Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1867-01-22
Platteville and Calamine Railroad.

Plattevllle and Ca!amlne Railroad.
Hon. Hammer Robbins has intro
duced Bill il the Legislature en-
towering the people of Platteville,
Lima and Harrison in Grant county,
and belmont, Kendall and Elk Grove
in Lafayette to vote certain sums
in aid of the Plattevile and Gala
mine Railroad.
Under the proposed law the town
cf Platteville may vote the sum of
$4,000, Lima, IS, 900 Harrison $4,000
Belmont $4,000 kendall $4,000,
and Elk Grove s12, OOl for said rail
road.
Ilowever but only the one-tenth
part of said sums can be collected
each year in said towns that is,
Pattevillc is to pay $4,000 per year,
Lima $500 Harrison $500, &c But
interest bearing warrants or orders
will be issued at once, the rate seven
per cent, provided the people of said
towns cast majority vote for the
law, and provided also that the tax
for said purpose shall not exceed any
one year the sum Of one per cent on
The taxable property for Platteville,
AMI for other towns a half per cent
en- the part Of the Railroad compa>
ny they must have the cars running
through to Platteville by the 1st
September, 1868.
Vow, Will the people Of said towns
approve Mr.. Robbie's Bill, and will
TIE members Of Assembly whose con
stituents in part reside in Lima and
Harrison, Allen and Can thew, concur
with Mr. Robbins in urging said BIZ
before the Legislature?
We presume the first question
will depend upon the second for So
luton it shall appear that ma
jority Of the people of Lima and
Harrison favor the measure Of Mr..
Robbins, then will Allen AID Rob
bins concur, otherwise, doubtful,
AS to Plattcvillc, the nomination and
election of Mr. Robbins were the
clearest public expressions OF favor
10 the proposed legislation, because
he was known as 1agoring such
ineans OF raising money for said road
as we'll six months before as since.
Just at this time there appears a
difference of0piuion among the pco~
pie as to whether a majority have a
moral right to vote a tax on The mi
norty for making railroads, unless
said minority have a near equal pro
portion of interest with the ma ority.
But in this case, all the land lying
within ten miles or days drive 60
ing to and coming from the depot,
thcre can be no great difference as
20 the amount Of benefits a railroad
would confer upon The voting tax
payers of the towns named.
"A to the right TO enact the pro
posed law for taking a vote upon
raising the aid by tax, the several
members Of Assembly for Grant
County and the state certainly can
aave reasonable objection to voting
therefor. In all business bodies, cor
borate institutions and associations
Tor whatever purpose, even one Nom
Der thereof may rightfully claim. a
vote of all the members gpOn any
respectable issue, whether it be tol
raising money or appropriating mon
ey from the common treasury. Any
proposition may be voted down, out
still the right of minority remains
20 be heard. And thus the few
even may Justly ask Of the legisla-
ture the lawful privilege to canvass
m issue involving the raising Of mon
ey by taxation upon the common
tax basis. But neither the lcgisla-
Sure nor local minority have the
right TO ordaih taX@tiou fer local
improvements.
Some talk wisely Of tho tyranny
of maioritics in matters of raising
money hy taxation for special uses
in which minority are the least in
tcrested. The large tounties voted
in the towns late years was a severe
exam le of majority tyrdnng if such
II might be called. But even this ex-
IRENE was fairly justified 81 he
facts that war involves many ex-
trcmcs much illogical work, great
hardships, unreasonable expenditures
and other evils. But, the hundreds
of thousands and millions voted for
such bounties much Of il from the
pockets Of those sworn to render no
support to the soldiers and war,
went into the pockets Of the men
who volunteered and served their
country and were the means Of sa>
wing our union and liberties. Ana
so if ever right ends justified wrong
means it was the bounty voting du-
ring the war.
And this case applies well in mat
ter of a majority voting aid to the