Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-05-26
For the Courier.

Mn. NoRRIs:-your correspondents,
+. g. D in the last Courier regrets iha,
u project is on foot 10 disturb his quie,
with the Rail Road whistle. Though,
no, entirely devoid of sympashy for suf-
fering humanity, we. confess his case
does No, move my sympathetic nerves.
Z He argues that we Should raise. stock
instead OF wheat and then we should
no, need asRail Road. This shows his
limited knowledge o: this means of tran
sit, as i.atfords speedy and cheap, con-
vevanceAoi live stock from the interior TO
the principal markets. This is regarded
as one Of its leading advantages to the
great producers of the Interior portions
OF the country. But, sir, | will no. take
up i our.ime nor the space in your col
uulus TO prove the advantages of Rail
Roads. as they are fully demonstrated
throughout the civilized world. and none
bu, the veriest Old Fogy would have the
hardihood to question them now before
au intelligent community. Even this
writer admits he would "llke 10 SEGA
Rail Road running through our county"
but hejs not wiling to pay 1.-TWO dollars
more tax 10 have one. Ali. there's The
rub. He would like TO see his property
.trebled or quadrupled in value by other
men industry and enterprise; but when
you propose to him 10 give that aid
which il is his duty and his interest 10
give, he q, once .sregrets" that the proj.
.ecs is ON loot. lie broadly Eliminates
that our valley is no: sufficiently wealthy
TO make Rail Road stock a .prof,ablesi in
vestmens in il. This is the creates, ab.
surdiiy ia his whole category Of ohjec-
ions. and if this position is eemons.ra-
bic il would be indeed fatal to such i'm
.provemens. But no one, who is well in
formed on the subjec, will admi. .hati,
has the shadow OF truth. think that
in this opinion he will stand alone in the
valley.
An atiempt made elsewhere and re-
newed.by this writer to place this move
ment IN false position is most disingen-
nous or made through culpable ignorance
OF the facts. TO urge tina! il stands on
like bases of the early schemes of i'm
proyement in Indiana and Illinois and
our own attempt 10 improve the Des
Moines in which alone State funds were
'inyolveI swi,hout the very salutary check
OF individual investment TO an equal or
greater amountto secure the improve
ment funds from waste and embe7zle-
men,, is placing il in false and injuri-
Gus light before the public, and every
one Of all con yersani with the history of
the times knows that this plan is aban-
doned every where. No one proposes
that the county shall undertake the con.
sirucion of the work Sv its "mouslached
or gold headed cane officials" but tina. i,
shall simply become STOCKHOLDERS and
have the same direction of the business
of the company as any individual or in
dividuals holding the same amour. of
stock. This should be done to give Sc
curi.y and inspire confidence in capital.
lists and as an inducemens to them TO in
yes, funds in the undertaking. And as
soon as the enterprise is fairly under
way the county should sell its stock
when il can be done without sacrifice
This is what counties in other States
have done. and are doing, and larger
gums have accrued to the county neas-
uries as q mere speculation in Railroad
stocks. To guard fully against the
waste OF county stock it should be the
las, expended; that 10 before hundred
or thousand dollars is drawn from the
county fund, like amount should have
been expended OF individual stock; and
without this condition | would not con-
sent that dollar should be invested by
the county. This policy is adopted in
other States and other counties in this
S,ass. Ii is reasonable and just, and
has been eventually successful. and
sound policy dictates that we should at
once adopt il here, without hesi.ancy or
delay. In The present juncture our
movements should be weil..imed and
our steps jrGiciously taken.
But this champion of Old Fogyism
says he will go any length to defea. this
policy. Well, the more extenuatec the
line of his attack, the more. a,ienuated
his columns; and the more easily can
they be turned by the sound discretion of
the voters of the county.
He understands" that the originators
Of this scheme propose 10 raise elOO.-