North Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1867-current, 1868-09-23
Sioux City Pacific Outrage.

La Cross (Wis.) district, delivered a speech
in Congress, March Goth, 1868. Gen.
Vandever of Dubuque, wrote pamphlet
to the same effect Several of the Repub-
can papers of this Sd Iowal district said
the same. j. X. Graves and sundry others
of the greater lights of Iowa radicaism
have pronounced against Mr. Allison, for
completely in this bold and indefensble
swindle, and Col. l.. A. Thomas of Du-
buque, radical Of the strictest sect, is out
as an Independent candidate against ALI
son for the reason given by many of his
own party-not only out against him, but
he challenges discussion on the points
not only this but he threatens to indict
''our member for robbery-failing in all
these he declares, that he, in case of ALI
sons election, will see that charges be pre-
ferred to the next Congress with view to
Mr.. Allisons cxpulsion All this is not
mere gossip. IL is acriHen dozen and can
not be unwritteD. Gen. Vandcvcr has
yielded to the pressure of the West Union
Convention of assessors, collectors, post
masters and other treasury guardians; the
others have not yielded, except in the
newspaper line. Some arc charged with
being subsidized first by Graves and then
by Allison, bit this we do not believe.
Publishers ore not offered much pay
usually. Respectable ones will n, accept
brides and ir-respectable ones are not
worth hiring.
But, let this be as it may we care not.
Below is an extract from the speech of
Gen. G. G. Washburne, the brother of the
man who grooms Gen. Grant of Galena
If some of our enthusiastic radical Nc
Gregor men did not like the remarks
made by Hon. Reuben Noble, on Saturday
evening last, will they please read Wash
burne on the general charge, and the re-
marks of Hon. Mr.. Tatfee of Nebraska as
to the practicability Of route to,rords
the Pacific?
| Read this carefully and see where VIM.
Is. Allison stands among his radical com
| peers.
"And now, right at this point, though it
| may break the continuity of my statement
of the legislation had upon the subject, |
desire to call attention to the manner in
which this Sioux City Road has been built,
and to the utter violation of the letter and
spirit of the act of Congress. l state it as
a matter of history that this Sioux City
| ko.l A.
Pacific Railroad Bill, at the instance and
demand of the members from Minnesota,
and that but for that the bill would have
had their opposition instead of support.
The reason for this will be obvious when
you look at the map now have before
I me.
1t is here 'scovercd that from given
point on the Pacific Railroad, less than
one hundred miles west of Sioux City, it
is one hundred miles nearer to the head of
Lake Superior than the City of Chicago.
The Importance, therefore, of that provi-
sion to the people of Minnesota and to the
people Of Superior City, in my district,
must be apparent to every gentleman,
because the proposed road would brig
| Superior City one hundred miles nearer to
the Pacific than Chicago, and would place
the State of Minnesota and the Cities Of
st. Paul and Minneapolis on the shortest
Pacific highway. l wish to call tie at.cn-
ton Of members of the House to what has
been done in that matter. The object of
the members from Minnesota | think
have made perfectly apparent. But, in
| stead of building the road which was con-
templated by the original law and as good
faith required, and where they declared it
| should be built namely, in direct line
| from Sioux City to the Pacific Railroad,
| on the ''nearest and most practicable
route" so as to have a short and direct
line to Lake SUPERIOR what have they
done? What have they obtained from
this Government? Instead of buildn.
the road so as to bring Superior City one
hundred miles nearer than the City
Chicago to the Pacific Ocean they have
built the road from Sioux City down the
Valley Of the Missouri River, upon the
dead level bottoms of that stream. and
have obtained subsidy of 81 stcen thous-
and dollars mile. and grant of lands
ut the rate of twelve thousand eight hun
dred acres per mile, provided there was
unappropriated land to that extent, and
have built seventy-two miles of that road
within the State of Iowa; and | assert
here that for sixty-eight miles Of that dis
lance every mile after they leave Sioux
| City takes them further from the Pacific
coast than they we've ut the end of the
> preceding mile. | assert at the end of six
ty-eight miles from Sioux City they are
twenty miles further from the Pacific
Ocean than they were at the point whence
| they started, and that after traversing one
hundred miles from Sioux City, and Join
ing with the Pacific Road, they are but
six miles nearer the Pacific than the point
of departure. If gentlemen will look at
the map they will see the correctness of
| that statement.
After running in southeasterly direc-
ton for sixty-eight miles from Sioux City
the road turns westward and crosses the
Missouri River some thirty odd miles
above the City of Omaha, so that that city,
like Jonah's gourd, springing up in a
night through the impetus given by this
road, is destined by the same ca .se that
created it to hasten to swift decay, rs it
will be left upon side track about thirty
miles removed from the direct line to the
Pacific, aud thus that till now fourshing
city, which has made great gifts to this
company, is to be sacrificed by soulless
corporation without regret or remorsc.
Mr.. Dodse.-ls the gentleman from
Wisconsin Mr.. Washburn] acquainted
with the country west of the Missouri
River, and does he undertake to say that
a line of road from Sioux City west of the
river Is IS practicable as the one already
built?
Mr.. Washburn, Of wisconsin, am
not acquainted with the country west Of
Sioux City. But any gentleman must see
and know that Congress never could have
contemplated tie building of any other
road than the one in direct line leading
towards the Pacific, it never contemplated