The weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1858-1860, 1858-11-02

millions Of dollars in aid Of sundry R. r. pro
. jecsa. We regret ts say, has not yet beer aban
I doned. Sundry persons At Dubuque and Davsn
port, aided and encouraged BY outsiders wh,
are certain to line their pockets 10 the event .
success, are now proposing . convention q
: Iowa City, ON the first Wednesday in Decen.-
: Der, every county being represented equally
with view Of inducing the State in som,
manner, 70 lend her bonds 10 the amount o.
zen miiliens Of dollars TO certain favored Rail-
roads OF Iowa, now crippled and unable to dc
anything. This cock twill not fight" We
on former occasion showed that under
our Constitution the State could not incur
such debt. It is hardly worth while for US to
pay the expense Of Constitutional Convention,
send our ablest men to make an organic law.
lit is to become rope Of sand whenever il
shall be the interest and pleasure Of designing
men to violate its provisions.
Besidss, were there no constitutional barriers
in the way, this plan Of pushing forward Rail
road Improvements is exceedingly objections
OLE Let the State once embark, ~ is desired,
in this scheme, and when and where will it
stop: The whole people will be equally in
volved in q heavy debt for the benefit Of
part. Railroad projects will get help, not in
proportion to their real importance and merits,
but in proportion to the number of votes they
can command by any mesns, fair or fsul. Cor
ruptlon will be rife At the Capitol. The vul-
lures will be On hand. Every Railroad now
contemplated or talked Of, or hereafter to be
brought forward, will have its elamorous friends,
yyho will besiegs the halls Of legislation and |
Justly demand their share Of the bounty. The
result will be large State debt caused BY the
construction of miles Of Railroad not needed,
between points whore Roads could not be made
to pay and whore nothing but the crazy amb-
sion Of lot and land spectators ever origins
ted such projects.
Very few Railroads pay, not one in ten even
bstwssn the large cities in the densely popula-
ted States. In Iowa. if this plan of stimulating
is adopted, q number Of Railroads may be
built, hut it will be at much too great a cost,
md in many cases where no exigsney Of trade
their construction. The consequence
will be that the stock will DO of little value and
he people at large have to pay in direct taxes
he difference between its value on change IN
New York and the subscription price. In short
Sallroad men, politicians and spectators viii, ,
10 good deal of dancing and the People will
lave to pay the piper.
we are OF opinion that every tub should
tand upon its own bo.tom-svery Railroad ,
rcjsct be placed upon its merits, if it has any,
nd like other enterprises, 60 up or down, by its i
apacity Of yielding dividends. Will it pay - r
hat is the question. There is capital enoagh ,
d the country. The men who have it are seek. /
ng any investment that will pay. They are
uick sighted and far seeing. 1t is only neces-
ary to show them that an investment will be
afe and pay moderately to get meney. Bur c
ngton is thus pushing forward her Western E
load and in few days will be at the Des
loinss. Other Roads having equal merits and :.
the hands Of men equally reliable, can get T
'oney without involving our State. That they !.
o net get it only proves that they are in the r
ands Of men who are unreliable or else that :,
'e Roads themselves do not promise much in
as way of dividends. In either event these ),
re sufficient reasons for refusing State aid. u
All our previous legislation and the clause in !,
ur Constitution forbidding a larger State in :.
ebtcdness than $3.50, 900 prove very clearly !,
our mind that the people of Iowa have pro Y
ted by the experience of older States They :.
i'll not be dazzled by this ten million scheme