, 1869-07-27
RAILROAD IMPROVEMENT DEBTS.

to subscribe 100000 Of municipal bonds
10 aid in the construction Of railroad in
Missouri, which, when finished, will extend
TO Fulton, in the southwest corner of Ar
kansaa, then cruss the northern boundary
Of Texas, passing through New Mexico md
Arizona into Southern California, and thence
up the Pacific ooast some 400 miles to San
Ftanasoo. The whole road viii probably
be some $500 miles long. Cairo, Of course,
proposes TO build only q portion Of
| the road With full knowledge that
her bonds are not worth over sixty cents on
the dollar in greenbacks, the city Of Cairo
hes voted to issue 100000 Of them to
give towards the construction Of the road.
! The money given By Cairo, Il honestly ap-
] piled, will build just about two miles Of the
railway; and the construction Of railway
by company obliged to resort to such sao-
ri6cea to build two miles may be said to be
somewhat prohleunatica1.
It is only a few months Aince Cairo
applied to the Legislature Of this State foz
an exemption from State taxation, on the
ground that the county was unable toproyide
for its paupers, To be exact, the county op
piled for and obtnined the consent Of the
Legislature TINT all taxes raised in that
county for State purposes, in excess Of
certain amount, should be paid over
10 The county, to enable it to sustain the
undue proportion Of pnupers residing in
Cuiso. After tankiag this exhibit Of the
fnancial condition Of the county, Cairo can
hurdly complain if capitalists do not rate
her bonds over forty cents, aud that it will
cost Cairo 100000 to accomplish precisely
what another county could hare done for
100000. 4 shave Of forty per cent is 4
serious operation upon county which OBJ
jects to taxing itself to pay for keeping its
paupers. The bonds hive twenty years to
1nn, and for twenty years Cairo proposes
to raise by tannhon $4,000 per an-
NUN to pay interest on $4,000
borrowed In other words, Cairo hns as-
enmed To pay, during and ut tho end
II twenty ycars, principal aud interest,
$4,000, that 100000 may 10 given 10
build two miles Of 1ailtoad iu Missouri.
In the grcat haste shown in all parta Of
the State to vote money and bonds for rail-
road purposes, there iaevidently m expecta-
ton that in time fbese internal improve
ment debts Of counties, towns, and cities
will bo asaumed by tho State. THIS is the
only explanation Of tho anomnls Of counties
which resolutc1y refuso to vote for auy III
crease Of ta1ntion for any State purpose
over the 1atc valuation Of lS;3-voting
with utter reckIcssncss lArgo subscriptions
for every railway that nska for them. 1t may
ns well be understood now M nj my other
time thht tho Sta,a Of Illinois will mover as-
slime such dobis, And that thoso who con-
trnct them must tax themselves To pay
! Mr., James Parton In, NJ q writer, always
nErecnhIc,3 mud sometimes true. The con-
Etitution of his mind 1nny he said To bc ono
of ,1niversni skcpticism, modified bv COM
l'ntivcncss-f. t., he ~ INCLINED 10 Lcl,cyo in
nothing whntcvcr until ho fln,ls TIM: other
pcnplc also diHbolovo in IL, in whicl, casc ho
e"mca ~ isa defence. Such m'nlA perform
1s"h!o work in committing thu In discriminate
R"ncralizatinna of Eupulnt opinion, mud tho
tit'ai WIVES Of mol clasnor IN they lte.nu.u-
II Lift r''nc object of public regard or noto-
ri"ty nr to thu hkics, only 10 du4h II,
wrecked ind ruined, Oh tho strand AIr.
1'srton hhH drnc n good work in pointing
"ut ~ tho American people how c1tcn-
hively tho strikers OF tho Washington
iollsy yictimizo tho cspluluus mud
acfnne Congress By selling votcs
over which they havo no control aud zcp1e-
heuting themselves ~ confidential receivers
Of bribes foE Senators and Congressman
who do not 60 much ns know them. But in
lis enthusiasm A1r. Parton has gouc 10 fur
as 10 deny that money is used directly to ill.,
dueuco votes in Congress, or that Mt any ono
finc ns many as fen Congressman have kept
mistresses- We fear Mr.. Parton's visit TO
Washington must have been very SUPER
ticial ono. Such an opiniun rs the above
viii provoke IN indulgent sulily from moro
than nifty congrcsmen, each Of whom will
intellectually e1claim, without troubling his
wife by uttesing il atoud, IS Well, Tint last
opinion WIS certainly very kind in Parton,
very. wonder what P.rton wants from
us:"