Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1869-07-13

D2. - 49, | 81. go
Dodgeville and other towns in
Iowa county and the many towns in
Grant not favored with railroads are
willing to vote helping aid for build
ing railroads, but Mr.. Dean who is
assuming the organ business for the
Boscobel and Mineral Point monop-
olists, comes down upon the whole
business of railroad aid except by
means of individual enterprise. And
how much pray, have Mr.. Dean and
his entire set voluntarily contributed
railroads and the like improvements
in which they are daily reaping great
profits Have they contributed one
dollar--one cent even? And it is
such as they who are blowing about
the Dixon-Cole decision against
voting local aid for railroads
We cite above the minority decis.
ion Of Judge Paine, and only ask
that the same be compared with the
narrow pleadings of Mr.. Dean-the
glorious spirit shown by Paine in
dismal contrast with that of Dean
to be also noticed.
And it is but due to the best men
and spirits of BescoDel and Mineral
Point to add they are not at all in
sympathy with Mr.. Dean. But on
the contrary they would notonly vote
aid for great improvements wherein
all the people have vital interest, but
they would contribute literally from
open purses. May God save the
country from these do-nothings who
add to their practice the dog-in-the,
manger policyl -
G. X. DEAN ON VOTING r. r. AID.
In the recent decisions of our SUI
preme Court in the cases Curtis Us
Whipple, ct al, and Whiting Us. The
Sheboygan Railroad Company, the
Court lays down the law, that all pub.
Inc taxation, must be for public pur-
poses that taxation in aid of private
individuals or corporation merely, for
whatever object except in cases of
public charity, is unconstitutional.
and cannot be enforced even if au-
thorized by act of Legislature.
This, as far as it goes, is good doc
trine and sound law and it is a pity
that it was not promulgated many
years ago. If it had been so promul.
gated, much mischevions legislation
and much oppression in the way Of
taxation would have been averted.-
| 1t unfortunately comes too late to re-
lieve Iowa County from the terrible
incubus which rests upon it; but
"comes better late than never" A
great amount of good will flow from
it. This Legislature, which had be-
come wholly abandoned to the be-
hssts of those, who, whether legiti-
mately or not, assumed to speak for
and give direction to the construction
of works ofinternal Improvement
within the State, must, under stress
OF these decisions, at once retrace its
steps. 1t can authorize no more bon
uses to be given. to railroads or other
corporations and much that it has
already. done in this way. must be
rendered nugatory, or becomes un-
settled. ao uaa1 s a
It is true, that in these decisions
the Court affirms the right of coun>
ties, and lesser political organizations
to build wholly or subscribe any
amount of stock, in railroads built
within their limits, if so authorized
by law; and the location and other
conditions are such as to insure fair
measure of equality in the resulting
advantages, to all OF the members of
| the body so taxed but as this latter
qualifying clause permits every case
of such proposed tax to be traversed
upon injunction and perpetually en-
joined for local inequalities and gen.
eral injustice, it has an important
bearing upon the right SO conferred.
Manifestly then, DO tax could be col.
lected to build, or pay for stock in
any railroad which should cut only a
co, ner of the country, town, or 9TH
er municipal body imposing a tax for
purpose. In such case a remote or
adversely effected part of the county
or town, could enjoin the collection
| OF the tax. ~a ~ sea -.
This restriction upon the general
grant of power, will, if resorted to in
cases of manifest injustice prove q
tolerable safeguard against the oppres.
sive'acts ofmaj orities| in matters Of this
nature but We regret that the court
did not zee it's way clear to a complete
divorce of the State and all sub,divi>
sions of it from works of internal inn
provement, rather than to give them
the necessary legal vitality, and full
protection before the law. Jsu ass.a.
We are not organized into political
bodies for speculative purposes. or
business ventures of any kind; and all
the varied channels of business, in
GLIDING the development of the vast
resources of. the state, may be safely
left to be, built up and carried on by
private capital and corporate power.
Capital is one idle element ola State
1t must and will gravitate in the d.
rection of apparent proGt. To at
tempt to force it, or to rinveigle it by
false lights into doubtful ventures or
adverse margins, is worse than folly.
1t is suicide. 1t is no relief, to the
unofending who are scourged, to ass
sure them thatit is done in theIname of
public prosperity, and by majority
of the people. atf ova
Arbitrary and oppressive acts as
between a government and its SUBJ
jects, or as between majority and
minority of any people arenot diffis'
cult of conception, nor difficult of ex-
| ecution but in their remote conse-
quenees they may be terrible. Sow
the wind, and you reap the whirl-
wind. Scatter dragons teeth, there
springs up crop of armed men,
Whatever may have been engrafted
upon the Legislature or the law of
the day, foreign to the true purposes
of government is an excresence and
usage, even prescriptive, does not
change its character. We desire to
see all the departments of govern
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