Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1870-08-18
THE IOWA VOTER.
4. !. Spsrfy, Editor.
IsThere is that Scatheretn and
vet Increaseth,

ssxnerc ~ tuS1t SCS1SmCHCsu1 s10O
yet Increaseth,
And there is that withhold.eth more
than is meet and it tende!h to power
ty." The words of the Preacher
King are true now as ever. May we
not profitably apply them to our
selves this day? Here we are, max
ing a desperate effort to get Rail-
road-an effort which, if successful,
will increase the value of our real
estate immensely-which will bring
US a better market and higher prices
for all we have to sell, and deliver to
us everything we have to buy at
lower prices than now-and yet,
confessing and knowing all these
facts, there are some who will give
never cent for the Road, or, if they
do subscribe, make their contribu-
tions discouragingly small.
Now, Mr.. X, we appeal to you
personally:-Do you not know and
realize that we need Railroad here
most awfully? Does not everybody
admit that: And do you not admit
that it takes money to build q Road,
and that there's now submitted to us
AS fair and liberal a proposition for
one as ever was given to any COM
munity? All these things are undis-
puted. Well then, we have some
So, 900 to raise by subscription in this
Township, besides the Tax. Now,
how is the money to come?
"But," say you, "there's Mr.. H.,
who is worth three or four times as
much as am; and he don't put down
a cent" Very true-and we are
sorry for it, and have to suffer for it.
The Road will do him just as much
good as it will us, and more too-if
we ever get it. But let us look at it
ittle;r { Dur nQtixe in s9hscEibing
money for this enterprise is NOT 10
benefit him at all, but ourselves.
Our interest is purely selfish-not
that either, entirely, but mainly so.
We want the Railroad.for the good
it will do lis, individually. Suppose
Mr.. q. don't pay anything for it.
What we give we give not to help
him, but to benefit ourselves. OF
course it will help him too; but that
is not why we give it. 1t seems
pretty tough, indeed, that some men
have to do all the work and bear all
the expenses, while others donothing
but share the benefits; but is it not so
in everything, the world over? This
Railroad of ours is no exception to
the rule.
Bit the point is, Mr.. X, that what
you are asked to subscribe is not for
the benefit of Mr.. Il, or for the public
benefit, but for your own benefit and
advantage. And If enough of us
don't take hold of this enterprise,
and take holdstrong enough, we will
lose the Road. There's no denying
that. 1t is easy enough for US to put
our thumbs in our armholes and lean
back knowingly and say, "Oh, this
Road will be built anyhow;"-but
that same feeling is what will kill
the Road, if it is killed; that same
feeling is what has kept Oskaloosa
without Railroads SO long. And
after this enterprise-the fairest and
best that we ever had or are likely
to have--shall have been killed in
the same way, we shall see our mis-
take too late. We are not on great
through line; and we will not get 2
Railroad without payinga part Of its
cost. Our coal will not bring Road
alone; we are getting the advantage
of the coal now, in the remarkable
smallness Of the sum asked Of US for
this enterprise.
Ask yourself now, how much you
would feel that you had really lost
If you were assured that this Rail-
road business was all killed, that the
project had been entirely abandoned
and would not be brought up again.
DO you otknow that you and every
body else here would take such news
as the news Of heavy loss? Would
not numbers of men be so vexed and
that they would sell out at
almost any figure and leave as soon
as possible, and 60 where there Is q
Railroad:
But all our Railroad prospect now
hinges on the question whether we
raise the money required Of US. III
we do we will undoubtedly get the !