Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-02-12
OUR cAPnAl CORRESPONDENCE.
B. LsGlsLArTvB Halls, Dss MolNEs,(
February s, 1864.

The Legislative machine still remains In
good working order, and continues to grind
the grists Of the people. This day concludes
the fourth week Of the session, and but COM
paratively little done. The important work
OF the session il still before ~. Among the
measures that will occupy the time Of the SEES
sion are the following: Let. A registry law;
and Notwithstanding the hostility of the
Gate CITY 10 this measure, and its expressed
belief that our election laws are good enough,
I must join issue With its editor. Certainly
no harm can ever come from having the name
Of every loyal voter enrolled in alphabetical
order, and the enrolment kept at the polls,
on the day Of election. It iscsrtain that BY
this system no unnaturalized citizen can vote,
and no man can vote twice ct the same place.
Our State ID yet in it, infancy, and vet there
is not an election in tho State that the purity
and sanctity Of the ballot box is not invaded.
Every year adds to our population, and with
this increase comes increased facilities to dss-
troy tho ballot Of = true citizen. Because
there are some towns or counties in this State
whore the population is 50 small that regis
tration of their voters seems unnecessary, 10
no argument against the system-it is fact
only demonstrating that the work Of registra-
ton in those localities will be work Of small
proportions. It Will be no more troublesome
or expensive for ten voters in township to
have their names registered than for one
hundred voters in the adjoining township.
The next measure is the release Of the par
ties who erected the building now occupied as
. Capitol. Nothing is more certain than that
those parties are bankrupt, and the loans
from the School Fund made by them cannot
be made from their assets. They have lands
it is true, thst are mortgaged, but they are so
situated that after payingithe costs Of forsclo.
sure very small sum would bs left for the
School Fund. The State is now paying these
parties one dollar year for its Capitol, and
the question arises whether it would not be
wiser and more economical to assume the debt
of these men to tho School Fund and take the
Capitol building. They undoubtedly acted in
good faith in making the said house, but the
location Of the Capitol upon and adjoining
their lands failed to build up . city on the
east side. Soon after came the financial crash
of 81, and the School Fund is without ade-
quate security. I am clearly satisfied that
the State will save money by assuming their
debt and taking the Capitol building. l think
this is the general conviction among the men,
bers. r..
Another perplexing question is the final
settlement" Of the Des Moines River I'm
provement Company . interests. If there be
such thing Is final settlement of this
subject, the present General Assembly should
find and make it, even though it should re-
quire six weeks unceasins labor. The truth
is, ever since Congress donated the lands for
the improvement Of this river, these i'm
provement fellows have bored the legislature
Of this State. do not profess to know
which party is right, but DO know that the
grant of lands was curse to our State.
The question Of resuming the lands grant
ed for railroad purposes has already been in
troduced, and has caused quite q futtering
among those very disin,efssted and self-sac-
rificing class known As railroad corporations.
Gov. Stone has sent special message to the
House upon the subject, in which the several
land grant companies are shown in no envia-
30 light. 1t is perhaps questionable, whether
the State should resume the lands granted to
roads, for the extension Of which commend
able efforts are now being made. .~
Another measure proposed, is that Of tax
ing railroad companies. sincerely hope that
sound and safe law may be passed for this
object. never could quite understand why
there should be 90 much discrimination in
favor Of rsilrosd companies in ordinary legis-
lation. have always supposed that railroad
companies surveyed and built roads for the
purpose Of making money. I take it for
granted that they are prompted by the same
motives that prompt men sometimes to erect
q wooden factory, establish line Of steam.
boats, or build grist or saw mill. If you
would discriminate in favor of the one class,
why not Of the others! They are al of great
accommodation to the public. But, say the
opponents Of taxation, "you drive capital
from the State" Hunbugi What capital
has been brought into Iowa by either Of the
railroad companies recognized by her laws
Not enough to build twenty miles Of railway.
On the other hand, tho c,pital by which our
railroads have been built, has been furnished
by the people Of Iowa. The best lands in
the State have been surrendered, and the
people overburdened with taxation, to induce
these disinterested fellows TO come here and
build roads, upon which to practice the most
outrageous extortions. Ask the farmers
along the several lines of road what they pay,
in the shape Of freight tariffs, to induce rail-
road capital TO come into Iowa! Ask the
people who are compelled to cit for hours, in
rickety, badly ventilated, filthy cars, what
they pay for this capitalf Why should
stage company be taxed, and railroad COM
psny not Let this Legislature not adjourn
until the question of taxation is settled in
favor Of the people, and freight and passen.
ger tariffs limited by law. r.
There is strong disposition on the part of
many to remodel our present system Of
county government. I think some medifica.
tons Of the system will be adopted.
The question Of prohibiting the circulation
of foreign bank bills is still mooted. For
one, l hope the bill of Senator Cue will.pass.