Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1852-06-09


which has recently been put forth to the peo-
pie of this State This address avows as es-
tabliahed Wing doctrine "that it is the right
and duty of the General Government to make
Improvements IN the States, to aid in making
Railroads; to improve the navigation of our riv-
err harbors. and lakes. & make all need, Ill appro-
priations for the general ,relare, prosperity and
Improvement Of the country" We maintain.
fellow citizens, that the effect of this doctrine
is to concentrate a power in the General Gov
ernment-to give it the abso ute control of the
internal affairs and domestic policy of the
States. Under the operation ofthis fright and
duty" Maine and Texas, and other remote
ha, Dor shall be made-may determine when
Railroads, canals, plank roads, and turnpikes
shall be cons tructed and where they shall run
and may generally improve our State without
respect to the wishes and interests Of its in
habilants The great States Of the east have
right" they may do as they please with the
public funds. Are you willing to have the
moneys derived from you in the shape of taxes
taken by New York TO make her canals, or by
Pennsylvania to complete her system Of Rail.
roads. though these works may ''improve the
coun,ryY Does the Constitution contemplate
that the the revenues of the National Govern
ment shall BE- nssd f6s ~ exclusive hsneHt Of
one State. II That State hsrpeps 70 havs Inl1G
ence enough in Congress,to draw them from
the public Treasury. Who can fail to see that
such a system would make the patronage of
the General Government overwhelming and ir.
resistable. An army of its agents and hire
lings might be thrown into any State under
pretext of "improving the country" but in
truth to contro the elections - nd thus grand
scheme Of espionage and corruption would be
established before which Estate rights" would
melt away like wax before the fire. The Demo-
crActi party holds that the General Government
may make Improvements of anational character,
but not those of purely local nature. with the
moneys from the Public Treasury. We con-
tend that Congress should improve the navga-
tion Of the Mississippi river, because it has
jurisdiction over its waters as a great national
thoroughfare, but we deny that Congress can
rightfully take the money Of the nation to build
road or canal from one county seat to anoth.
er in the same State, either to benefit such 10.
callies or "to improve the country" Congress
in adopting this Wing right and duty" must
of necessity bankrupt the nation. or be guilty
Of great Partially and injustice. Suppose the
National Legislature should give ten thousand
do lars tor harbor or a wharf at Keokuk would
not Fort Madison. Burlington, Muscatine and
all the other towns on the Mississippi from one
end to the other, have the same right to ten
thousand each. for the same purposer Would
not all the towns on all the navigable watersin
the United States and onall waters that could be
made navigable in the Improvement of the
country" have an equal right to appropriations?
What would be the result of such poicy?-
Favori'ism, special privileges, and class legis-
lation, Oh the one hand, and Bankruptcy, q
National debt and high taxes on the other.
Democrats are charged with inconsistency for
being in favor of some improvements and not
for ALL The line that separates National
from State Improvements may not be apparent
to every eye, but it cannot be said therefore not
toeXist. ln all cas- e, where concurrent powers
are vested in the two Governments. the exact
point at which such powers diverge is general
ly difficult to find, but it is none the less true
that lines Of demarcat"n do exist, and that
some things are clearly on one side Of them.
and some things as clearly on the other. To
remove Instructions from the Mississippi river
is plainly national work-to dig out Mud
creek in the middle Of Illinois, is plainly a
State work. The Democrats are in favor of
using the nations money for the former, and
opposed to its use for the latter. Whggery is
in favor of using it for both. Donations of
public lands to the State in which they lie for
for purposes of improvement. are a'ledged to
he contrarr to our creed. This we deny. Sup
pose a hundred citizens and the General Gov
eminent are contiguous land holders They
agree to build railroad through their possess
sions, and each one interested contributes in
proportion to his means, and the work is made
This is clearly Democratic. A grant of an acre
Of land which doubles the value Of another, is
entirely different from mere gratuity out of
money paid into the Public Treasury for the
support of Government, and not to be squan-
dered in gifts to its favorites. In the one case
Government loses nothing. in the other case
everything given. We submit fellow citizens
whether as permanent system securing the
integrity of the Union. the rights of The States
and the purity Of legislation, the democratic
doctrine on this subject is not wiser and better
than the whig. aud we are confident that no
appeals to prejudice or local feeling will blind
the eyes Of honest men to the value of a great
principle? -.a
The wing address assails our State Consti-
tuition because it does not allow the General
Assembly to create banks. This objection
will excite no surprise whiggery without
bank Is like a Chinese household without its
God The morning and evening incense of
political alteration once offered to the ..paper
Deity" is now wasted on the desert air.
ne earth may pour her fatness into the lap Of
The husbandnan. Education and virtue may
exalt the people. Health and social comfasss
may abound, but from all these whiggery turns
with apparent Indifference and signs for a
bank. "Come back my love. let me see thy
countenance, let me hear thy voice, for sweet
is thy voice and thy countenance is comely.' .
In relation to this matter. fellow citizens, the
ain question: We propose to ask is this How
much wiser. better or happier will the people
of Iowa be with banks than without thems-
Does not the merchant receive afairequivalent
for his goods; the farmer for his produce. and
the merchant for his labor? Do not those win,
cork 10 thrive do as we'll in this State with in.
dustry and economy as elsewhere? Suppose a
bank TO be established. who will he allowed to
borrow its pictured promises? Will our ma.