Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-01-01
Railroad Sid by Taxation--An AtfiI,Saa-
tive Editorial.


metaphysical argument on the sub
ject of taxation for building railroads
appears in the nERAID. the anony-
nous writer opposing any such aid.
Says be, " Now, extend the elective
franchise one sep beyond the actual
necessities Of govcrnmcnt-sutfer the
consideration of seductive necessity
or policy to be the subject of popu-
lar ballot, and you suppress all rights
of proprietorship and engulf the IN
dividual in the majesty Of the citizen.
Very well, all very true, although
the writer has obscured the sense Of
his one great idea by covering him
self in a mist Of verbiage. But we
ask in what consists the public neces-
sity =? The anonymous writer rather
makes answer by these several affir-
nations as to what he considers
the public necessity" Says he, +" Ii
my neighbor have the right to vote
me into railroading, why not vote
me into sugar or soap making"
Again, If the elective franchise be
extended to objects Of speculative
enterprise would it not really invade
every mans private purse and throw
every dollar and every element ofval-
ne into common treasury"
The writer uses extreme parallels
and possibilities to illustrate the only
real point at issue-tte right Of q
majority to compel tdratlou for mohing
railroads. lie comedies the right to
vote money for improvements of act
ual necessity-none othcrs.-Hc adj
mfts that common roads, bridges,
court houses iails and school houses
arc actual Observation-Disclosures,
we may Justly ycto that our neigh
bors shall build them by t1Xation, to
which we agree. But we just go
step further ana affirm that railroad
is also an actual necessity there
fore, that, a majority 50 thinking, the
property of all may be taxed for
money to build a noedtul railroad.
So it is afteral only question as to
What kind. Of public improvements
the "public actaql necesSty" may re
quire. Public schools ere necessity!
Who, in what age, says that public
schools and school houses are q ne
cessity ? In near half the country
east and south our grand fathers said
the public schools are o curse and so
voted. In some parts q majority still
30 believe In all enlightened parts
there are those who hold that free
public schools are an evil TO the peck
ct and mischievous. 1t is true that
hereabolt and in all the north a ma
jority sag the public schools are an
actual "pujt5e necessity" Il great good.
But there is everywhere a suppressed
minority opposed to what are called
by"W. X. ~ these "QctuGl necesSttjes"
in the shape OF public schools. And
the same as to roads and bridges
we have been in town meeting at
which majority voted against a dol
lar for roads and bridges although the
remains OF what were once roads and
bridges were at the time in the very
worst condition. it was only III the
drycst, best weather that teams could
approach Lancaster from anywhere
And for twenty years the same has
been true as to the opinion OF major
tiles on the "dGtUal D6cesStieS' for iails
and court houses, az in Crawford Co
where the people persisteutly refusec
TO provide a Jail that would hole
criminals ora court house that woulC
answer as such. OF late the people
have changed and have ordered new
Jail and court house 4or Crawford Go
Well then, the meaning of improrc
mentS of actual necessity can be moth
ing more or less than this readlnl
parents require public schools fol
their children as actual necessities
but iilitcrate parents can see no sucl
actual necessity. Honest men see al
actual necessity for strong iails-
rogues canLot see it. Good cit!zon.
see actual NECESSITY for court houses
for the public observation-disclosures Sc,
no necessity for any safe keeping 0
things. Intelligent, commercial anC
Industrious people, having an eye t,
profits and markets, economy anC
wealthy, see much "0ct0al necessity
for ailroads-whilst Doolittle's Ca
manche Indians can sec no such ne
cosS.ty.
1t SO happens that NV. X, T." ear
see no 'aetaai nfeeSsltr for railroads
whilst MIR. Field can see it so stron.
that he would vote some tax on him
self and the people to help build ;
railroad Mr. Field would also ion
"W. y. H. in voting tax aid 70
sch3als, highways, bridges, jails anJ
eodrt houses, and were soap an "ac
tual necessity" by reason OF there be
ing none in Grant County, he woulo
also vote soap Ioncy out Of the pub
lie treasury, whist NV. n 4. would
stand UP on popular rights till TIL,
people are rotten with dirt Tor wan
ofwashing soap.
The writer, IVY. X. e." is known
as a man of first ability in our county
but unless stronger arguments as5
offered than he has used the people
will follow Mr.. Field, dead certain
Even admitting that, for common
ends wherein 81 are interested, The
individual property y virtually loses it,
eee-oAnacc and - fal.an on1 tox-aI ,,