Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-03-29

UO0 worth OF goods.
For the Portage Sentinel.
The State versus the People-The Past
versus the Present.
Ma. EDrToR:-I cannot manufacture
one particle Of friendship towards the Res
port Of the Board of Public Works, sin
relation 10 the building Of Rail Roads across
the canals of the State" wonder they
dill not ssorder" that no one should cross
them at all without paying toll, and "direcs'
that every body should ride and carry his
"plunder" on them, just for the sake Of
revenue. fully realize the enormous in>
debtedness which Clinton, Kelley, and the
humbugser. Of the past, have imposed upon
US for works that the Improvements Of this
railroad age have entirely supers ,ded; and 1
appreciate the difficult, chead, and feel
how very convenient it would be to raise
revenues from our Public Works to help
pay the millions of interest annually foil.
ing due. Bat, sir, am opposed to paying
any more tribute to the Past, | have nev.
er been worshipper Of its financial wis.
dom; and this Report will make many Of
our political demigods chaw their own
words. We have puffed, and blowed, and
lied for the past, long enough. lfa thou
snndlh par, Of what has been said in favor
Of our State Works was true, they ougai
to have been paid for long ago. If the
people have received such a world of bene.
fits. and rich equivalents, then, they are
able 10 pay, and ought TO be willing with
out further del,y. The men to whom the
State is paying interest yearly, are loaning
| it right back 10 these Rail Road Companies.
| These 'sforeign capitalists'' both the
| State debt, and these Rail Roads; and, ii
will be found, have some sort OF 'sympa.
thy" with The people Of Ohio Notwith.
standing our extraordinary guardianship"
they already have The State, and "the
public works Of the State entirely at their
] mercy"
! lfmoney has been worth 6 per cent in
Ohio for the last twenty years payable
sefni-annually. then We have paid already
near $50, ,000, 900 interest money on our
public works, with the original debt yet
remaining Of about SEC, 900. This
$40 0.000, 900, for works now out Of date,
nnd behind The age, is about enough for
one infant Stale. Such .syoulhful'' busl.
ness has involved about infants enough ais
rendy; and it is time this reckless Eswild
OATS period Of our State was brought to a
close. 1t is time to pay up the expenses OF
our slippery courses. and reform. But
science and improvements should not be
kept in check, to wait for old worn out,
embarrassed, and ignorant governments.
The people now protest agains, being com.
pelled to ride, or be carried, they and their
effects. on old Egyptian dilches. They OBJ.
ject to both time, and cost; and they will
renons.rate against this attempt to deny
thsm the free use Of those cheap, ano spec
dy facilities, which modern skill, and in
creasing competition. are just beginning to
furnish. They will particularly object to
any compromise in the matter Of ffieghs;
in other words, to sny combination between
the managers Of the great thoroughfares
Of the State by which the laws Of compe.
tiiion will be defeated, and the cost ofirav.
el or transportation will be increased upon
the people. The people are entitled to
cheap transit and fare, and will have
them, notwithstanding old debts. Rail-
roading is reducing the profits Of eapi-
tai invested 10 Steamboats, on our Rivers
and Lakes, and in the construction OF
naacadamized and plank roads, And why
have not the owners of property, thus al.
fected By improvements in land. locomotion,
the same right 70 legislative protection es
the Estate OF Ohio" which has so often
boasled that she has received fourfold more
than her works cost? Ii the Chic Canal
had been built BY on Incorporated eompa>
4 ny instead Of the Ssnte, will it be supposed
moment, that under the plea of over.
whelmning debt, not yet paid of, the COM
pany ought to have the power TO interdict
all other works in the State, and fix the
prices which the people must pay for trans,
portation, and also for travel, so long as
: that debt remained unpaid! The Editor
OF the Statesmen says this Report is a
"bold" production, and this quality think
!. it possesses in an eminent degree II shows
how boldty the State went into debt, and
how boldly inconsistent, and despotic she
is about to become. in The means proposed
for collecting interest and principal from a
femered, and heavily taxed people. She
ought to blush, and probably would, it il
were not for the paint and varnish, with
which pas, Legislatures have Kept her be.
daubed. K
/ Butl like the looks ahead. This Re.
port will serve 10 bring into5the focus Of