Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-06-29

The Republican On Railroads.
One of the first duties of local press should
be the constant endeavor TO foster spirit o
concord in every project that consults the gen
eral good Of the community. 1t should be thu
last agent of all to proclaim disappointment
or defeat, the last Of all to confess itself baf
fled and struggling to no purpose. There are
some communities, SO factious and turbulent
where there is no settled public opinion, where
every man is for himself and the Devil for all
that a newspaper press must be continually in
hot water and whirlpool at that, and to pre-
serve any shade Of consistency at all, must be
governed solely by its own personal feelings
and prejudices.
This is far from being the case with Iowa
City. 1t is not a very extravagant assertion to
say, that in the much mooted matter of Rail-
roads, our citizens are actuated with but few
exceptions, by a Jealous and energetic enthu.
siasm. and willing tremendously to unite in
their contribution Of influence, resources and
capital, to hasten on the glorious day which
shall unseal to us advantages and benefits, but
dimly pictured even by an ardent magma.
ton.
1t is for these reasons and others which may
be inferred as We proceed, that we regretted
and still regret and deeply deprecatethe posi-.
ton assumed by the Republican of last week
in its sweeping denunciations oiour ci,iz ems
and those Of the county generally-in this vic.
lent charge upon that community which has
80 nobly redeemed itself from whatever impu.
tation ofhypocrisy or profession without prsc.
tice which it may have hitherto incurre6 in
its condemnation Of men whose votes stand on
record as majority of FOUR HUNDRED AND
SEVEN in favor Of the Railroad Tax. Why,
it is throwing down the gauntlet before Truth
itself, and daring it totest its own virtue.
~We think thAt we understand the grounds
upon which the Republican stood and from
which pardonable zeal may have led it astray.
We feel with our neighbor an equal disgust
and indignation towards the niggardly natures
of men, loudes in profession and least in act,
men who are willing to sacrifice the entire in
terests, of the community in which they live
for some chimerical benefit which they expect
TO reap from the spoils Of the common offering
linen, SO wilfully blind as never to perceive
the true and necessary policy of progressive
age, until finally awakened wallowing in the
Slough" of their own "Despond." But we
never knew an appeal to averice so moving as
TO unbar its cells. Wenever knew an appeal
to anciept prejudice so clear and far reaching
as to admit the sunlight of common sense in
upon its dusty and cob webbed Chambers
These are rocks, which many Moses may
smite, bat where is the rod SO potent as to
draw water from their rugged bosoms7
That much of the opposition felt towards our
railroad projects arises from the sheerest sci
fishness, no one can doubt or has ever doubted,
and for our part, We are content, and wish the
R'pubiican Lad teen, to let that opposition re-
main unnoticed and nestled in the lap of its
own contracted prejudice Their malady is
incurable. but thank Heaven, their are enough
others-men of sterling worth, of integrity, Of
resources, and energy-men of the right stamp,
imbled with expanded views and unfettered
opinions, enough Of such. to put their shoulders
to the work. and lend name, effort and means
in the building up of our young and beautiful
City.
We need not hunt up vast burden of testi.
mony or introduce complicated statistics, in
our answer to the question Have We CROAK.
Frs among us?" This is matter of Infinite
~ more Importance to us than the death,
burial, resurrection. or present existence of
thousand Bourbons, but it is also a matter
we'll known abroad. There never was com.
munity which did not breed its "Fogies," ever
prepared to discourage discountenance and
defeat, measures and movements of public
utility and good. There is no use in inform.
ing our neighbors all over Iowa that such men
are with us, and for Gods sake, friend Repub.
icau, III your condemnation of them do not in
volve the City and The County as body Be.
cause they are false, and hypocritical and par.
simonious, do not censure the City of Iowa
City for the same faults. as if they had fallen
like universal Epidemic upon man. woman
and child throughout the corporation, and do
not accuse the County of johnson as being a
dead weight upon every effort put forth to Sc.
cure our connections with the east
City or the County-neither stand they with
delegated authority from City or County,
They are family by themselves, inhabitins
the same boys, and We have no desire to pene.
trate that Dismal swamp" in order to haul
them before the public eye any more conspic.
uously than their conduct, and motives and
opinions have already revealed them. They
would never have received our notice, had no,
the Republican attached to their supineness and
meanness an unmerited Importance. which is
incontinently enlarged. by charging the same
short comihgs upon us as community AS a
consequences If this. we are placed in false
light,the ardor of many of our friends is damp
ened. and the paates of those very men who
were intended to be the especial recipients OF
this vial of wrath, are tickled unto very &c.
s.asy. They laugh in their sleeves, and out Of
their sleeves,at every dark cloud that may seem
to hover over these railroad projects, or if not
antagonistic 10 them, are glad to find some