Iowa capitol reporter. [volume] (Iowa City, Iowa) 1841-1855, 1853-05-25
Railroads Again.

the Miners Express OF May nth under the title;
: Shall the County of Dubuque take stock in
the Dubuque and Pacific Railroad Company
1t will be remembered that proposition, is to
come before the voters Of that county on the
9th of June next, to take $500, 900 stock in the
above named company. As TO the consttu-
t,onal right Of counties in this behalf, quite
ingeniously aud at the same time impartially
discussed, while We believe with the Express
that lit is grave question for gentlemen OF
legal acumen to determine, whether the Code
is susceptible of this Interpretation" we do
not, cannot deprccate the policy of this move
mcnt on the part of johnson county at this
time. We 60 further than this even; we pre-
dict that the proper tribunals when called upon
to express decision upon this point. will
give their sanction TO what the interests Of our
county impera;ively demand, and TO what the
vote of June 10th will give its almost unani-
nous confirmation. The Constitution of Iowa
provides that the General Assembly shall not
create any liability of the State, in the aggre
gate exceeding 800, 900, unless authorized by
some law for some single object or work to be
distinctly specified therein"
The advocates Of the right of county sub
scrptions. not only base their arguments upon
the Code as it now stands, but recognize as
similaton between State loan and county loan,
palpable enough totally to forbid the latter
under the Constitution. In this respect We
fully agree with them. A similar reasoning
applies to the action of counties in the loaning
of their credit, that applies to that OF cities in
the same. And as we have often said, let
the competent Judges point ont the discrepan-
sizes, if any exist, between the projected action
Of our county and the provisions of our Code.
1t is a matter not alone vitality concerning
ourselves: it affects the interest and enhances
the prospects of every county through which
the Lyons road shall pass The same will be
the case with all other sound, well grounded
enterprises of the kind in the State The ag
gregate Of them all. creating general pros
perty, whether achieved by county or City
loans, or individual subscriptions, We cannot
believe VIII fall under the implication Of lille
yality, merely because the Constitution of Iowa
prohibits the loaning of State credit over 81 90
900. or because the provisions Of the Code up
on the subject, do not specifically enumerate
railroads, among other works of internal i'm
provement, to which a county ha the privilege
of lending its aid.
Citizens OF johnson County! Are you ne
glecting to inquire into the merits of this pro-
position? Are you blindly relying upon he mig
gardly theories OF anti raj road men, who dare
not deal with you in realities9 Are you so fear
full Of quibble. SO suspicious of petty OBJ.
security in the Code, as to forcgo your own best
int .rests by not voting this loan, when even if
held illegal it can result in no harm to you, in
land. money. goods. chattels or The comforts OF
liberal zeal and an easy conscience?
Means will b. taken, individual efforts will
be made under specious pretexts and the veil
Of a saving interest in your welfare to prejudice
your minds against the proposition now be
fore you. II carried. it will be represented
as entailing burden of taxation, totally on,
Of proportion to the benefits secured by the
construction Of this road. All undetermined
or upper handed effo,ts Of this kind are mo-
made with any view to our common welfare
but merely to create hostility to railway,
which can have no basis in reason--no basis
at all except in narrow minded selfshness.
inexcusable ignorance.
Read the proclamation Of Judge Lee. ane
learn from that. the 'grieuous burden Of lara
ton" with which We are nenaced The pro
position is to issue county bonds to the amour
Of $4,000, upon which per cent annual in
tcfest or 50 500 is to be raised by taxation
For the next ten years. the annual rate shall
not exceed three mills on the dollar.
Will your increased facilities for transpor
tation, your convenient access to the best mar
kets IN the Union, the accession to your pop
ulation, the rise of your property in no icti
tious. air Down value, but actually and tasg
bly,; will these aud many other d.rect result
of this railroad connection, tend in no degre
to mitigate the overwhelming tribute of tire
mills on the dollar! 1t will be easier T.
pay this additional tax, when the work is ono
begun, than il is to pay your present-than
will be to pay your future tax, if you indiifer
enily reject it.