The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1868-02-25

[For the Gate City.l
THE 1UTURE Or IOWA.
There is no other State in or ont Of the
Union which has such brilliant prospects for |
Y. I,ulA q h.,.ilg. l& IL |
mer, the mechsnic, fhs manuiscsnrsr, the
capitalist; in fact 70 the immigrant OF what
ever calling or vocation. go.
Although containing million OF 'nnso.
aants, our vast cad nAxhanstih,y fertile prAi-
RE, are only a. yet dotted with settlements.
A,,houuh producing millions of bushels Of
...;n. and millions Of pounds OF beef, pork
saa sthsf prsdaeta, oar AgrcsiiaEaa researcs
have hardly yet been tapped much.
our mineral wealth, though incalculable IN
e.,ent and value, has been hardly touched.
In the late war We furnished our full quo
ia of men, re tsflta isen that vent into the
army from any State, without resorting to
general draft, and came out Of the war out q
debt and ,cith money in the Treasury We
may therefore justly claim that IN the sisters
hood Of States, Iowa stands first IN peace ana
war. Already We have about twelve hun
dred miles Of Railway IN operation, ana III
teen haudred more in couzse OF cossaacfsos'
with the reasonable prospect-un!ess some
adverse contingency arise-of having before
m.ny years, The most comp1ete and ex-s
tensive system Of Railroads Of any State IN
the Union. s
And lust here our law makers should
consider, how largely our State is dependant
upon The early compls,,on Of our projected
Railroads for the development Of our resour-
ces, wealth and general prosperity. Any aa-
verse legislation at this time, or any leg,siA,
ton which could possibly be construed by
Eastern capitalists, as evidencng an attitude
ofbostility. to the hntrameied use and control
BY themselves Of whatever capital they may
be disposed to inyest in our behalf in devel-
oping our Railroad facilities, would, BY them
and Justly so, be regarded as hostile legisla-
,ion-and would be a simple act of suicide on
our part-with our bonds upon which to raise
the money to iron and equip this fifteen hun
dred miles Of uncpmpleted Roads, many OF
them now upon the maIke. seeking purchas-
ers, and others soon TO be placed there. il
hardly seems possible that our Legislature
can for moment deem it for the interest Of
the people that they should, by single sc
or expression, do anything TO embarrass thu
negotiation Of these bonds, and thus directly
delay, indefinitely. the construction Of thess
roads.
Putting aside the question Of the power Q
the Legislature 10 act on this matter
it must be apparent to every one tina
now is not the time for It's exercise, and tina
incalculsbIe and irreparable injury may b,
doae by the Legislature holding this ihrea
over the negotiation OF Railroad securitie
now upon the market. Let the Legislator,
follow the example Of Illinois, and dispose 0
the subject BY at once indefinitely postponinf
all legislation upon it.
To enact pro rata law for freight, such
as has been talked OF, would virtually de
ptive the State Of the entire and peculiar nd
vantage Of having four or Eve Railroad
crossing the State, which make Iowa tn,
great highway Of commerce between the Pa
cife and the Fast and every pound ofthrougl
freigh. would avoid onr State and 20 through
Missouri /; and our roads, thus deprived 0
their business, would be compelled, in orde
to live at all, to charge even higher loca
freights.
Tariff laws passed BY any one State cal
result only in mischief and injury to tina
State. If the Railroad interest of Iowa
not crippled now. we shall soon have 80 man
roads that competition will regulate freigh
and charges.
While the merchant and farmer, who live
near or upon the line Of Railway. is com
planning at being compelled 10 pay what b,
regards Is exofbitant freighis, he should re
member that there are hundreds OF mer
chants and farmers. who, living off from an,
Railroad, are compelled TO pay to an OF tean
four times the same freight, and who insis
that there shall be no adverse legislation nm
III they get their road built. Iowa.
TaE Wisconsin Democracy saaas ems tdaii.