The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1854-04-06
Letter from Hon John 2. Cook.

W g niIu a letter IN tlic iptVH <itCt' t."-t
from Hon. Jyo p. COOK, Representative il
Congress from this District, relative to a
Charge preferred against him by the editor
Of that paper, Of having denounced the Iy-
ons Railroad as hnmbug. Mr. Cool; ha.ly
lc9ntradiets the charge and with that can
dor for which he is remarkable, explains the
exact course ne has pursued in regard 70 H.
wa Railroads. As Mr.. Cooa most triumph
antly vindicates himself from the charge and
the editors Of the Advertiser disc!aim all in
tention Of representation, i s useless to
occupy cur columns with the matter.
The editors say. Il, is with pleasure that
We publish his defence, and he may have the
assurance that we ever desire to do him JUS
tice-that we never wished to reprobate
him; and further, that We vii! never suh"ert
the purity Of our columns By .be Hing any
!individuai; much less, one for whom We
have that respect and feeling we have for
Hon Jons P. CooK.''
The following is the conclusion OF M.
Cooks letter, inregard to the course he has
and intends to pursue in respect to grants
Of lands for Railroad purposes
! .'So far as land grants are concerned for
Iowa, there is no occasion for any one doubt
ing my course in this Congress. During
the canvass at which | vas elected, | took
the ground openly. and above board, that
the Legislature elected at the same time !
{ ~ pa iraat oHtigy fnf.
# the State, and would instruct our Senators.
and request their Representatives. what the
State wanted: and in as much as no lands
could be obtained unless the Representa-
tives co-operated with the Senators. that |
would obey the instructions Of the Legisla-
ture | made this pledge all over my dis
trict, ard | intend to stand TO it if il kills
me.
"Ifthere was but one project outside Of the
instructions of the General assembly Of 10
wa, we might possibly get the committee
! to put it into the Iowa Bill. But when
/ tell You that there are five asking grants OF
4 land which would amount To tyo millions Of
acres more than the committee would give
us, tell me if You please, what Representa-
tive ,rouf tafe the responsibility Of selecting
/ one from the five? Jackson. Jones. Linn,
and counties west, have 5000 names to Pc
titions here, for the Sabula Air LIne Rail-
road. Same may be said Of Fort WAYNE
and Platte Valley Road, crossing the Mis-
sissippi in Louisa County. and running west
through Washington &c, TO the Missouri,
/! All these projects are represented here by
! gentlemen who claim that they are great
national projects, and have claims upon the
bounty of the general government, No one
lis Disposed t. dis puie it, but It is self evil
/ dent that the Iowa delegation in this Con
gross cannot get grants OF land ter all o'
them: nor can we gc@ all that cur Lcgis'a-
ture asks for: Nay. am forced To say that
rom present appearances, do not bellcV :
that Iowa will get an acre for railroad pur-
poses; certainly not SO long as We are "d!vI-
dea among ourselves The whole Iowa
delegation have acted in concert thus far
/ and Will continue to do so.
I "Messis Dodge and Jones have faithful
!, " discharged their daty, and obcycd their
instructions, by passing the Iowa bill through
the Senate; and when it Is attempted to sln-
: Gle me IF from the delegation as IN "oii
OK conveying the idca that am not acting
with them. or that they are willing to 60 IN
for this or that measure, 70 which VIII not
assent, can truly say it is insrePrescnta-
ton which does me injustice
aNo honest man in "Old Cei:r," or any
other county in nv district, will ask me to
violate pledge made to our people before
the election, while asking them Tor their
i votes. Il the Legislature cut out wrong
railroad policy for our State, an not t.
blame for it; nor ought the ctzens Q. Cedar
10 forget TINT their own :Senatorand Repre-
tative voted in our General Assembly for
this same rolicy.'