Columbia Democrat and Bloomsburg general advertiser. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1850-1866, 1861-03-30
ooMM UN1oATIoNs.
Harrisburg, March 26, 1861.
Col. LEVI L. TATE,

Dedf or :-Since the passage OF
The act changing the name of the Sunbu-
ry and Erie Rail Road Company and to
facilitate the completion of Railroad to
Erie" You have published several Col.
ums of denuuciations of the measure and
its supporters, charactcrizing it as Ca
cheat" ga swindle' and "a fraud. But
in my humble opinion you have no good
reason for indungimg in such Epithets nor
do you show the bill to be wrong II is much
easier to call hard names than show thing
not to be Right. Now Sir | voted for this
bill and if your language be true have
assisted in swindling the State. l exam.
ined the measure carefully and thoroughly
and | am confident have done no such
thing but on the contrary have done what
is for the best interest of the Common
wealth, my reasons are these
lst IL is the interest NJ the State 10 com.
pIec hhe Suaburp and Erie Railroad.
I'd The JiH fer Whach l Uoted docs no.
impair the security of he commonwealth.
The counties through which three fourths
of this railroad runs, never received any
assistance from the State in making inter.
nal improvements, while millions on mill.
ions of the common funds of the people
was lavished in building the upper north
Branch, the Wyoming Il other canals, the
result was the land in the counties throug
which they passed have quadrupled in VAL
ue, while there has scarcely been any per-
ceptible rise in Real Estate in Potter, Me-
Kean, Elk, Warren, Cameron and Venan.
go Counties within the last thirty years.
The completion OF the Sunbury & Erie
Road will add twenty millions of dollars
to the amount Of taxable property in the
State, and developc an untold amount of
wealth that now lies dormant and always
will be if this improvement is not made
She would derive very large benefit in
the increased value of taxable property,
if she never got one cent of her mortgage
on the Sunbury and Erie Road.
But this is by no means the case, next
as to the security the State now has, COM
pared with what she had before the bill
passed, Previous to the passage of this act,
the commonwealth had the one half of Il
mortgage of seven millions of dollars on
an unfinished line of Rail Road, on Rail
Road that would require several millions
of dollars to furnish and equip, 1t was a
first mortguage the companee had three
mil ions & half and the State three
millions & half, But before Either the
State or the company could realize one
cent lien of Sixteen hundred Thousand
dollars, would first have to be paid, Is it
likely if the Road was forced to a judi
cal sale it would bring more than this
sixteen Hundred Thousand Dollars, Es-
pecially as the party purchasing would be
compelled to Expend at least three mill.
ions of dollars more before they could re-
alize anything out of their investment, 1t
is absolutely certain that it would not have
brought more than this sum, consequently
the Stats would not have realized one cent
from her lien, Beside the Road might have
passed into the hands of foreign capitalist
who would have divetred its trade to cities
beyond our borders,
How is it now, The company is permit
ed to issu first mortgage of five millions
of dollars with which it will be enabled to
finish and equip the road, and then the
commonwealth steps in with second mort
gage which l think is perfectly secure,
surely second mortgage under these cir
cumstances is much the best, men who were
entirely acquainted with the whole subject
were satisfied that the States lien was worth
nothing in case of a foreclosure, and that
ultimately the four millions of second
mortgage would be secured, 1t docs seem
to me that people who have received a,
much of the bounty of the commonwealth
as the people living along the north Branol
canal should be the last to get up an outcry
against little indirect assistance given tC
other portions of the State, more particu
larly is this the ease when the State doe.
not part with anything she is in possession
of, hope you will do me the justice t.
give this an insertion in your paper-no
because you have denounced me personally
but because you have denounced {
measure voted for, and which l consider
a benefit instead of detriment to thu
State, | however do not claim infalibility
and if have cred it is the Head and no
the heart, Respectfully yours
II. r. KLINE.
1t Will be seen by the above, that tn
Honorable Member from Columbia County
finding that no one of his constituents vii
SO dcbase himself as to attempt de
tense of such an enormous fraud, as the &C
giving four millions of dollars belonging II
the State, to the Sunbury & Erie Rail Roac
Company, has entered the lists in his owl
behalf. He is right welcome. We Civ,
him a hearing with great satisfaction; ant
we only regret, that in his letter defending
his course, he has entirely omitted to ex
plain why he voted againt the amendment
offered on the bill repeating the tonnag
tax, and for the bill, section by section a
it passed the House. However, for wha
we have let US be duly thankful. Barrn
the grammar and photography of h
communication, which we publish verbatim