The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1858-11-18
state Aid to Railroads.

{.
State Aid TO Railroads.
Et- In all Of our exchanges we notice
this question more or less discussed, and
rs general thing, the idea more or less
approved of. in one form or another
There seems TO be very general DISPOSE
tion 70 do ANYTHING that is indispensable
for the furthcrance of our railroad enter.
prises-a disposition arising from deep
seated conviction in the public mind,
that their construction can alone relieve
Us Of the incubus Of debt viii ch is now
weighing MS down, or can release us
from the chains which an absolute de-
pendence upon the East for every article
OF manufacture. and many Of food, have
placed upon us As long rs this DEEPEN
dencc exists, and fails To become rccipro-
cal, just 50 long must our state sink ia
the. scale Of material prosperity To
stop Ibis downward tendency Two things
must be done lst. stop buying and go
10 manufacturing ; 2L. raise something
that will bring money. Can this be done
Without railroads . We think not.
We cannot depend upon emigration,
for that is only attracted to point " here
labor is demanded aud industry proves
remunerative. Do sc. offer such field
10 the emigrant Is labor in demand
among US. or does il receive just rec
ompense One year ago We might have
answered III the Affirmative truth
compcls m opposite answer The era OF
speculation Is for q time over. There is
$40 money coming among Us for The pur-
chase of Real Estate. Nothin. is heard
now Of fortunes made in dav. The
prestige Of the West is gone, and the
consequence is that the inducements
which impelled many heretofore to seek
This region. are no longer operating. We
'an hereafter expect only those 10 come
AMONG us who seek home on the broad,
rich prtiries Of the west because of their
fertility, and because they prefer To buy
tor a mite fields that will yield abundant
ly for the labor bestowed, rather than
purchase at Il large price the sterile lands
Of the East, which yield nothing 10 the
husbandman except through the medium
II expensive aud worrying cultivation
This Is the class which, Of all others.
would best advance the prosperity Of the
country. But will they be apt 10 come
~ a State where their labor is not a ne
'sessiiy--Mhere the productions of the
rod are already 4 drug where tiIlage is
Improbable and almost useless |? Most
;i-surcdly not, SO long as other States sur
rounding us possess soil and climate
the equal Of our own, and have besides
The facilities necessary for CARRYING to a
market their surplus products.
Ii Agriculture. which is the base of our
prosperity, is thus compelled TO droop
aud "i.her. a corresponding blight must
affect every other department Of business.
The merchant and mechanic is peculiar
y dependent. III this region, upon the
iarmer. He alone produces that which
ran buy money. lie is the fountain head
from whence must flow iiiis life principle |
Of tsaie. Through him alone can the
monetary circulation be kept up. If we
receive no return through him. we do
not recri,e il at all. and re shall soon
Had Il,9t constant effiux, without a cor
responding return, must soon cnd IN a
,ot'd exhaustion.
Our only course, then, il to furnish,
rs soon rs possible, to the farmer, the
means whereby this healthy circulation
may he kept up. This can only be done
by giving him facilities for reaching
market with his produce. We have nj
r'aiy shown that the only market We
have heretofore known--that given us
through immigration fail USE
How are Nc loreacli another /? Certain
u only through the meiiumsLip Of rail !
roads This is TOO apparent 10 need ar !.
;s'llnent- All experience has proven sla.i
railroads not only give 9cccss 70 E,ieign,
markets, bn. uuiseraaIl,. through the
a;sssIc!sof middle lnen.' establish e..e
"rywl,"re ia the vicinity a local market.
Witi lhia local markcl, iillasv would no
longer BE- useless. and land 10 longer
Worthless labor would he rclmpnernti,e.
and Inducements te immigration pre-
senled thai would draw to LIS. gradually.
5e honest. hardy. iniu,tripusl husband
man. Mho .nulI bless u, BY ihc labor
which Developed AMI beaniii',l his home
fewond be enabled TO procure n,eans
,eyond what WAS simply. ncessary for