Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-08-01
THE RAILROAD PROPOSITION.
TSr Under the above canton a wr

road, through the columns of the Civil
ian. We, perhaps, may have but an in
definite idea of the duties and province
of public journal, but it has always
seemed to us that there is one thing
which, more than any other, it is its
right and duty to advocate and further,
and that is, the right of free discussion
the unrestricted canvass Tin proper
spirit) of questions of public interest
The admission of articles prejudicial to
one side of a great question: question
not of personal but of general interest
in the columns of newspaper, demands
always, in our opinion, as matter of SIM
pie right and justice, that the other side
should be heard through the same medi-
um Nor is this only due to the party
attacked, but also to those to whom an
appeal is taken. In their capacity as
umpires or judges, it is due to them that
both sides should be heard, that they may
not unadvisedly do injustice. A journal,
asking for patronage not so much for its
own intrinsic merits, as because of its
local situation, and its devotion to local
interests-which is the case of most
country papers--seems to us so far in
debted to the community from whence
its support is derived, as to make it in
cumbent upon it to allow full and fair
discussion, through its columns, of any
subject of moment to the people of that
community.
Our independence contemporary, how
ever, seems to take different view of the
subject. Although protesting to be
friends of the Railroad, advocating (very
unintelligibly, to be sure) the adoption
of the proposition, they have, at the fiat of
the county Judge, published two gross at
tacks upon that proposition and the COM
pany, and have not dared to say word
in its behalf The Civilian advised every
voter in the county before the last cleo
ton, to vote for the loan but now that
Judge RoszELL has found out upon which
side he stands, and has defined his
position to be one of uncompromising
hostility to the road, it follows, like
whipped cur, its lordly master, and dare
do nothing but bark at his bidding Not
only has it published two gross attacks
upon a project it has but just pronounc-
ed itself in favor of { to which, however,
we by no means object) but it has refused
to admit any reply. We know of two
articles that have been taken to that office
in reply to these attacks, and though TAX
en- there by political friends of the Civa-
ian, have been denied admission. Two
of those articles contained no allusion to
Judge RoszELL, and yet were refused in
sertion because, to use the language OF
the Civilian men, they care RoszELL
men," How this fact could bear upon
the matter in question we cannot under
stand, unless it was part of that tax
list arrangement. But to the article of
"WAPsY."
He gives the proclamation of the COM
pany, commencing whether said coun-
ty will loan as credit to the amount of
two hundred and fifty thousand dollars
to the Wapsipinicon g. St. Peters Valley
Railroad" and then says:
"From this proposition it will be seen
at glance, that the county is a donor to
the company to the amountof $3.50, OO0."
Now we deny any such assumption,
and beg leave to ask WAPsY or any one
else, how, by strict or constructive def
milton of the word I" loan" it can be made
to imply gyts WEBSTER defines it as
something furnished for temporary use,
on the condition that it shall be returned
or its equivalent, and this is the signii-
cation which every man and child at
taches to it. No judge, no jury, no law
yer would give it any other construction,
and the deductions of WAPsY are simply
absurd, and are made for no other pur-
pose than to frighten the timid from a
course which their judgments must APP
prove.
WAPsY must be most lamentablv igno-
rant Of the operations of the Railroad
company, or else seems determined
which is probably the real state of the
case-to make any deduction prejudicial
to the company, and to use all manner of
Misrepresentation to bring it into discred-
it. He says % 1t is fact, that the on
ly basis upon which the company rely to
build their road is the amount to be real
lied from the county bonds" If he
knows anything at all about the subject
upon which he has written, he knows this
to be downright lie. If he knows no.
thing about the company's prospects and
resources, he is just as guilty as if he
| deliberately and Intentionally falsified the