Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1853-05-26
CO M M U NICATIoN
- For tie Courier.

deceived by some designing person as to
the terms and effect Of the Rail Road
proposition, which is the foundation Of
his article; or, having correc. knowl
edge of il as published in the Courier Of
the TIN April last, he awilfully misrepre-
sents it for The purpose of .deceiying his
readers, and creating a'Prgudice against
it. The first supposi.ion is not at all
creditable to his head, and the last is
no-wise complimentary 10 mis- heart
OF the Two characters involved charity
compes me 10 believe HIM the frs.--a
|dupe. aF a
am quite confident there never has
been any Iuten,ion. on the part Of the
friends of that proposition TO recon-
mend a county tar 10 defray the expense
OF survey. The only mention of cali
sing on the county Cor aid IN that respect
was in the cali of the Ot,umwa Conyen.
ton, in which i, was. said the subject,
would be considered, and inserted mere
ly out of complement 10 the reques, az
the Fairfield Convention. IL aDdS MOI
recommended By the Committee aatheir
cali. The amount is now being raised
by private subscription. the survey being
preliminary and private work. He says
he is informed .hatthe originators Of the
scheme, recommended raising il by tax
alton in five years, ,o-wiE 100000
twenty thousand dollars) annually! and
asks "would you no. call that lovelyR
Here he isgrossly. ignorant OF the pro-
position. as published, and of which ev-
cry reading man in the county should be
supposed to hase. some. knowledge. u,
would perhaps be Of some. service to The
gentle.ilan, ifssome friends would advise
him 10 hereafter inform himself of HE
subject. matter. about which heswriies. be-.
fo.e showing himself in print.
The proposition is defensi5le, ind
ichen The tin,esShali arrive to - discuss
ii, IL soiA S6c defended as q pleasure
fraught cith great beuetts TO The peo-'
pie of the county, and ,oitto,afli real
danger Of becoming to them pccuni-
airy burden. |. requires the expenditure
Of the proceeds of ihevDonds within the
county; and, those bonds cannot be is.
sued until an equal amount of The conn
pany's own funds shall have been ex,
pended within the county; .and no ass
sessment of tax 10 pay interest could take
place until the Bonds should be issued
all Of hich taken togetheI wo'd almost
certainly secure the compleiio,as Of The
road through the county before the frs,
ieuy and collection of tar for interest.
And shat sax would be bntforty cents on
every hundred dollars of county yalua-
.tion, this statement answers the OBJ
lection OF @T. G. o." tina. the taxes
would come first, and the. road alter.
wards With circulation of between
two and three hundred thousand dollars,
laid Out and expended within she county,
among the peaple, and aprailroad in full
operation, who and where is the man
who would mott better able 20 pay his
additional tax of forty cents. on she hun
dfed dollars, than he is now able to pay
his present tax! The yeries, loaier in
ahe county would be compelled, by viz
tue of snecessity, to be benefited to a
greater degree than thai; and as for the
jntelligent farmer, mechanic and. fner-
chant, he can make his own calculations
Of the difference between poor arade and
fash business. with money plenty and
prices high. -
J But my intention was not so muchao
notice the article Of 1T. Ger as the
present posi.ion4of the counties on the
subject of county subscriptions 81
long as The application Of :he Fairfield
Convention to the Governor for an extra
session of the Legislature remained un
decided, il became the friends of che
.coun,y proposition" 70 wait. and pro-
coed no tursher. That question being
now decided negatively BY his Excellen-
cy, it Becomes necessary sha.the friends.
of RaiIroadsin Iowa vhould decide on
their further course. a,mu
IN On Bugs. county 4, have
decided ,hal they have ID coed
ing. and accosdipglY1 - g Judge
hasordered an eleafM The Burling-
ton Telegraph ID now evidently in favor
of pxoceedsg with thseRpnty subscrip
lions. The @Keokul patch aflirms
he right and power ofathe counties to
Subscribe. In his position of the ques-
ton i Sew propose to continue my argu-
ment in favor of The validity of such
s.scoun,y Eidso railroads. My former
article was mainly based onzs6ckon Id
Of the code of Iowa; and Itch by
ifnplicssion, 1 had necess1 Il 80 recog-
niza the Legislature asTihe source of
poicer from which the people deriue their
.rig4t to act in county matters. now
propose TO reverse tie position, and as
sert tina, in questions of purely local
CHARACTER. affecting only The interests of
06unty,is mays act in .she particular
matter before II, wishou. any express act
of the Legislature, ON that praticular SUBJ
ject Those subjects must not, Of
course, contravene public policy. and
must be of the character contemplated
ia the "BilI of Rights" among which
are the right to acquire, possess and
protect property, and par and obtain
or3piasss. These obiscss are not con-
Ify law. and ma be pursued by
riduais. and by counties, he ag-