The Van Buren press., 1860-02-24
For the Tan BuSen Press:
The Interests of Western Arkansas


BAsslso-'' Why dost ,hou wlet thy knife so
| earnestly ;"
SHYLocK.-ts To cut the forfeiture from that
bankrupt there Merchant ct Venice.
Have we no Shylocks Did Shakspe.s.
embody his idea OF pennriuusness ana av-
ariciousness in this lcsccn Ian; of ABRAHAM
that he alone, or that hi, race alone, should
be the only person. only race that should
act out in life the characteristics assigned to
him in the Merchant Of. Venice" Are
the prescribed children of Israel the only
money graspers on earth Alas we have
too many in Western Arkansas who will
leNact the pounds of aesh,'' and then
draw close their purse-strings, and turn
their back upon all public enterprises
They whet the knife of trade to It's utmost
keenness. and slice off the lions share, and
chuckle at the accumulating gold as it gilt
!, ters in their iron chests. Many OF those
who roll in the wealth which they have ac-
quired by dealing in this country, refuse to
lend helping hand toward forwarding any
public and beneficial undertaking. Van
Buren, has been point at which thousands
upon thousands of dollars have been reali-
zed by the trading men. The farmer has
been digging and shaving to support his
family and pay his store bill. No outlet
for his produce he has been compelled to let
it go in town at town prices. and perhaps
receive half or one-third in cash. No ray
Of hope. of better things to come beamed
in the distance. Yet with industry, man.
illness and honesty, he earned by the sweat
Of his brow poor pittance with which to
foot his bills 4 Christmas. Living from
"h hand to mouth he felt no incentive to
enterprise. Enough for the time to cat
miserable hovel.for his wife ana babes a
bare subsistence was the acme of his most
sanguine hopes All the surplus instead of
falling into the farmers pocket, as it should
have done, found its way into the desk in
the counting room. The town has the mo-
the drudgery. The farmer lost the bond
the town exactcd the "pounds of flesh"
The spirit which burned in the bosom of
one imaginary Shylock had disseminated
itself and grown to fearful flame in the
boSoms of thousands. No portion of earth
was destitute of them. They coniine them
selves to no country, to no race. We had
some, we are not without them At length
the public spirited and patriotic men among
us began to point at the possibility Of a
great outlet to market in the shape of
Railroad to Memphis or Cairo, or some
point on the banks of the great =" Father
of Waters " Impossible ~ was the first
answer to this project. Impracticable .
was the answer at later day Wont
pay" was the next answer. Now WHY
this opposition to the railroad even when
it had an existence only in the brain of
few thinking men. And from what source
did they proceed -Not from the farmer.
Ihe scheme was nurscd until it became a
great favorlte. The general government
made us most magnificent grant of fine
land all along the surveyed route from thi,
point to Little Rock and on other routes.
All this time the purse proud of our com
munity lay back ana slyly limited at swim
ding concern, " "made to catch greenies and
| fleece then,' and all such phrases as are
never wanting when the avaricious wish
to excuse themselves for u want of public
spirit. The company being incorporated
and the road surveyed from Fort Smith to
Little Rock, then there seemed some hone
tor brighter future for the hard working
iarmer Now was the time for those who
had tattened on the labor of others to stem
forward and partially repay the AsricuItu
rist for that labor by assisting in the con-
struction of a railroad BY means of which
| the ia'mer could ship his produce to a good
market, have iair compensation thereby
Tor his labor, be enabled to accumulate
enough money to build him a comfortable
home for his family, wherein they might en-
Joy some OF that ease and luxury which they
had been instrumental in comforting. upon
others. Stock was taken by chose who were.
by no means wealthy, and taken literally.
But the men who had lived and grown rich
by the labor OF the countryman, withheld
their money, support, and in some cases
even frowned upon the enterprise. Still
ensconscing themselves behind the declara-
tlon that it was all a chimera, and a short
time would be sufficient to make it vanish
into thin air. The company never waver-
| ed, but kept on in the good work, and at
length let the work or a portion of it to
contractors who vent vigorously to work.
/ Stock books are opened and subscriptions
invited. Still the opulent are reluctant and
at last the farmers take stock more LIBERAL
ly than those who have become wealthy by
them What car be said of those who re-
fuse to lend aid and comfort to an enter
prise which will open the country in which
they have become purse proud Is there
any of the spirit of Shylock in them Has
gratitude been banished forever from their
hearts Or are they still anxious to prey
upon the laboring classes ? Let the farmer
who is chiefly benefited by the railroad
look to it that the enterprise fail not Now
is the time to make yourselves wealthy and
independent men. Do not remain longer
dependent upon those who will yice moth
ing in return. 1t would occupy too much
space for me to demonstrate the practical
utility of this work. Common sense and
little reflection will teach you as well as
l can. Remember that if this effort fails
now, you may be condemned to long years
of toll to again place yourselves as near
the accomplishment of the object One
failure will set the work back ten years at
| the least calculation Come forward then