The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-11-20
From the Burlington Gu,ette.
State Aid 10 n nilr0aiR.

against the proposition to make the State q
means of Fastening our railroad improve
ments, seems to have its origin in the fear
that great public debt will be saddled upon
US, and that our treasury will be made bank
rupt. The writer would partake Of the same
apprehensions were it proposed to make the
State partner in the construction of rail-
roads, or were it proposed to loan the State
credit without security. But there is n mode
by which the State may greatly facilitate the
completion Of all our principal roads and at
the same time not endanger cent OF its
money or particle of its credit. That plan
is simply this Let the State agree to loan
its credit for $40 100000 or SIS 900. 900, by
an issue of bonds bearing not more than six
per cent, interest, upon these conditions, to-
wit:
LIST. When any one Railroad Company
proposed to be assisted by the State, shall
have graded thirty miles of said road, and
shall have laid the iron upon ten miles OF the
same, then the State shall issue to said com
panv bonds amounting to $4,000 or 5000
per mile, and so on for each successive ten
miles. the State to be secured by II first mort
gage bond on the road, and when thirty
miles shall have been completed then the
State to issue bonds to the amount of SGT, 900
or s., 900 per mile, for equirping the same,
to be secured as above-thc interest on these
bonds to be paid sem-annualiy, with sink
ing fund so that the principal shall be paid in
twenty years.
ID. The Railroad Companies thus to be
benefited shall be at the entire expense of
interest on the bonds thus to be issued by the
State, ana shall make a deposit Of said inter
est money with the State authorities at least
thirty days prior to the maturing of the same
otherwise the Attorney General shall have
power, by summary process, to take posses
sion Of said road, and proceed to sell the
same to any party who will agree to pay
$4,000 per mile for the same.
This would make the State secure, and
would cut off all possibility of plundering,
swindling or gouging. AS the companies
would pay the interest, of course not Il cent
would be added to the present taxation of the
people. Admitting, then, the constitutional
ty of the question, and seeing that the State
would be made amply secure, and property
holders put to no additional expense, 1t
would seem to be pretty clear that, if rail
roads are deemed advantageous. there can be
no danger in having an extra session Of the
legislature with view to king action in
this matter.
This is no untred system. 1t had its orr
gin in the sound and practical minds of such
men as james X. Polk and John Bell, Of
Tennessee, in which State it has been found
to work ndmirablv--a thousand miles of road
having been constructed under it within II
few years past. 1t has also been adopted
with success in Florida, where, within two
years past, two hundred miles Of road have
been constructed and are now in successful
operation.
Our growth and prosperity rs a State and
as people are now mainly dependent upon
the success Of our railroad IMPROVEMENTS
Many Of these, it is hardly necessary to say,
az even worse off than .thc wounded snake
which drags its slow length alons" -ntey do
not ~ at aN. We ought to make them 20
if We would prosper We must make them 90.
Illinois is chequercd with railroads, and is
rapidly becoming tho largest and wcaIthirst
State in the Union, with Il people the most
prosperous in the world. Wisconsin is fol-
loving closely in her tracks, while Missouri
and Minnesota have also walked up to their
interests and taken the initiative ii, States to
push forward the various rairpad Improve
mcntS within their limits. Does it become
Iowa to stand still ut such 4 crisis OF railroad
progress? viii she permit herself to be
outstrppcd in the great race of State pros
perIty.
Let the State come to the rescue witt n
willing hand, but a prudent one--lct her en-
coungc the enterprise Of her people with the
influence Of hrr credit, only taking care that
that credit shall not be .mpcrIlrd. LIT her
first provide for an ample sccurily-afier
tb,- no oil rI ll,,r
mon veal hy lending Il fostering hand to the
great wealth developing agent of the times.
Go1 crnmrnts are instituted for the good Of
the governed. We have right to demand
that ours shall not fail Of tins object.
Il Is certain lis things now stand, that our
various railroads. with all their lands, are TN
able to make any matcra! hradway. Mean
time other States are advancing and their
prosperity is inviting immigration. ltmnst
inevitably result. in the course of things, that
our own people will become discouraged, and
Instead Of adding to our numbers We shall
grow smaller hv degrees and beautifully
ires,' unless curly and energetic steps shall
be taken by the State TO put our railroad
system upon Il broad and successful basis.
This, as has been attempted to be shown, can
be done without putting the State or the
people to any expense, and without IN the
least ieUparding the public credit Or the mon
cy Of the State. Under such an arran cement,
Iowa would take the iron bit in her mouth
and move on with lightning speed to the
highest pitch of State and personal prosper
ity. Gu" entire system of roads would be
completed in two years from the ratification
of such a plan by the pcoplc-our broad
prairlcs winch now lie waste would be made
to TEEN with the richest harvests-our towns
and cities would throw off their garb of
mourning and put on the habil;mcnts Of a
joyous prosperity-and Iowa, instead OF
counting her people by hundreds Of thous-
] ands, would soon count them by millions,
and rank along side Of the first States Of thu,
Union. This is no stretch Of the Imagination
but a faithful reflection of iAcis-facl>
which cannot fail to arrest and fa>ten them
selves upon every intelligent and practical
mind.
1t is not necessary to discuss the adyan.
tagcs resulting from Railroads.. They ar,
alike fully understood and appreciated by ~
! persons. whether learned or unlcarned. They
are the great clviiizers of the age--thc great
promoters Of wealth in every branch OF bus
mess. 1t is Il poor State, and must ever re-
main poor State, that is without railroads,
or the hope of railroads. Can we carry oul
projects on to completion under the existing
state of affairs? If 50, how soon? Even
our road, O.. 4 NJ. L. L. r. which is perhaps
upon the best bass of any Improvement in
the State, though managed with ability and
energy, is, after all, but progressing at Il
,nal's pace. But, even if satisfied with oul
own prospects, the State at large has claims
to our sympathes and good wishes, ana
whatever will add to the general good viii
certainly minister more Or less to our OWL
welfare. These other routes, to say nothing
Of our own, are practically at Il dead halt,
and must find succor from some quarter, or
end in utter failure. Can we, as II youus
State needing immigration. and with our re-
sources undeveloped, afford to permit such
n dlsaster-such a crushing out of all our
hopes and prospectS-as would cnsuc upon
| the abandonment of our railroad improve
mcntS? Yet to such complexion must We
come at last unless the Stat" shall come il,
and assume, for the time being, the position
/ Of "a friend in need
Looking mt matters in this hght--sGcinr
that our roads must stop unless held up by
the Stutc-and seeing that this assistance