The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1853-09-21
THE FAST AND THE PRESENT.

i away W PSlicCS WHIT OF eActte Hltuts aiu sAs
press, not whit behind, has stirred The fire
\ with sword" All hands seem thoroughly
Impressed with Sancho Panza' policy Of losing
he game by card too many, "a her than by
Ne too few. We do not know whether i, will
! Ne called 5oas, confession when we say
that the Express, through all this railroad
vival, while il has cndcavorcd to attend The
church regularly, has Leen rather chary Of any
exultant haleIujahs. We have oppose d the
system Of looms BY municipal ard c. unity corpo-
ra.ons. because we believed them inexpedicnt
and unjust in many cases, and unconstitutional
in all. We do not propose 10 revive that argu-
nent here. Our views have been Rlly given
heretofore, and we as yet see no reason to alter
them. We propose however to say few words
relative to the progress Of oar ros<s, TO compare
the present with the past. more for the purpos'
IF suggestion than argument.
In 1886. 80; after most astonishing series Of
railroad prsj.c S, a universal revulsion took
place, the details Of which, fresh il the memory
of all, need be but alluded 10. These projects,
with hardly exception fell to the ground
| never 10 be revived. This was the case in many
Of the Southern and. in nearly every one Of the
| Western States. The State cf Iowa, go far as
the number Of projected roads is concerned, is
/ in the same condition. II remains 10 be seen
whether the causes which worked SO many dis
astcrs to our sister States are also in existence
with u.s.
Il is common to speak Of the grca, expansion
Of public and private credit as being the cause
Of the disasters of that day. But, as we take it,
this was but indirectly concerned. II is clear
| that If the investment is good one, the more
capital employed, the better. The real cause
lay deeper, and it is this which we have 10 avoid.
That cause was that u,e Investments were NO,
good ones There was then afloat precisely the
same idea which we continually encounter now
that railroad must, from the very nature of
things, support itself, and make business wher-
ever It run. The same tallacious game was
played then that is going on now Statistics o.
increased values Of land, and Of all kinds of
property in railroad countics,w were ostenta,iousIy
paraded, and these succe sscs attributed 10 rail-
roads. A result due 10 a multiplicity Of causes
was attributed exclusively to one II is some-
times hard to say whether these sophis,ica state
ments are honestly put forward or not. II is not
many days since that we observed formidable
array Of statistics setting forth that twelve coun
ties in Michigan through which the Central and
Southern Railroads run, were assessed IN 1851
at only l6,0O0, 900, while this year the tax du-
plicates of those counties show the increased
amount Of $56.OO0, 900. The deceptive infer
ence from this state Of affairs was that these rail-
roads were the creators Of the increase. But it
is studiously concealed that these railroads had
been in operation some years prior to 1851, and
that the other counties Of the State not connect.
ed with railroads showed very nearly the same
ratio Of increase The taxable property Of the
whole State Of Michigan in 1851 was valued at
but $4,000, 900, while this year the assessments
bring il up 10 .O0O, 900, showing clearly tina,
the increase did NOT depend on the roads We
are far from denying The many advantages Of
railroads, but what we wish 10 guard against is
the cx'rayasant ideas held by our headIops be-
i;evers in their cmnipoiencc.
The western coun' ~ in 1896 was not d;ssimi.
lar in many respects TO iowa in 1863. Il had
not been settled and improved sufficiently to
sdesignate the siles that were 10 become the de.
pots of trade cr the routes Of travel and If all
The frst projected roads Of Indiana and Illinois
had been successfully carried through, they
would, At this day, as in the case Of the Madison
road, be found losing speculalions. The pro-
gress OF our state has been indeed remarkable,
but after all much yet remains unsung.' The
interior ofihe Stale is almost unknown, the North
West untouched Our resources are undevelop.
ed, our avenues Of tsade can only be guessed al,
md the tinal depots Of business need time TO de-
1onstrate themselves. IN regard to all these
matters, it is astonishing how often the most
cautious calculator is taken in. The day has
been when Kaskaskia had brighter prospects than
ST. Louis, and vinccnnes was reckonsd as
promising better things than Louisville, or Gin
cinnati
this-to suggest these points Of similarity gath
cred from the instructive Past, and for one mo-
mcnt to impress upon all the great b~urfits, n
fact, the imperative duty, Of caution, and some
little degree OF prudence. We need remind M
one OF the proverbial truth that credit is debt,
and that debt, sooner or later, is ruin. s defy
you" said the eccentric but talented John RAN
dolph, " to show me a desperately indebted
people any where, who can bear a regular sober
Government
We need not say that We have no wish to
Interrupt for a moment, the progress Of true
prosperity and legitimate Improvement But we
hold il the highest duty Of . journalist, 10 see
that the shadow be not mistaken for the sub
stance, and that no caschword, however dear TO
the popular mind lead it one step into the wrong
We shall return to the subject at an early date
Ourobject will be fully attained il. BY any homes,
means, the people viii realize the undying truth
ofpoor, dying Burns, that.
s--prudent, cautious, selfeontrol,
| Is wisdom = root -
i TENPEsAscE.-The Burlington lack Eye
appears disposed to discoun,enance the connec-
ton Of Temperance and Politics This is
something new in Wing tactics as the Hack
Eye rather admits. Il opens an article on the
subject as follows:
The Wing Press Of The State seems TO be i'm
pressed with the idea that Temperance is one Of
the cardinal virtues, and that its advocacy is
necessary for the welfare Of the body p. lite -
Though friendly TO the cause of all reform cal
cuiated to benefit mankind, and urge forward
the great unitarian principles of The age, we
cannot indulge the idea of its incorporation into
State Policy.
u Last Saturday night we had regular old
fashioned thunderstorm. The walls of the Ca
tholic Church in process of erection near the old
graveyard were blown down, and one or two