Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-10-23


lFor the State Democracy
RaiIsosA Matters.
MrssRs. EDrroRs Your reply to
my argument against the legality Of
the proposed rail road subscriptions,
Of the goth, copies portion Of the law
which ! say makes the subscriptionsil-
legal. As you have placed the law be-
fore the public, they can determine
whether my construction or yours is
correct.
To my mind, it is manifest, that the
Law requires the money in all cases"
to be spent, within the county, in
which the road is situated, and if it is .
City subscription, then in the county in
which the city is situated.
You admit my construction to be
correct (; that it is for the building OF
abroad to or through their respective
cities and counties" and that it relates to
roads to DO built not roads already
built.
The question in which the people
are called upon to vote, by the procla-
nation, is ITO complete the road from
Iowa City West to GrinnelI, in Powe-
sheik county"
Now if this be not plain, palpable
violation of a positive law, language
has no meaning.
l beg leave to take issue with you
that the NJ. & NJ. Road is not finished
in. Scott county, and that there is from
$4,000 to $4,000, to DO expended
OF. the bluff.
The original quantity of grading at
the bluff was 100000 yards. At least
one third Of this has been done the
balance. 100000 yards, can be done
for Is cents the yard, making thirty
thousand dollars; know how this
Can be swellcd up to $4,000; give
the contractor double what it COSTS
And may l ask, what price Messrs.
Fsrnam and Durant get for building
the road from Iowa City to Demoine 2
Is it $37, 900 per mile or sSl 900, not
less than the latter, which is only
$1,000 over tho Cedar Valley esti-
mate /? And at what discounts arc
they to take your county bondss-
does any body know
The NJ. L. NJ. Road has already cost
over four and half millions for lit
tie over 100 miles OF road nearly
$4,000 per mile; and it does not earn
enough to pay more than the interests
on its bonds. You say it will take
$4,000 or *75, 900 to finish the bluff.
Add that to the costs, and when road
which costs that price per mile, in
Iowa, and have its stock at par, and
pay dividend, you and l will have
gone to our long reckoning.
am amused, that you express your
regrets, that my feelings lead me to
speak disparagingly Of such men A.
Hon. G. Z. Il. Mitchell, d. Higgins, 4.
Cook, James M'Intosh, and other stock
holders and Directors in the Cedar
Valley R. R.
Now, sir, l did not name those
gentlemen l did not then AMI do not
now know that they are directors and
stock holders in the Cedar Valley K,
r. I should be glad to see the list Of
the stock holders in that Company
Bring them out, sir. Are there any
Of them down for $4,000! Will any
of them sign that bond to build the
Cedar Valley Railroad, which the
proclamation requires, and which, il
your project carries, the County Judge
will be sure to demands l asked one
of them. He gave me his natural an
swer, u don't know" Let no know
who is to be on that bond. That is Z
matter Of contract. Probably the pro-
iectors Of these loans don't mean Ia
swindle any body, but that is not the
way to make a contract. The bes,
way is not TO tempt them with the
chance.
But I have an argument against any
such logic - yours, from an authority
which you cannot question. Who
when Cooks friends we're telling the
public that he Was an honest maa and
would not cheat the holders Of Flor.
saes paper. told the people not ia
tssst hint vhA when his friends
,wAA a ssE H
ss I .tta a a5 n