walls. We all sympathize with those, our
friends and citizens, and cheerfully contribute
to their comfort and support but we cannot
feel that we arc expressing them, by granting
the credit of our city to complete the Railroad;
and should those who differ from US, say there
are other poor, besides those who live in the
poorhouse, that there are those who can with
difficulty pay their poll tax, we would kindly
inquire of our benevolent friends, if the poll
tax varies in amount, whether you build Rail-
roads, City Halls, School Houses, or make any
public Improvement whatever. Certainly there
can be no oppression here. Sometimes it is
said, that man is poor, who by hard labor
and rigid economy has managed to obtain a
small lot of land. partly perhaps on credit, and
has erected a small house, to shelter himself
and family from the wind and the storm and
it is asked, Will you Cypress this nan by tax
ing the bread from his family, or the humble
dwelling from over their head-will you render
their situation at all less comfortable and happy
than it is, and give it to the rich Railroad cor
poration No, no, we reply; we would do no
such thing. We must, however, be allowed to
question the fact and inquire from whom does
man himself. or is it merely the result Of the
imagination of others am inclined to the
latter opinion, as every thinking man knows
that where Railroads are established, property,
and particularly real estate, increases in value.
And besides, laboring men generally, am hap
py to say, favor labor saving machines.
No, Mr.. Editor, the objections come, in gen.
cral, from those who pay large taxes. This is
natural, and would impugn no mans motives.
All will say is, l never knew any man from
choice to pay high tax. when it could hon.
orably be avoided. am happy to say, how
ever, that few of our large tax payers oppose
the measure-they generally favor it.
A CITIZEN OF BATH.