The Smoky Hill and Republican union. [volume] (Junction City, Kan.) 1861-1864, 1862-03-13
TIE ROLLINS, PACIFIC RAILROAD BILL


We know not what reception the Bill
will have in the Congress Of the United
States; but one thing is certain: that its
provisions arc most admirably calculated to
effect the object intended. Congress may
hesitate and defeat the measure, till the
national eye sees more clearly. If the
commercial, military, and postal necessities
Of the day do not demand the early action
of Congress on this great national necessity,
one brief campaign to defend our Pacific
possessions from the grasp of European
powers will forever dispel the national
apathy, and cause Congress to feel that
they have overlooked one of the great
objects of the age.
View this object from what stand point
you choose, and you must come to the con-
clusion that this Road is one of the urgent
demands of the hour. Is their objection OF
the score of economy? 1t will cost the
Nation too much now, as We are engaged
in war which requires our entire national
resources. Is this the objection? This,
instead of being a reason why the Road
should not be built, is one of the most
cogent reasons why it should. Calculate
a little. Mr.. Rollins Bill provides that
the Companies building the road shall have
alternate sections of land for ten miles on
each side of the Road, together with the
sum of $4,000 per mile in bonds of the
United States, payable in thirty years.
And for what? For constructing a sub
stantial Railroad and Telegraph Line
through the centre of the American con-
tincnt-for opening up more than two
thousand miles of the public domain, which
must result in the sale of two or three
hundred millions of dollars worth of land
to the General Government within the
next ten years. And when you add to this
fact, that the General Government, for the
coming ten years, though we should have
no serious Indian distur Dances, or foreign
war, will pay more than two million dollars
annually to convey our mail and military
facilities across, or around the Continent,
more than it would cost with Railroad,
you have about the entire cost Of this Road
fer the whole distance to the Pacific. But,
should war with one Of the strong Eu-
ropean powers take place within the ten
years, one short campaign to defend our
Pacific possessions would cost us more than
the entire sum necessary to build the Road.
Is there loyal man in the Nation who
does not feel the necessity of binding the
East and West together in the least pos
sible time?
But let US look at facts and figures
a lit.le more closely. Mr.. Rollins Bill
contemp!ates that the General Government
should pay $4,000 per mile in thirty year
bonds, to aid in the construction of this
Road in sections of City miles each. What
would the Government gain to offset this
expenditure, aside from the postal, military,
and commercial advantages? We answer
that it would gain, on each one of the miles
constructed, as the Road advances, the sale
of the alternate sections of land, which, at
the usual price of $3.50 per acre. would be
the exact sum of $4,000 per mile, which
the Government would pay. Thus the
ten miles of alternate sections of land, on
the immediate line of the Road, would
quite equal the entire cash cost to the
Government, and do it years in advance OF
the maturity of the bonds.
This item of gain, though important,
would be one of the least which would be
realized, when compared with commercial,
military, agricultural, and mineral gain
which would flow from developing the vast
resources Of one half Of the American Con-
tinent.
The Government would not only realize
the speedy sale of millions of acres of addi-
tional land, but it would Gil the centre Of
the Republic with the busy hum of life,
and span and bind in one the disjointed
parts of great Nation.
So that if We view the results of this
Bill to the Nation on the narrow basis OF
dollars and cents, then We say to Congress,
pass 1t at once It will be vast monied
gain to the Government, and will aid US in