Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1869-06-22

know tnaJ sun ciui"i :" " - =
route and that Wat l said on the 24th
nit. was to rebut the assertion OF Messrs'
Brigham and Knight, that this was an
easier route than the Lebanon Springs
road, and would, according to Mr.. L'nds-
lev cost but about s26, 600 per mile, and
that our funds could safely be advanced
toward building road bed. Ii recol'
lect rightly, Mr.. Lindsley's printed report
estimates the cost at $780, per mile
| understood Mr.. Knight to say Mr.
Lindsey had never surveyed the route
from Cambridge to Swanton. live have
only about $40, LOCO TO the mile raised and
two.thirds of that in bonds to be reduced
by the interest accruiug if issued now dur
ing the building of the road, and also by
selling for less than their par value, both
of which would probably reduce our pres
ent worth of funds to near $4,000 pei
mile, unless the towns should be taxed for
the interest, and as statistics show the av-
eragc cost of the roads built in the United
States from 1850 to $50, when labor and
materials were much lower than now, to
have been over $4,000 per mile.
think it was my duty to myself and towns
men, and oven to the railroad enterprise
to show these facts, and to claim that there
was great risk in advancing our money, at
least until the directors had provided am.
pie and certain means to complete the
road.
1t is but justice for me to say that a
respectable number of ardent railroad
men, Of our best business citizens, thought
and voted as did, and sustain me in my
position. Now in view of all these plain
facts, has it come to this in Vermont, that
a man cannot publicly EXPRESS his honest,
business convictions about public matter
without being ostracizcd and maligued and
sirnamed Judas 4? Must | forsake my
pledges and former position as "A bender
without seeing any reason for change,
because others do, and because others
threaten me No! Duty is higher than
policy, and free manhood above fear.
My business interests demand the rail-
road, and | am and have been anxious to
take all honorable means to secure it, and
it is anything but pleasant for me to be
under the necessity Of differing with many
of my friends in this enterprise, many of
whom as personal friends prize highly.
pronounce all assertions charging me
with acting in this matter from base motives
as groundlcss, and wicked ISLANDERS and
falsehoods. | am willing the public shall
say who, if anybody, deserves the appclla-
ton of Judas" in this matter.
Respectfully yours,
MADISON 0. HEATH,
johnson, April 80, 1868.
1t will be seen that Mr. Heath assumes
that but for his own great exertions in be-
half Of the scheme, for he says "myself
and Others" johnson would not have bon
died. Says they pledged their honors as
citizens that the vital principle of "no
road, no pay" should be preserved
johnson, left to her own voluntary act
ion, would never have bonded ITSELF" is a
very singular expression for one who un-
derstands the force of language as well
as our correspondent. johnson was car
ried for the bonding principle after tho
rough discussion of the pros and cons Of
the whole subject, in our paper and in
several open town meetings, and if ever
town was left to ''hcr own voluntary act
ion" in matter Of the kind it was John
son. Her action was not only voluntary,
but intelligent, as well as patriotic, and
Bro. Heath won for himself much honor
among the friends of the road, for the part
which he acted in the contest. 1t seems
to us that it is one Of his most fatal mis-
takes, now, to 60 back on that action, and
to claim it to have been obtained by I'M
fair means. mo road no pay" was GER
tainly the cry then, and is nor. We do
not know of a "chan Je-bonder" who would
consent, for his right arm, to see one dol
lar of any towns money expended in this
enterprise without the certainty of that
vital principle of "no road, no pay" being
preserved. We are simply called upon TO
place the means we have already voted, in
Il position to be more valuable TO all inter-
csted, to be available, when other circum-
stances conspire to make it proper, TO be
used for the more certain and profitable
construction of the road.
We are called upon to empower our
to issue these bonds just as
fast, and no faster, as they are perfectly
satisfied that they have a guarantee that
the road is to be completed. You will
perhaps issue 5 or 10 per cent. of your