Arkansas true Democrat., 1859-01-19
To Old Fogy Members of the Legislature,

To Old Fogy Members of the Legislature
 GENTLEMEN--Yo are crying out agalns very measure brought up in the lesislatp' aculated to advance the prosperity of ur State, and base your opposition upon tie greno ,f feconomy, saving the peoples money, a9the State debt, etc.
 Now, gentlemen, it is not my purge to question your honesty of purpose, althgh It is natural for aspiring men to lean tduo'ic sentiment, and often times in oppositoT their more enlightened judgments But fnd to expose your contracted suicidal policytd that by few broad ak statements, So plainnd con- vincing, that he that runs may re5and be- lieve.
 The time has been when there $ reason in talking about State debt: when q old rot ten banks were wrapped up in myfy' ana It was mt known how much the StatEas bound for. Indeed there was then causiof alarm' and that alarm has increased yfy until It has grown into a great panic, andFms to con- tinue to increase notwithstanding fry cause Tor alarm has been removed by thsslance ana unsiring perseverance of our mt worthy ana honorable Executive, who afteriohg and la borious investigation, has repof the indeot- edness of the State to be sonflhg over one million of dollars, due sou years hehce' which really amounts to no pt at all, more particularly when we compare 'o other states owing their twenty, thirty, n hity millions, and some of them with I9reater resources than Arkansas.
 Then why talk about st deot! us per feet folly. ignorance, and Se than all, rnnous to our credit, which in thl days of enllshten- ed policy, is the main baYf progress and pros perity. indeed good crei and reasonable ln- debtedne,s is essentially the wealth of all governments Rut surSe the State was in debt and it was deslfe to pay out, what would he our best polj to effect that end?- Would it be to keep fh ali energy and a It. tie appronriation to sand encourage and to hord up miser-likeu all surplus revenue Nberebv takino aws sirculation) and for what to pay debts not d UT would It be best to use the money asEbusiness man turns over his capital.
 Now, honorabNrs, assert and can prove, that if it is desinf to pay off the State debt Gf it can be calIa debt) the quickest way to effect that obiee to use every dollar in the State treasury l all that can be borrowed and Praised from an uource to build railroads and telegraphs. fhat' says one panc-stncken (and who hasVer seer or understood the ad' vantages of fl 'mproVements0 take the peo- plc's mopey build railroad or telegraph fol this or tha4ce, for this or that section? No am afraid the people. Here, gentlemen you are ntken, the people are almost unani- nous in fir of such a course, and he whc opposes gts of lands or money to any of the railroads sarticularly the Memphis road now under w and leading to the centre of the State. find cold shoulder at home, no matterhere he is from, for the whole State is deep. .terested in the speedy completion of the bphis and Little Rock railroad. which is tlfver to build all the balance to every pardthe State.
 4 assert that every dollar loaned to a rele railroad or telegraph company will ma five dollars to the State in five years a1d itl be proven clearly.
 iell says one, if l could believe that, I yld take the responsibility, and go for all t appropriations. Ah, why not believe it? hen every days observation shows the in- ease in value of all kinds of property in sec 1ns of old, worn out States where railroads te built? Then how much more reason is here for not only increase in value of taxable property in our new and undeveloped State; 'ut just think of the influx of population and ddtional taxable property that never will come ere until we get the facilities necessary to put $ on a par with other States.
 In our present condition, we are to the Union pats'et limb or fungus growth without feeling IT sensbility, sluggish, ,stagnant and without even ,uIsation; while all the balance of the Union $ infused with lfe joy. gladness and prosperity oy those great nerves and arteries of trade run ling in every direction.
 Finally, gentlemen, do not forget that the action of the present Congress in locating the great Pacific railroad, will much depend upon what our present legislature does towards the Memphis and Little Rock railroad.
 My communication is already too long, or would like to say something for the agrcultu- al bill now before the legislature, which, hope will pass, for our State is the only one in the Union without some united effort to improve agriculture and mechanics. We ought also to nave State University for learning.