The Van Buren press., 1869-03-30
STATE AID.

xhe the action of the Railroad Commits
sionegs, al a meeting OF the Board held
March 10Th, 1869, in awarding State aid
10 certain railroad companies. From this
report, it appears that the Little Rock
and Fort Smith road, one Of the most
ifnportant in the State, and in the speedy
building of which ourpeope are so deep
ly interested has been entirely ignored.
The reasons assigned for this treatment
II the Western Company are false and
frivolous, and utterly contemplate. They
are only such as men in full and complete
aiIilistion with the corrupt ring Of adyen-
turers at Little Rock, would presume to
offer to the people in palliation of their
treachery.
They falsely assume the existence of
three interpretations for the. purpose Of
building railroad or railroads from Lit.
tie Rock to Fort Smith That two of the
companies are claiming the same right Of
way. and the same land grants, and that
Congress has. oris, to incorporate a third
company to build road from Little Rock
by way of Fort Smith, on the 35th paral-
lei Of latitude to the Pacific The truth
is, and these commissioners and their at-
iiated band of conspirators knew it well,
there is but one bona fde company in ex.
istcnce, and there never has been hut one
company in existence since the permanent
location of the route authorized to build
railroad from Little Rock to Fort Smith
That company was incorporated by an
Act of the General Assembly, entitled
IAN Act to incorporate the Little Rock
and Fort Smith Railroad Company" APP
proved January 22nd, 1855, and at the
same session of the Legislature the lands
donated by Congress we're granted to this
company. Will the commissioners con
descend to inform us what other compa-
ny claims the right of way, and the lands
of the Little Rock and Fort Smith Com.
pany? The people have not heard OF
this company, nor of its claims, and they
want more light on the subject
Ifthere be any bogus concern gotten NJ
in the interest ofthe INSCRIPTIONS ring
at Little Rock, we pronounce it cheat
sham and fraud upon the people. 1T
authors have never dreamed of building
"A railroad from Little Rock to For
>Smth. All their vllainous schemes hav,
in view one grand central object that is
IL brothers, verctJrt large sum o.
cary ear Wv she sm i'HtE@a little Rock and For
Smith Company, as the price OF peace
,cohce,v. PROM their apnoyances
Y road; and ...---.''s' asreat alto
q me me-, S.Ms woll remember that this
v66e title / reply that oon,
"o' Ter cayc - r'-"0oga' company last
SUMMER, in opposition to the Little Rocl
and Fort Smith Company for the ostcnsi
bic purpose Of building road from Lit
tie Rock to Fort Smith, on the South
side Of the river, through the almost i'm
passible mountains of Perry county, ant
We believe that some Of our friends across
the river were deluded into the belief
that the authors Of this scheme honestly
intended to build the road Such .
thought never once entered their minds
Their object is always the same; the cen
trail idea is ever present to their minds
To extort money from the Little Rocl
and Fort Smith Company and to line
their pockets with greenbacks that DOM
rightfully belong to them is the ruling
passion of the ring.
Another notable device of these dis
interested patriots, was to get control OF
the Little Rock and Fort Smith Compa
ny; elect the directory and other officers
of the company from the ring and have
every thing their own way BY decep
ton, trckery and any amount Of misrep.
resentation they succeeded in getting hold
of a considerable amount Of the compa,
ny's stock, and up to the meeting of the
Stockholders at Little Rock in January
for the election of new board of direct
ors, these fellows were jubilant over the
prospect of the good time coming as they
supposed. But thanks to the stockholders
and to the people Of Western Arkansas,
these quibbling tricksters were foled and
defeated in their infamous designs, and
now in revenge for the defeat Of these
bad men and as sequel to the program
me Of their hostility to the Little Rock
and Fort Smith road we have the ungra.
cious action or rather non action of Pow
ell Clayton and his obscqueous henchmen
Withholding aid from our Company under
the miserable prctencc that there are two
other competing companies, There being
IN fact none such in cxistcnee), and that
It IL, at present, impossible to decide
which is most deserving. These worthy
commissioners anticipate, that congress,
sional action will throw light upon the
subject and ultimately guide them to
correct conclusion. All gentlemen, this
Is all talk. Empty words and nothing