The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-11-02
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morning 10 before u.s. and We note with ples
that you, - citizens Of Dubuque and the north
ern part Of Iowa, propose to agtate the ques-
ton Of State aid for our railroads. Missouri on
loaned their credit 70 their various Railroad
projects, and both States are reaping the benefi,
Of the policy, and 81 this very moment offering
such inducements 70 emigration that every
steamboat on the river takes citizens from our
State TO Missouri and Minnesota. Iowa must
not only stop this movement, but she must hold
out such inducements % will turn the tide OF
emigration to her own soil. In answer then to
your question "What do you think of the pro-
prlety Of calling . convention, DC" We say
unhesitatingly, let u have the convention
Let delegates from oil parts of the State meet
and confer freely upon this vital interest Of our
state, and canvass the policy and legality Of it.
such convention will infuse new lite into the
citizens Of our State, and it will do more to
restore confidence and arouse all classes OF
people to action. than Improvement that could
pc made Tor the present or future relief Of Iowa
We propose then, that convention be held at
Iowa City on lot Wednesday of December next
that il be composed Of ten delegates from each
county in the State, thus giving every county
sn eqlal vote without regard to population
With your consent, We propose to publish this
correspondence with . view of bringing the
subject prominently before the people of the
State, through the medium Of the press.
Very respectfully yours,
=. Y. X Mitchell, Antoine LIE Claire,
Y. I. Davenport, Jas Thorington,
/. O. Dessaint L. Cook.
John n. Cannon, John i. Dillon,
Austin Corbn, Jos A. Buchanan,
J. J. Burts, John p Cook,
Henry Hoffman, and others.
Every body, we apprehend, understands this
matter. There is to be another attempt to
fasten railroad Indebtedness of ten or fifteen
millions Of dollars upon the State. This is fore
Swallowed by the correspondence.
We would like to make few inquiries of
these gentlemen, who profess to he SO deeply |
interested in the prosperity of the State to
be willing to resort to this measure, to promote |
1t. How do you propose, gentlemen, to appor-
ton these Railroad bonds that you desire the
State to issue, among the several Railroad COM
panies: Do you suppose that the excluded
companies will allow the State to aid the land
grant roads alone, as you contemplated when
this scheme was first preached? Do you net
know that they will unite as one man to pre-
vent any such project being carried QUIT
II you propose to divide the State credit
fairly, justly, equally among the several com
panies, how.much do you suppose each company
will receive.
We do not profess to be familiar with all the
Railroad companies in the State, but ne know
OF the existence OF eighteen, each of which is
claimed by its partizans to be the most impor-
tsnt road in the State, viz:
l. Keokuk, Fl. Des Moines & Minnesota.
2. Southern Iowa. $
8. Keokuk. Mt. Pleasant & Muscatnc.
4. Mississippi River r. R. Company. 9
g. Burlington & Missouri River R. r. Company t
g. North Missouri River R. R. Company. e
Z. Council Bluffs Missouri River. t
8. Iowa Air Line a
Q. Mississippi & Missouri via Washington, Ma I
haska, Marion, Warren, sc. a
10. Mississippi Missouri via Iowa City, rowe. .
sheik, Jasper, Des Moines, &c.
IL. MuscatiLe 4 Cedar Rapids.
IL The Clinton Road.
ID. The Lyons Road.
IA. Dubuque l. Pacific.
10. " Southern.
Is. Northern. ).
II. McGregor Road.
Is. Cedar Valley Road. h
Now divide your SIC, 900, 900 of State Bonds !
equally among these eighteen roads and you /.
have basis Of $555, 555 for railroad purposes
allotted to each.
How far, gentlemen, will $3.50, 900 go towards .,
constructing . road from the Mississippi to the :,
Missouri Rivery
Do you say that you will exclude the weak :.
Companies from the benefits of the proposed
measure! 1t would be unjus. to do SO, and the
effect Of doing it would be to array those weak 'r
Companies in q combined hostility TO your IN
scheme. Do you say that you will combine VI
the strong roads and thus overpowsr the weak ra
ones! DO not fatter yourselves that you can o.
do any such thing. There is not a county in a.
the State in which there would not be q res ~
may devise there would be such m.norites
even in Dubuque and Scott.-whilst in many Of P,
the Oldest and most populous counties in the to
State there would not be respectable minority "a
Tor 1t. Do you suppose the people OF Lee
County, who are now oppressed with county /,
Indebtedness of S45o,Ooo could be prevailed =
upon to vote for any such project? In this =
votes in Des Moines, Louisa, Henry, Jeffer-
ION, Wapello, it would not command one
thousand votes, while not less than fifteen thou d.
'and would be polled against it. Add these Ia
najorities to the votes that will be naturally Ia
lnder the influence of the weak Companies and pc
where will be your schemes SO
We are satisfied De
LIST. That this whole thing is unconstitutional
Be assured, gentlemen Railroad spectators, to
hat not State bond will ever be issued until an
very question connected with this whole SUBJ in
eci is fully argued and decided by the highest hin
Judicial Tribunal in the land. We suggest that gul
the Companies industrious, well.managed in
nd have real merits, their roads will be com. to
leted long before the final decision will be est
lade. ma
But the project will never be carried thus fre
II, because: he
I'd. 1t cannot be carried through the General for
ssefnbly, and no scheme can be devised that cou
10 be carried that has in view the creation of !,
o'a'e oeo''-- Esq
3d. 1t could not be carried before the people. pa,
be more State Conventions are held, the more %
= a'e'eo" "''l become coinPhea'eu anu re por
ore certain will be its defeat. Therefore, We p,,
y, gentlemen, 60 on with your Conventions.
We are frequently referred to Missouri as a =
and'ng evidence Of the policy Of creatsg a pon'
rge State debt for the benefit Of Railroad 'ioh
'mpanies. The facts show that Missouri MARI
III millions Of acres Of lands exposed for sale
49,, -. exclamation III 80. MorI
@s '"e acre They
with the prevalent idea that she would 10 q had
years become free State, aud with her MotI
Ira.ds In nroc0sa of cons,rue,ion has AZ M u up
i'll be
e increased 10 popu1aion - iass - IOWA, best
u this time the Increase in Iowa is repre- mate
ted to be % two to one In Missouri. Every gene
.,a.. the