The Van Buren press., 1860-02-03
State Aid to Railroads.

subject. containing the sentiments of eacl
paper. pro and con :; the Times being zeal
ouslv in favor of State aid, and the. Pdral
lei opposed to it on grounds of-perhap:
economy, expediency, or something else
upon mhat grounds it is impossible to dis
cover, and the Herald cllaracterizing tn.
doctrine as an antiquated, olI-foSv no.
ton We need hardly say that the course
of the Press will be as we have more than
once indicated, stronly in advocacy of the
policy of State aid to all our great project
cd lines of Railway, and we trust we shall
not be without arguments in support OF
the doctrine.
But we design in this place, to notice
more particularly the declaration of the
Herald, and We propose to show that the
" notion of State aid is neither anti
quateI !" nor !" old-fogy," but on the con-
trary, is the very embodiment of % Dung
America as reflected i'll State creeds and
laws, upon this subject The doctrine OF
State aid in behalf of Railroads, has become
within the last ten or twelve years, the
most vital and prominent element of State
Progress and Development, in nearly every
Western and Southern State. as the follow
ing examples plainly demonstrate.
Virginia has advanced to her system of
Public Works, about S15, 900, 900, and it
is shown by the recent message Of Gov.
Wis, that, through the agency of these
works, the State debt is being gradually re-
duced, and an additional subscription OF
50, 1000, 900 is recommended, and will
doubtless be made, to complete the system
Referring to the Covington and Ohio Rail
road, he says, g. it 9sht to be completed
in the shortest possible time To thatend
[ yeeommend an appropriation of $1,000,
900 per annum, until the work is finished
to the Ohio. argument IS lille on this
policy"
Georgia contributes largely to the extern
sion of Railroads within her limits. As
an example of the profitable character o.
her investments, the Western and Atlantic
Railroad, 13S miles long, costing less than
$4,000, 900, has paid into the State Treas
ury the past year, over S4O0, 900, being
over onethird of the entire revenue of tn,
State, and about per cent upon the outlay
and it has paid altogether, since its com
pletion, nearly a million dollars.
Missouri, (Which ten years ago had les.
taxable property than Arkansas now has.
has granted aid to the amount of S25 900,
900 in bonds, and Gov. Stewart in his late
message, supported by the entire press o
of the State, urges the issue of the remain
ing S4,000,000 authorized by the State
Constitution. The Hannibal and St. Jo
seph Railroad. now completed, has ceased
to DC charge to the State, and is now
caiilIS III uUuu> IN GU
and which are not due for years
Minnesota, with one-fourth the popuIa-
ton, and not half the wealth of Arkansas
has authorized State aid to Railroads to the
amount Of $4,000, goo, and she is, in con
sequence, making great progress in both
population and wealth.
Tennessee gives $4,000 per mile to all
Railroads within her borders. which is more
than sufficient for supcrstrEcturc Look at
the effect upon her progress, as compared
with Kentucky, which gives nothing.
Compare Louisville, now in the decline of
life, with Memphis and Nashville, which
are advancing with the strides of giants.
Texas, gives $4,000 per mile, and large
grants. She now has about 300 miles Of
completed road within her limits. and pros
poets of future greatness unparalleled.
In addition to these, North Carolina
Alabama, and other States, have undertake
cn extensive systems of Railroad construc-
tion.
Can we look at these facts without being
Of the vital necessity of State aid
to Railroads in Arkansas 1t must come
sooner or later, and the sooner the better
The proper course for the State to pursue
is to appropriate the five or six hundred
thousand dollars that will soon be in the
Treasury, idle, to the payment of the back
interest on her bonds, and thus establish
her credit abroad. There would then be
no difficulty in making her bonds available
to the construction of her present well de-
vised system of Railroads. This should
be done by all means.
And then, law should be passed appro-
priating $4,000 for every mile of road
that is graded and made ready for the track,
for the purchase of iron ard equipments.
If the State cannot afford to gice this
amount, let her loan her bonds for this pur-
pose, and take first mortgage upon the ell
tire property of each Company for her Sc
curity- The present projected lines of Rail
way would require at this rate, an issue Of
not over $4,000, 900 of bonds, and even
if the State lost the entire amount, (which
would be impossible with the condition
nentioned) she would still be largely the
gamer, in the increase of population, the