The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-07-27
DANGER AHEAD.

DANGER AHEAD.
The Introduction and multiplication of rail
roads IN our country has been already, and will
be to much greater extent hereafter. produce
tive of many impor ant commercial, social and
poii'ical changes OF these, it IS strictly true
say, large majority will conalce to the de-
veiopnent and advancement Of the adiuncts of
q higher civil,zaton--to Social and political
condition far in advance IF thai which a, pres
ent obtains. But, like all other great blessings.
this important agency is not unmixed with great
evils and II becomes US, while we rejoice over
the former not 10 be so dazz'ed by them as 10
forget or 80 far overlook the latter 10 neglect
: provide against them in due season.
Oh. o' the most obvious tendencies Of an
eAiens We railroad system, in wrong direction,
10 the building up-ot vast monied aristocracv
IN The country-an aristocracy to be dreaded all
sle more from the fact that it viii be an osso.
| tteted one, and extend ng ultimately from the
primal seat its power-New York and Boston
to eve ry State in the Union not only infasiep
ITS virus n'o the social life Of the whole cot,n-
try but extending its influence and power into
The Legislative Halls and to the judiciary Of
he various States. Let us explain
Certain men of large capital, in N York and
Boston, build road from one or both Of those
eltles 10 the northern Lakes. II pays we'll.
Other capitalists would like to share in its pro-
nts, but tte projectors and build. rs are unwil.
I'm !. to make fur her divis ion of the income.
Inc next idea Is to build rival road connecting
the same cities with the same lakes. Here
commences war of competition. The FIRST
line Ceases TO be profitable, and the latter does
out h'tle more than pay expenses of operating.
Each company begins to look out for lateral
connections to feed into the trunk road. They
also extend their vision westward towards the
valley Of the Mississippi Coxspanes are or
gan'zeu IN the intermediate territory, who. aid
ed by the New York and Boston Companies,
carry forward the pr0longatifn Of these rival
i'nes- As the interior IS penetrated The feldien.
iarges, and each interest throws out its lateral
arms to all important eommefc ia, c, n.res Start
ing from point on the boa.d, the system
gradually spreads cut as ii progresses westward
nn''l oy the time 1t strikes the valley 6f the
Mississippi 1t extends over numerous DEGREES
OF latiiude-the last link being as Intimately
identified in interest with the first as il is with
The one next III connection to it-Thus the
two riva' interests, consisting originally of a
few caplttl sis in New York and Boston have
gone ost side by side TO the Mississippi, absorb.
ing into one or the other large portion Of The
money and the enterprise of the country ira
versed Each original trunk 70 { with is ram
lhcati"n OF branches, might be compared to the
nervous system, each part sympathzing with
every other portion In fact, the identity of
sissipp' and il will be from New York To San
Francisco and Puget's Sound
Now, what we have thus briefly detailed
above, exists, in fact, before our eyes The two
rival interests have reached Illinois Every
road building, or about to be built in the State,
is identified with or the other of them The
history of their movements is not vet written
out, but enough is known of the ferceness with
which they combat each other, of the Strenuous
efforts used TO check-ina'e each other, of the
means, resorted to by each to accomplish its
respective ends, to create the wish, on the part
of all the disinterested lockers on, that the two
ntereats may always keep evenly balanced and
that they may never become coneoI-
dated
Consolidation is what we fear 1t may be
far in the future-probably will not be peIfec-
ted until many years after each interest shall
have extended its system of roads to the Pacific;
| ut we regard an ultimate consolidation Of the
two with almost as much certainty as we do
an already existing fact. When that event
happens, then will our free institutions be sub
jected to a more severe test than any through
which they have yet passed. See, how it will
work. The consolidated interests will want
legislation in every State, from New York to
San Francisco. They will want legislation,
perhaps, by Congress. They will want favors
from tn lowest State to the highest United
States branch of Judiciary. They will
want favors from the Common Councils of ey.
cry city in which they have a depot How
shall they secure it9 The heart Of the patriot
'ickens with apprehension as he remembers
what are the agencies usually relied upon by
corporations to obtain legislative and other fav
'rs. How many influences they can bring to
bear to secure the election of men in their in
crest to the various offices, legislative and ad-
in our State and General Govern
when the United Corporations
sE Piuribus Unnm'-sllall extend through
very State, and into every county Of each
State between the Atluntic and Pacific when
officers, employees and debtors
Ill voters-shall be numbered by hundreds of
this wealth, both corporate
md individual, snail be told by millions and mil
will it not require a vast amount of
virtue, an intelligence as universal
IS the people, and vigilance that never sleeps,
70 preserve our lib critics from the inroads Of this
great, overshadowing, all powerful associated
liistocracy
We may be laughed at by those who have
lot duly considered this subject in all its bear
ngs for the picture here presented - But we
Know that fears, similar to those her inexpress-
ID, cannot but be already developed in the
minds of many earnest patriots whose love of
country and Of those virtues which underlie all
freedom is too strong to be overcome
~ even the prospective advantages which we
III anticipate from the vast system of railroads
With which our country is being cheQuered.
Such will thank US for utering the thoughts
they have been oppressed, and will
abor SO to direct public sentiment, to form pub
&c virtue and TO promote public intelligence, as
o guard against the evils Of system whose ex
sience is matter of absolute necessity, and
which, in other respects will bring innumerabe
blessings in its traio - Chicago Press.