The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-06-03
VALUE OF A LAND DONATION.


The value of the grant of land by
Congress to the Illinois Central Rail-
road Company may be estimated by the
great results produced within the last
two years, as given in the ~subjoined
paragraphs.
The annual reports Of the Illinois
Central Railroad has just been made,
by which it appears that the gross earn
ings of the road the past year have been
S2,476, 600; the previous year they
were 81, 532, 900; increase, 1914, 600.
The number of passengers was one
third more than the previous year. The
entire length of the road is 707 miles.
including its two forks and its cost
has been. including commissions, loss
on bonds and stocks of every kind, $751;
940, 600; lands already sold, $I0,713,-
O00; the Company have left / ,729, 600
acres, worth So, 3e6,o0 which will
pay the whole cost of the road, and
leave a surplus of $4,000, 900 besides
the entire stock of the road free to the
stockholders, which will yield a divi-
dend, as the directors estimate, of 8 per
cent. The stock is now selling for S137
for 500 given to the original holder.
Can anybody, who has a regard for
equality Of benefits and burdens, give 4
sound reason why grants to corporations
in the new States are constitutional and
proper while they are denied to the
people of the old States ?-Ohio Pa
triot.
* Or can they give any sound
reason why appropriations of lands by
Congress for a partial system of inter
nal improvements is less constitutional
and proper, than a direct appropriation
of money from the Federal Treasury for
a " general system" of internal improve
ment2 This is a question which cannot
always be esaded. By its postpone
ment a system of corruption has obtain
ed a foot-hold at Washington, that
covered the last Republican House of
Representatives with an infamy which
time can never efface. As for us and
our house, We never have and never will
vote for any man fer Presidential or
Congressional nomination, who is not
infexibly opposed to this whole bust
ness Of squandering the public lands up
on Railroad monopolios-a business
which is at this day building up a moro
corrupting and.demoralizing power than
the United States Bank ever possessed.
Give US a divorce from all politicians
connected with or countenancing it.
" It is not in a splendid government"
said ANDREW JACKSON, " supported by
powerful monopolies and aristocratical
establishments, hat the People will
find happiness, or their liberties prosec
ton but in a plain system, void of
pomp, protecting all, and granting IA
vors to none" There has not been, in
the history of the world, an act of usur-
patton or public plumber, that was not
eonsummated under cover of the ge-
neral, welfare" " the public good" or
a similar syren phrase. If the resour-
ces Of the country can only bedeveloped
through "aristoeratical monopolies,"
then let us remain as we are, for awhile,
dispensing with a dollhouse growth SO
destructive of tho health and longevity
of our boosted equality. Give untram-
eied SCOPE to the enterprise and genius
of our people-and give to COPS men
an equal chance with the artificial crea-
lions of legislation. W. can have Rail
roads without purchasing them at the
expense of public virtue, our .birthright,
and = crushing down of the barriers of
the Constitution.