The Van Buren press., 1860-05-18
Railroad Meeting.

\ large concourse of people were presen,
at the Court House. in this place, on las,
Monday. for the purpose of listening to ad
dresses from several gentlemen of this city,
concerning the Railroad now in course OF
construction, known as the Little Rock and
Fort Smith branch of the Cairo and Full
ton Railroad. Jesse Turner, Esq. President
OF the Company, delivered an able and tell
ing address to the people, appealing to
them to come forward, and put their shoul-
dcrs to the wheel-urged with becoming
artor the necessity of certain and speedy
communication between this part of Arkan-
sas and the rest of the business world. The
meeting was then addressed by Messrs.
Waddell, II. L. Brown, and John King.
State aid was urged by all the speakers as
one of the best means to resort to for the
purpose of carrying through this grand
work. Land mortgages was touched upon
but slightly. Comparisons between Ar
kansas and sister States were drawn with
no disparagement of the sisters Arkansas
was viYidly portrayed. as she lays slum-
bcring far in the back ground, her arms fol-
ded and her energies dormant. Compari-
sons invidious or some other kind, do some
good some times. but our candid opinion i,
tAat they do not appeal to the pockets at
home quite so forcibly as other methods of
illustrating the immense good effected by
railroads. The construction of them is an
entire matter of dollars and cents, and the
only way in which the people can be con-
WINGED of the ability of roads to make dol
lars increase, is by demonstrating the facts
to them by the figures, statistics, ETC. We
all know that it is universal fact that the
people, the mass of farming or laboring peo-
pie are always ready to believe that any pro-
ject which they do not fully understand is
swindle-something for the wealthy to use
for the purpose of filching the poor mans
wages This impression has been proiuc-
ed by the fact of many stupendous opera
tious terminating in this wsy-the poor are
robbed, the rich live high by it-and by
the wire-working and passion pandering of
half-witted, or hearted political dema-
gogues who panler to every evil passion,
because they fully comprehend them and
nothing else. Now, if speakers would de-
monstrate to sensible, thinking farmer
that a railroad would enhance his property
twenty fold, and show him ho,c it is done,
he understands the matter, and is willing at
once to have a part in the work, and drive
it ahead as fast as he possibly can he sees
that one dollar will grow into twenty, and
thus he understands. Give him the data
and he can figure it up himself on a slate or
in the dusty big roaa. Let him once under
stand that it is not a political matter-a
specializing or speculative matter-that all
men share in the good pro oluced by its ac-
complishment-that it is no miracle beyond
his humble mprehension-no bug bear
to scare folks with, and take their money
from them for naught. We say let all men
understand this matter in this way, and
half the trouble is over. Hard working
men never like to undertake any work which
isrepresented is to them as of stupendons pro-
portions We are all rational creatures.
although we may not have enjoyed the bles-
sings of liberal education, and like to
reason in business mattcrs-to i" look be-
fore we leap" The adrantage of road
must be demonstrted to the people of
new State, where the roads have never been
constructed in the same manner as if there
never was foot of road on earth. 1t is a
new beginning, certainly, the shrill whistle
has never alarmed them and they know
nothing of the matter. Reason with
them.
We should not forget to state that the
Van Buren, Brass Band discoursed some of
their best music on the occasion.