The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-08-03
Rallroad Meetipe Id the Ceurt House!

bandbllIs announced that ra1lrOa0
meeting would be held at the Court
House, to discuss the propriety of
voting donation to the Evansville,
Carmi and Paducah Railroad. a lit
tie after eight O'Clock, about one hun
dred persons assembled, and without
any Formally, Judge Parrett com
menced speaking. As ne proceeded
tn crowd increased in number, and
b. he time lie had finished the room
WIS Two thirds full.
The Judge announced the object OF
the meeting to be about as We
have stated, aud then proceeded to
urge his objections to making the
donations asked for. He said all
agreed that railroad, if it could be
built and would be profitable after it
was finished, was a good thing. He
hoped in his remarks that be would
not be regarded as opposing railroads.
1t may do under some circumstances
to say we are for all railroads, but
generally the cry was demagoglcal.
He was for railroads when they would,
by their location and management,
pay for the investment. Not other
wise. Some men might be willing to
vote donations for a railroad to the
moon, but he was not one of that
class.
The Judge then proceeded to argue
as objections to voting aid to the E.,
@. & P. R.R. that the route is not yet
designated. The people wanted TO
know where the route was to be.
They had a right to know this, before
they voted money to be tied up for
two years in the hands of the officers
of the road. He then asserted that
the route of the road was designated.
notwithstanding che denial of its
officers, and could not be changed if
they desired. He was willing to adj
NIT that all the gentlemen contested
with the enterprise were honorable
men, but still the people had right
.H#
to know where they Intended to run
their road. IF it was designed TO run
the road to Carmi by GRANVILLE, why
not say SOP They might locate the
road on the E. & G. Railroad as
far as Princeton, and then cut across
to Illinois and claim the appropria-
ton on the ground that their cars
were running TO the county line
The Judge then stated that the
proposition was to cross the Wabash
at Little Chain, which would compel
them to run near or through Mt
Vernon. He asserted that the appro-
priations voted by Posey County
would prevent that county from rem
deriug any assistance to the present
enterprise, and the result would be
Mt. Vernon would have two roads tc
pour into her lap the Aood-tide o
Illinois productions, to the destruc
ton ofEgansville and her merchants.
He could not see why Evansville
should contribute towards building VI
Mt. Vernon. The Judge devoted
much of his time to the discussion 0
this point.
He said other roads were eoncen
trating at GRANVILLE. If We extended
our road there, we could get thu
benefit Of them. IF necessary, h,
would not only vote $4,000, bu
100000. He said he was charged
with being the attorney of the Straigh
Line Road, and that he was bought
He had learned from work on rhet
ORIG that when an antagonist wa
compelled to resort to abuse he wa
possessed Of weak intellect or
weak cause. If he gave the peopl
the facts, it was upon them the
should act. When he heard a fac
he acted on it like an honest man
i Indifferent as to whether the persol
. who furnished it was hired or not.
: He asked 'if.ithe Directors of tn
Illinois road had shown where th
money was to come from to build tn
: road. Could they show how the
: were even to get it through Pose
j. County? But we cannot follow tn
r Judge in detail on this point.
!, He said the Henderson & Nashvill
t Road ought to be built, and suggest e
2 that additional subscriptions ought tt
5 be made by individuals to complet
that enterprise, pledging himself t
t be one. He then advocated th
! Straight Line Road, on the ground c
e affording competition with the Craw
louisville Road, AMI increasing facil
e ties for transportation. He said tina
a road was located. even to the villages
towns and counties through which
| was to pass. Its immediate construc
0 ton would increase the value of Ev
J, ansville property at least tire
E millions of dollars.
Judge James G. jones then cam
forward and made a very ramblin
0 speech, mostly denuneiatory of job
e Ingle, President of the Evans
d Vile & Charlottesville Road.
He said the Nashville Road onl
b benefited few commission men, som
T draymen, and a small number {
n wholesale merchants. The mass {
n the people derived no benefit from
lie whatever. Ga the contrary th
st Straight Line would bring vegetable
h and minerals to the city, and all elias.
d es would be improved, and Twin
vould be ehaaDer. He denonpoo