Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1858-10-29

Th.rs are some men 90 CONSTITUTES

-. ,h.. whom they presume
- .,prs.. an opinion or to DO :"
sbsy look upon oil who d''aP-
proye Of the opinion or act, %
not better than natural born Tools.
They have such an overween'ng conn
,,eoce in their own opinions, that they
90 mad with rage if Others do not res
noud enthusiastically to the sentiments
thew express. So IL it in railroad mat
ten. Those who oppose the loan OF
the couu., for railroad uses, look upon
MI who favor it ss slightly deranged.
Thank God there are but "bakers
dozen" in this city, and some assert
that eleyen of these cannot be found I!
when we show that throughout this
vaSt empire the cities favored with the
l.roest number Of railroad connections
are the most flourishing, in trade, COM
merce, wealth, population, aud value
Of taxable estate-when We snow that
the one great advantage which the
free States possess over the slave
States are railroads by which mails are
quickly dispatched, freights exchanged
and population attracted. When we
show that in 1854 with population
of $500 we gave loan Of sl25,Ooo
for railroad purposes, even while our
assessment roll was not one tenth what
it now is-without feeling the burthen
Of taxation, and by which our poPula-
ton il swollen to $4,000 and our as
sessment roll to SS,OOO,O0O. When
We show that ali the other cities OF the
State like Davenport are stagnant for
want of a fresh impulse to again set
them upon their course OF renewed
and unsurpassed prosperity, and arc so
much in debt that they cannot give a
loan for Railroad purposes, and Scott
county can do SO, and at once expend
money, revive labor, trade, manufactu-
res, &c, and increase them by opening
new fields for our business men. When
we show that by the success Of this loan
our population must soon become
10000 with an augmentation every
year, and our real estate become
doubled IN value, distributing the tax
es among more tax payers and upon a
greater amount Of taxable property 30
as to render the burden to each no
greater than it now is. When we show
that Davenport must advance or re-
cede. and that It's fate must soon be de-
termined by the action to be adopted
by our citizens. When all these things
are brought into view, to each voter,
we cannot see how any man will be
foolish enough or weak enough to
oppose the loan.
Some, and very small "some," ar
que, that some portion of the loan Is
illegal. Those profound lawgivers need
not be SO fearfully alarmed, for if they
are correct, all they have to do is to
resort to the favoritc remedy Of an an
junction and the bonds will not be
issued. SO this nightmare will not
deter men who have the public good
at heart, from coming square up to the
full support Of this enterprise. Among
the communications in the columns o.
our contemporaries we find a goodly
number from &C." and why &C." does
not write out his full name we are at {
loss to determine for those who know
the peculiar style Of James Grant mus
recognize the identity OF the author.
We have one consoling remark 70
the Judge. The bonds are not pay
able in 20 years, and it is not likel,
that either he or his children will b
called upon to pay any portion Of tn
principal, and the Judge ought cer
tainly to do his part towards the in
terest, as his property will be increas
ed in value by the railroad, the exter
Of at least $4,000 in two years. W
think that from the Judges prevers
opposition there is some little nigge
in the wood-pile" and yet we canno
believe that he would for selfish end
oppose so important scheme Of put
lie improvement. We remember this
the Judges opposition to the loan fc
macadamizing the streets, caused b
defeat when he run for alderman {
Fourth Ward, against AID. Washbur
and we trust that the Judge will tax
lessons Of wisdom from the past =
But seriously, we fail to perceive tn
soundness of the Judges reasoning !
opposition to the Railroad loan. H
stands almost if not entirely alone up
on the question. We should far pre-
fer to see him working zealously an
ably, as he can do, for this all import
ant project. Next Saturday evening
there will be rousing public meetin
atLe Claire Hall, and then we hope t
see some plan adopted for thorough
canvassing the county. Let every pre-
c'nct be visited, and every farmer sc
hA