Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1859-09-16
FLOR the Journal.
Anti.RaiIrOad Meeting.

Pursuant to call for an anti. Railroad
Meeting, published in the Muscatine papers,
for Saturday, the 10th inst, by large num-
Der of the citizens Of the county, the meet.
ing came to order and nominated X. W II.
Brent as President and Ii. H. Garnes to act
as Secretary of said meeting.
The meeting was addressed by Samuel
Sinnett, Judge Thayer and d. G. Cloud.
On motion of S. Sinnett, committee Of
three were appointed by the Chair to draft
resolutions. S. Sinnett, d. g. Cloud and
E. Jones were appointed said committee,
who reported the following Preamble and
Resolutions # -s. .T
WHEREAS, Evor since the fi1st formal on and ope-
ration Of thu Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Co.
in this State, the citizens of Muscat,ne county
have been deceived and imposed upon by saia Com
pxny, and many of them have had their rights
and privileges outraged in SO gross nia.ner that
for bearance any longer ceases 10 DO virute and,
WHEREAS our citizens haze appealed for years, for
nstce, to sai1 Co., thsy have been invariably met
with yhg promises ard false representations. that
in the opn of his meeting, said Co. have for felt
cd all claims to respect and forbeal OF the cit'
.
will treat them decsvers and impostors, and for So
doing, publish the following reasons to justif y
said cour:e:
1st We hold tn t the people of this county were
induced vote $3.50 000 Of stock to said Co. under
the following taise representation That every
tax payer ~ soon as b. paid tax to the amount Of
$50, should receive Certificate of stock to that
amount.
I'd. That the road was represented to havo cost
double what it did, and thereby perpetrating
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Sd. That the writ en- promises OF SAID Co., by
and through which they obtained the right OF
way, have, in almost every case, bee" violated
ami broken.
4th. That the hiring Of labor, the purchasing
of material on IL credit by said company, when
thew the nselves pi claim q .cordng to their own
statemens) that they have no money to meet their
labiii1ie and thereby wronginX and defraQdtng
large portion of citizens, directly and indirectly,
is, in our opinion, gross imposition.
5th. That the conduct OF said Company, IN
Paying out and putting in circulation a large
amount of uncurrest and depre ciated paper money,
BY means of which the citzans Of this county lost
many thousands OF dol lars, was an imposition.
9Th. Ihss he killing aud msiming Of stock and
the cftrt TO conceal acts said by either sknnng
imrne lis'e burial, thereby leaving the owner no
opportunity Of recognizing his proper:y,is gross
wrong and the promi SOS made Of payment BY the
officers OF sad Company, to put of the claimants
from pushing their ci4ims by law, till the opror-
tunity Of proving the loss, Is lost, BY WI nes'es
moving away dying, and the refusing to pay
altogether, or saying they are unable, IL fraud
ON the people Of the county.
7th. That the RAPID passage of trains over our
public highways without ringing the bell or whist
ling 10 violation of al! rules Of railroads, and OF
law in most States, and by means Of which our
citizens su,r from killing of stock and other
wise. Therefore, be it
Resolped, That as the NJ. & NJ. R. r. Co. have
broken faith WITH the citizens Of our county, Con-
tracted debts they are unwilling or unable to pay,
made contracts they refuse to fulfill, perpe:ratsd
wrongs they refuse to right, entered iRto agree
ments they refuse ratify. obtained the credit of
the county under false representations, We hold
that the people Of this county are justified in with
holding the Intel est railroad bonds until
such time said railroad company pay up the
Just cl a,ms hello against them by citizens OF this
county, and hereby request the County Judge to
act accordingly and pay over no more interest.
Res0lued That as good and law-asidng citizens,
we will appeal to the laws Ct GU State rfsr protee-
ton first; but if, through intrigus Or chicanery,
our just claims and denan B are set aside and the
said Company keep Oh sill perpetrating series of
outsagcs and wrongs, we hold ourselves unworthy
of the name Of American citz:ns, were We t0
tamely submit to have our rights and privileges
as citizens trampled on, and to be deprived of our
property by either fraud or forcc, without resent
ing it aud defending those rights, if necessary,
with our lives.
Resolyed, That W. believe it the duty Of every
Com pany, to push them, AMI whenever said Com
pany OF their servants. are guilty Of any violation
Of law, 60 comm suit immeaiatsy, and if they
find they cannot axe their Claim GG the Co. then
sue the engineers and officers. ,la
ResoIued, That We hold it to be the duty Of the |
Director belonging to this county to after tho
interests of the county and the oskh3ldefs, and
though, legal agent for said Company, it is his
duty after the interests OF the Company, ana
that they are not wronged and imposed upon YET,
Is director and either of ths county, be has = |
hut to perform, in seeing that tho ust oiaims of
,is feiioH-citizens are iquidated and that the |
interests of this county are not overlooked.
ResoLued, That We get up pcti ions to the next
Leg,siaLure to obi &c. all Rahroad1 Companies in
his State to fence their roaas as soon they. koj
nte operations, under . heavy penalty for wary /
lay they run without sach pretsctioa- In our I
opinion the rights Of citizens ought to be held more
scr ed than those Of mercenary c0mpanes and like.
vise TO hold said Railroad Com panies acsountxblo
Or all violations Of law in tina counties in which I
he outragss are committed.
On motion, the. Resolutions were lai on
he table till an adjourned meeting said
Meeting to take place on the County Fair
Grounds on the first day of the County
'air, alter the picnic, and in the meantime
be Z esolutions and Minutes of this meeting
e published in both the city papers.
r. W. II. BRENT, Pres't.
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