Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1851-09-03
From the Keokuk Dispatch
ssCrOss riring.,'-lOwa Railroads

/
ssCr0ss riring.o-lOwa Railroads.
The Burlington Telegraph devotes
considerable space to Railroad mat
tiers, disappearing the present agreed
plan and the remarks of the Des-
patch, and urging plan of its own,
which is as follows:
Abandon the bills for the Dubuque
and Keokuk and Davenport and
Council Bluffs Railroads, and present
to Congress new bill for a system
Of Railroads, centering at Fort
Desmoines, and radiating to five
points upon the Mississippi river, viz:
keokuk, Burlington, Dubuque, Mus
tine and Davenport, the first two to
unite at Fairfield and the last two at
Iowa City.
Its principal argument for this plan,
is that the local hostilities which ex-
list now and will increase hereafter,
will defeat the original application
for a direct road between Dubuque
and Keokuk. 1t considers also that
a Union of feeling and interest be-
tween the principal towns in favor of
the new plan, will materially aid in
influencing Congress to grant the
lands.
= We disagree entirely with the Tel
lDy llDU )hcAatlmt any
serious i'll feeling exists between diff
ferent sections of the State. There
has been generous competition
between neighboring towns, but not
so serious as to cause hostility, or to
prevent each and all from seconding
any plan which will secure grant OF
lands from Congress. They will all
be represented in Convention and
will abide its decision, and the voice
Of that Convention will be merely the
expression of the public wish, not all
authoritative voice controlling the ac-
ton of our Congressman. In our
opinion, the State should petition
again for the final granting of lands
for the two State Railroads, without
specifying the route for the Dubu-
que and Keokuk road, other than its
centering point at Iowa City or Fort
Desmoines, leaving this to be deter
mined by subsequent convention or
in some other manner.
! 1t seems to us that this renewal of
the oldpetition will carry more weight
with it than the new plan proposed
by the Telegraph, first on account of
its precedence, and secondly, from it's
merits. The effect of changing the
routes will more than counter balance
any additional influence by separate
sites, and in State represented by
only 4 Congressman, even the oppo-
sition of some places (if opposition
there must beg will hardly effect any
thing, if ever heard of.
We imagine also, that Congress
will be slow to grant radiation of
roads tofive points on the Mississippi.
They will certainly consider that
some three out of five of these roads
would be superhuous, and that the
course of trade would remain un-
changed and would seek its depots,
at the two extremes Of the road, Du-
buque and Keokuk. We imagine
that the change would meet with rid
icule, and the whole grant be finally
lost, if such a Briarean Compromise
road were insisted on.
We are also opposed to abandon
ing the Davenport and Council Bluffs
Railroad. 1t will be a national, and
an important national road, for it will
form the Northern arm ofthe Pacific
Railroad.
Finally, the insurmountable objec-
ton to the Telegraphs plan is, that
it is sectional, whereas the originally
proposed routes partake of a nation
al character and as such may pass
Congress, whose democratic major
ity in the next Congress will certainly
insist strenuously upon that particu-
lar feature. Here also the Telegraph,
may recognize the propriety and pol
icy OF what lit terms our "vagaries"
about New Orleans and Lake Supe-
rior.
Let us present the original bills
again to Congress without insisting
upon any particular route, and let
our Congressman use their discretion
about uniting with the western States
in common suit for western inter-
ests.
We advocate this plan merely be-
cause we believe that it will be most
conducive to success, not certainly
because we would begrudge a road
to Burlington. We believe that the
branch from Fairfield to Burlington
can be constructed out of the pro-
ceeds of lands and we should vote
aye for it if it were found feasible
Our thoughts and wishes are not con-
fined to Keokuk, although we have
formed atcertain belief that she is
destined to outstrip her rivals.
We leave it to the Telegraph to
say who is guilty of the first "cross-
firing about Iowa Railroads; who
first preached disturbance of the
original intention and harmony; and
finally, whether it is really serious,
or whether it seeks to make us and