The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1865-02-16
Suicidal Policy,
cause

NulClual POllCy.
1t is but just and natural that every town
and village, and every school District, for
that matter, should have sufficient advan-
tages or attractions, to secure the attach
nent and enlist the partialities of its imme
date inhabitants, and it is also Just and nat
ural that the Inhabitants of every town and
village in the State should have aud indulge
in certain amount of local pride and am
bition. 1t is natural that we should be anx-
ious to see our own localities where we
have our home and property, thrive and
prosper, but it is not natural that the small
locality that we call home, should blind our
eyes to the welfare and prosperity of the
State.
The course of many of the editors and
some of the Legislators, of the northern and
northwestern portions of the State on the
question of the disposition of the Railroad
Land Grants of this State, and the location
of Navy Yard oil the lake, has suggested
the thoughts in this item Almost every
little village of Thousand inhabitants,
seems to have set up for commercial NE
tropolis in opposition to Milwaukee, in whose
special case they seem to think centres the
interests of the State. AS we have before
said certain amount of pride and home
partiality is commendable but carried to
such excess it becomes foolish, and destruct
i've of the end it seeks to attain.
Every State has its one commercial me-
tropolis, whose growth and prosperity is a
fair index of the growth and prosperity of
the State itself. he Empire State has but
one New York, Pennsylvania has hut one
Philadelphia, Ohio has but one Cincinnati, Iii
nois but one Chicago, Missouri but one st.
Louis, Massachusetts but one Boston, aud
Wisconsin can have bnt one Milwaukee,
Natural advantages or pl iority of settlement
or a combination of all these circumstances
may decide this thing, but in almost every
case it is decided at very early day in the
settlement Of State
Milwaukee is city the State may we'll
feel proud ola city in whose growth and
prosperity every citizen of the State should
take an interest. The discussion that has
grown out of these subjects above spoken
of has developed some curious phases of
thought Many Of our northwestern friends
have talked no small amount of nonsense
in connection with the matter.
In the matter of Land Grants, tn idea
that they can be disposed of in way that
shall lead the trade out of the State to be
shipped, on its way TO the seaboard and
still be disposed of for the best interests of
the State is absurd The uninvested capital
Of State naturally seeks the large cities.
1t takes the wealth of a State to build one
large city, and if we are to insist that we
have no commercial emporium-if by I'M
wise legislation Or this everlasting carping,
Milwaukee is to be crippled in her energies,
and the wealth aud trade that should build
it up, turned into another State, we are
simply turning at least one-tenth of the en-
tire taxable wealth Of the State, over to en-
rich another State. Though Milwaukee
may not equal in size and wealth, the com
mercial metropolis of Illinois, it is no reason
why we should bite our own noses off. by
Gripping her energies and enterprise, and
thus adding at least 10 per cent to our own
taxes for all State purposes for all time to
come.
We have before this presented the claims
of kenosha as point suitable for the u. S.
Naval station, but we presume if it is Ioca-
ted in Wisconsin it will be in Milwaukee.
and aside from proper local preference we
are ready to admit that, that is the proper
place for it, if located in the State. We
want to see Milwaukee grow in population
and increase in wealth and Importance, be-
cause we believe the prosperity of the State
at large is intimately connected with that
growth and progress, We want to see the
several Land Grants so disposed Of as to
most fully develop the resources of the State
and most effectualIy subserve the best inter
ests Of the people of the State We believe
the interests of the people lie in opening the
shortest and most direct routes of travel and
transport to the best market, and to the
great lines of travel and transportation to
tidewater, within the State. IF the great
bulk Of the products of the State are for
years to depend upon an eastern market,
the interests of the State would be best sub
served by making Milwaukee the great
shipping mart of the State, when it would
naturally be the shipping port of the prod
ucts of Minnesota also. If the short
sighted policy aud local jealousy of the
northwest could succeed, it would detract
from the value of every bushel Of grain rails
ed for expectation from that great portion
Of the State at least FIVE cents, for all time
to come.