Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1859-01-28
The Arocs,OOk Railroad.

snail Olfn tNc IlNN hNuNlAl hiter " AN'
Aroo,ilok 90 actual settlers. II now no
longer a matter Of speculation As To whs'h-
or or not that Iar, OF our state . fitted by
nature 10 sustain a large thrifty population.
Reliable accounts from that r,gion settle
IN, question he,oni al controversy. The
graf matter Of iuquiry nov =, how can
that fertile rg.on OF country De OF, ncl and
- connected with other localities, as 90
make a market for it, projuc,s' \ Rail
rad 8, doe only really feasible pan yet Do.
,i,sd. How can the means Dc procured
90 ru,lllte That i. really i,s grca, Que..
ton. To obtain suffsirn, capital inIerend.
en-, % an other means, Iram private r5sour.
c.s, e., nat 20 an mfro'abiIiiy. Private
enterprise cannot b. enlisted 90 such an *.
tent a. o. warrant thc undertaking: There
ia constitutional restriction which pre-
vents the luluius % the state credit fur ihi,
TurFps1. !, 8, Ron proposed by some ~
ti7 friends ofthe enterprise 10 suhmi, the
matter @, the people. and le: them i,y,I,
whether OF not tins limitation shalt D. -
moved. Perhaps this nigh, be air to sub.
mi, ,he question. Bot arc The people pre-.
riryd 90 throw down the h,r.2 several Of
our sister state, have involved ,hcm.slyc, IN
a!mo,; hors!r- Bankruptcy by hauins
their crlt 10 Ra,lroid Companies. We
fear such might O., thc cas-, in Maine were
wc 90 allow an entering wedge to be crowd.
"a Co., We would be willing 20 lct a c.r.
tain portion Of our public land. Dc 81,
apart, the proceeds 1t which should O.,
u.el as q sinking fund % l,quiiate debt
grown. out " the bulll,us Of The road,
provided stipulated amount should De
raised hy individual enterprise. Tho in
crrlsed value u tbc remaining lands not
appropriated O. this purpose would save the
state from material lo,. We should pre-
ier ;hi. course 60 r,usc a., lands outright
% any corporation, Tor thi. purpose. IN
The A.t.uTpl.-l ca~, they would De- sleIed
upon by iaud sharks aud eat up in private
.leclAtilus, "a The former, tie State
would ia 10, corporate capacity receive the
surplus growing ous u an enhanced value,
and che proprietor, OF IL, Road receive the
same Boz the end.
Bot We have another rrgrci IN our mind
bow ,h,. road may o. haur. L, may seem
O. other. rllmsric,l and Mild, lui We sus.
e,,t % Tor What 1t i, worth. Liiis gncr-
a. gorrHnsHi gar, IS a grant Of lands for
tll rrrP1's. Maine VA COMMON with the
sister states isa pint proprietor ct these
lands. They are the common property Of
tie whole States. Look al, TIE immense ap-
Precipitation, that have bcgn made 10 other
STATE. Tor railroad purposes. While a
msm'e' u tie Jas, COnsro.s we took paius
10 look tu, up. and ascertain The amount
thu, donated, but cauno; az the moment Of
wrliu: ibi., give tie Number Of acres and
value. but will 20 - hereafter There Is
sarc Il Western " South Western
State but what has had immense grants Of
public lands i0r Railroad purposes. Some
Of the States have built their Roads and
then bad a heavy surp'us remaining after
paying al. bi.... Ihis has generally been
done Through tie agencies Of Railroad
Companies. who have aken the land and
bli.i the roads. The atw States without the
least show Of justice are determined 70 cab.
base the las; acre Of public domain Nov
where i. The justice IN giving Michigan or
Illinois, ,r Wisconsin public land enough
% buill Railroads tArOugh the whole
length ol tbe,s State soycreisnties aud DENY
to Maiu. single iootl Every acre thus
Appropriated j. a kind ofwholy-ale robbery
o., ,be old states, Coz 1t j. taking iiur por-
iicn, without an ,guiyal,nt. Who're j.
tA,rc an Objection. that cannot be answered
Why Ihc General Government should not
donate u Maine a suitable quantity Of the
public domain to build tie AroosioOk Rail
rosd3 IL j. true the lands along the line
of,le PROPOSED route do not belong to the
go,,Trmeni, and II a grant should h. made,
lands ly log out of Maine would have To b.
Appropriated. But conccds all this and u
would Ouly be giving Maine portion Of
what clearly belongs To Der citizens We
throw out these suggestions fOr the present,
While Nc intend hereafter to discuss thi.
question more in detail.