Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1869-02-03
tRor the Tribune
State Aid for Railroads, &c.
Senator Reeds Proposed Constitutional
Amendment = Log.rcIling On Large Scale.

I A~t' W hotiSS VIC fiOpoeSN -
the constitution of this State, introduced
I in the Senate on the l4th int, By Sena-
t tor Reed, of the 18TH Senatorial Distriot,
who resides, | think, a. Menasha. On the
lower Fox river
The huge log-rolling feats done IN
! Congress seem not to have been lost on
the Senator. The fret branch of the
proposition, VIA: to donate IS 600 per
| mile 70 ali railroads thereafter built =
| having barely failed before the last Leg
| lslature, for want of a vote or two repre
/ sentIng districts interested in the second
! bra CHI of the proposition, Mr.. Reed ;. fol-
lowing the example of Congress, COM
| blnes the two scheIncs, and doubtless
| felicitates himself that he has done
| good thing, and that success is sure to
| follow. 1t is not at all unlikely We
| have seen stranger things happen right
here, and shall be surprised at nothing
| 1t is not my purpose at this time to ar
cue 10 the injustice or impolicy of eth
er proposition, as ! propose only to crit
else the manner in which these ends are
sough to be accomplished, and the frame
work OF Mr. Reeds proposition. Legis-
lati og-roliing is the bane of all just
| legislation and it ought to be severely
| discountenaneed by all who have the
| good of the country ut heart All bills
and schemes of whatever name or nature,
| Ouah t IN H., made IN stopd or 60 II an tba;r
own merits If two or more propositions
are combined or omnbussed together.
with view TO gain strength in either
| case, II amounts to a confession of weak
ness and unsounliness and one need
not take the trouble to investigate for
| himself the nature of either; but he
would be fully justified in passing an ad
| verse Judgment, upon sight, on all mat
ters so presented. 1t is also quite clear
to nv mind, that no one, having q proper
regard for his duties and responsibilities
as Legislator, would vote for any omni>
| bus proposition-one to which, standing
| alone, he would vote adversely-to save
and secure any other proposition which
| he may have at heart Whatever he NAV
gain by success IN such a case must be
more than counierbaanced by lose of
selfrespeet - the most disastrous of all
losses
Fox AND WISCONSIN RIVER IMPROVEMENT
This branch of the proposition is very
bunglingly or very artfully drawn. One
quainted with outside facts bearing on
IT, that there was no such Institution in
existence as the Green Bay and Missis-
sippi Canal Co having vested rights
over, and authority to collect tolls on, the
whole line Of the proposed Improvement
20 far as appears in the Resolution. the
State is, or the States are, TO expend the
sum or sums needed to secure a .'seren
feet nayi-a ton at low water" 1.-TWO feet
mere thar the highest limit named by
Gen Warren in his last report); and, so
far as appears. also, the State is to regu-
late and receive the tolls within tho lin,
It's named, Two and one-half millions of
dollars may be expended by this State
alone IN the prosecution of this improve
ment-all to accrue to the benefit of said
canal company and no bounds are fixed
to the amount that may be drawn out of
the State Treasury III railroad subsidies
Ia short, this scheme contemplates a
State debt Of Sl0O00,0OO and an annual
sa,ratioH for interest on the same 10 about
100000
Now, about the limitation as to toll.
prescribed in the Resolution, that matter
Is in the hands Of the G B. a. NJ Canal
Co, Is il not? Can the Legislature inter-
ferc with vested rights2 Manifestly not,
without the consent of the proper author
ity. Then, how can the Company itself
prescribe a schedule of tolls which shall
invariably make the aggregate receipts
fall within the prescribed limits? The
receipts viii of course depend upon the
business done over the route, which NAV
fall within, or 90 far beyond, reasonable
conjecture; and, if large excess should
accrue, to whom would the surplus 90?
Would the toll-payers be reimbursed
pro rata or would the State or States
get it2 All, questions to be asked -
The truth about the matter is, that the
tariff would be fixed at the highest pay
Ing limit, and no questions asked as TO
excess The stockholders of the canal
company would take good care of it, l
promise you!
But do not fail to notice that the limit
prescribed is exceedingly liberal 20 the
Company The amendment contemplates
sn expenditure of at least ten millions of
dollars and the earning: may not er-
coed sir per cent ~. on the whole cost
This would be 5000, 900, equal to at least
SIX hundred per cent on all monies in
vested in the improvement By the canal
company. And if we, in making the call
culation should take into account the
F large appropriations of land which the
f Company has received from the State
I from Inc sale of which it has derived the
whole OF the major part of its working
F funds tindiferently expended)-we shall
I dnd the percentage merged or swallowed
T up IN the sum set aside for interest, is