The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1858-11-13

State Aid to Railroads.
Some very benevolent gentlemen at Du-
buque, Davenport, and elsewhere along the
shores of the Mississippi, seized and posses
sed of a strong desire to benefit the Stately
have called Convention at Iowa City, on
the first Wednesday of December next, to
consist of ten delegates from each county in
the State, for the purpose of taking into
consideration the expediency of loaning the
credit Of the State to certain Railroads that
are, or may hereafter be deemed, of State
interest. To the holding of the Convention
We cordially subscribe, but emphatically pro-
test against an Extra Session Of the Legis-
la.ure as natural sequence, or corolIary
thereto. The holding of the Convention can
do no harm, and may result in much good
to the people of the State. Our Railroad
interests cannot be discussed too much
cannot be too dispassionately canvassed and
considered-and we therefore favor the hold
Ing of the Convention, in the hopes that
some plan may then and there be concerted
which shall. ut no very distant day inure
to the benefit of the State, surely and d.
rectly.
While concedins the propriety and expe-
diency of Convention for the purpose of
consultation in regard to the Railroad inte-
rests of the State, we object in toto to the
proposition that an Extra Session of the
Legislature be held this winter, to carry out
the programme that may be adopted ut said
Convention; for we do not believe the peo-
pie are willing to bear the expense of such
session, in furtherence Of the objects con-
templated We admit the cogency Of all thel
arguments adduced in favor Of the early
completion of the various Railroad enterpri.
ses in our young State, but yet doubt very
much the policy Of putting the State, at this
time, to an expense Of from forty to fifty
thousand dollars, for the sole purpose, of
availins ourselves Of the benefits that might
be derived from the exercise of, at the best,
doubtful e1pedient.
1t is but too evident, that our railroads
are sinking under the weight of pecunary
embarrassment. 1t is equally evident that
the State at large is, and will continue, Ian
gushing as long as this state of things ex-
lists. The logical inference is, then, that to
the early completion of our railroads we
must look for the future Development of our
resources, and for our progress in all that
tends to material greatness. The question
for solution is then, simply, in what manner
can that end be most surely and satisfactory
ly attained? Concedins the right Of thepeo-
pie Of the State, in their sovereign capacity,
to lend its credit to help along Railroad in
tercommunication-the main artery of the
body POLITICS it good policy to do so?
That is the question now being agitatcd by
the Sress and people of the Eastern and CEN
t{fa1 portions of the State. Many, varied
and cosent reasons have been adduced for
and against the proposition, some Of which
we present to our readers, elsewhere in our
issue of to-day, that they may weigh the ar
guments pro and con, and decide for them
selves what action is desirable in the prem
Uses. For our part, we believe the people
are hardly prepared to acquiesce in the pol
icy Of lending the credit of the State, even
for the attainment of so desirable an object
as the speedy completion of our Railroads.
more especially, when coupled with the ex-
pense attending an Extra Session Of the
Legislature, as contemplated by the advo
Gates Of the proposed measure.
Could it BE- demonstrated, that this WAS
the only practicable scheme for insuring the
early completion of our Railroads-that
without this aid they must languish, and
the people forced to await a revolution in
Stocks, before such completion could other
wise be efTcctcd-that local interests would
not swallow up State intcrests-that the
State, at large, would really be beneftied-
that '.iog- roIIing," extravaganza, corrup-
ton and favoritism would not mark every
step in the programme, we opne there would
be but little objection to the State exchang-
ng securities with those roads that are real
y of State interest. But then, where will
We draw the line Of demarcation? Who will
tell us what roads are of State and what Of
local importance? The scheme. to our mind,
IS fraugh, with many disastrous consequen.
ceS, and if not totally impraeticable, is at
least, one hardly susceptible of a demons,ra-
tive elucjdation. Therefore, we say, let the
subject be discussed until the next regular
Session Of the Legislature, and if the pco-
pie are then clamorous for the reference Of
this scheme to 4 popular vote, let it be SO
submitted.