The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1864-02-27
The Railroads In the IOW2i Sen.
AhA.


ate. d'
IN Committee of the Whole, on the 18th,
the following views were presented by sun
dry Iowa Senators, on the Railroad Prop
erty Tax Bill, now pending in that body.
We give the whole discussion as reported :
Mr.. Foote opposed the motion to strike
out and sustained the bill. 1t was not his
purpose to assail the Railroads. His inter-
ests were identified with them, and had
been for fifteen years. He also had friends
whose interests are identified with Rail
road interests; and if he were 10 be gov
erned by personal appeals and influences,
and his selfish interest, he should oppose
the bill. Bat the principle Of The bill was
just, and justice first was the policy q me
State. 1t was our duty to study public and
not private interests. 1t is said that the
policy Of the State had been 10 exempt
Railroad property from taxation-but the
provisions Of the new Constitution in rela-
ton TO taxation, were made different from
the old, for the express purpose Of proyid-
ing that corporations might be taxed pre-
cisely as individual property. There was
no justice in exemption Of Railroad prop
eriy. 1t required and receives the same
protection that all other property does, ana
upon what sound principle can il ask ex-
einption from the burthens Of sustaining
the government? III Federal ;ax is lev
led the Railroad property Of the State pays
nothing. They are protected by the Cen
eral Governments, are making money out
of both, and are paying little or nothing n
support Of either. The terms OF the Grant
OF Land TO these Railroads required them
to carry soldiers free, if he remembered
rightly; but he had never known OF their
giving a soldier ride without pay. But i
is said that the roads will not be built il we
tax them justly. This is the old cry. he
had heard it for the last ten years-heard
it here two years ago when il was proposed
to adopt the principle Of this bill. There
was no force or argument in Il. ~ was
was mere assertion. Those who made i
had not nor could not prove II. II was q
delusion-a falsi.y. Commerce will build
Railroads where they are demanded ~
her interests with or without taxation.
Commerce demanded telegraph across
the ocean, and it was built. II proved q
failure, and immense sums OF money were
sunk. But commerce demanded telegraph
ic connections Of the two continents, and
the enterprise was being pushed anew. So
it was with all enterprises demanded ~
commerce. Again, the Iowa route was the
most direct route to the Pacific Road. 1t
would never be abandoned for any other !;
nor was there any antagonism between il
and more southern route, that would pre-
vent or retard the building OF n road in
was built. The interests of Chicago alone
would force road through Iowa, in direct
connection with the Pacific road. The real
question was whether Railroads should pay
u tax upon their property-their real es-
tate, as the farmer, mechanic, manutactu-
rer and merchant. There was no principle
OF justice that would sanction a distinction
in favor of the roads-there was none OF
policy, sor the building OF roads did not de-
pend upon, whether their property was
| taxed, but upon whether commerce de-
manQed the road. AS to the cry that Rail-
roads are in their infancy, we might as well
! exempt large lot Of property Of q minor,
because he was in his infancy, or all sorts
of property that did not pay. But the Rail
roads were paying, and instead Of using the
money in extension OF the roads, they were
putting it into the pockets OF foreign bond.
holders, who had control Of the companies
In his opinion the principle Of the bin had
not been and could not be successfully as.
sailed. If it was wrong in any of its de.
tails let it be amended. Are Senators will
ling to go home to their respective counties
and tell their constituents that they voted
to exempt Railroads from taxatiop-Vher
all other property was taxed to support the
IGOvernment-and when not one Of those
roads would pass soldier without pay.
Mr.. Dixon urged that the properly, ant
not the persons in the State, should pay
:
that all property should be required x
pay its fair proportion Of taxes. II this bt
true, then the personal ard real property
of the railroad companies owe taxes TO the
State in proportion to their value, and i
you fail to require them 10 pay their par
of the taxes you require other persons K
pay their share Of taxes for them. WoulC
il not be better TO require the railroad cor.
porations 10 pay their taxes jnAt IS Cthe!
/ people, and then, X il shall be necessary
to make any donation 10 those railroads 4
encourage their construction. .e. Us gran
| them an amount equal 10 the amount ~
taxes they have paid. Oh condition tha
they are ever ready to agree - Dui.l them
In this way we would know Jus! what w
are giving them, and il would co,lpSl iEe-l
| construction much earlier.
Although, Senators must admit that III
property should be taxed alike Tor the sup
| D ort Q! o!goveTnment, they claim there arr
some questions ofpolicythat should iHdGc,
rs to disregard wha. is true in principle
This is a dangerous doctrine, especially il
this case, because il is not true. We arr
told that If we do not exempt railroads
from taxation, they will not be built. No
true, because railroad companies are no
benevolent Institutions. Their object il
gain, and whenever it will pay to build tn
roads, eastern capital, which is alway!
seeking such an Investment. will built
them. Besides, the magnificent lant
grants given by this State to the roads i
4 sufficient encouragement If you ex
empt the roads, they will not be pushed
forward any faster than their land contract
require; if you do not exempt them, Ger
tainly the friends of the roads will not sa.
that the lands will in consequence he for
feited. Railroads too do otalone make tn
country great. The building of RAILROAD
is more the effect of the exertion of tn
early settlers who work hard and live poo
in bringing the country into such a condi
+ ton that it will pay to build railroads, ant
1t would hasten the roads more to gran
the $50. 900 in railroad taxes to encourag
settlement of the country. The property
Of the railroad companies should not b.
exempted, because railroad questions tax
more time Of the Legislature and tn
Courts than any other. When the countr,,
to support the war, is loaded down witt
taxation, these companies that have beer
reaping q fine harvest during the wal
should not be exempted from their share o
tax.
Mr.. Saunders said that he did not propos
to enter upon the legal questions connected
n Sk~.l 1~nl ~ 1~vt hoo