Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1870-03-03

You will allow me, perhaps, TO take
the most charitable view the case ad-
mlts of, and presume that you do not
appreciate the close run you had with
civil destruction when you plead so
piteously for the Plug road. take it
for granted that you did the best you
know, and that you considered that
the ends you aimed at were Gods
and your country's. What Gee
ity. What evidence Of scncctitudc. Of
a softcning brain, and decay of mental
foresight The iron horse that drags
the railcar within town drags in a
long tram of moral woes, material dis.
astcrs and business descriptions which
shall, and do, blight the prosperity OF
town as the Eruption OF the Vandals
into Italy brought woe throughout all
that beautiful land. 1t was said that
no blade of grass would grow where
the horse of Attlla had trod, so can no
true prosperity spring up where pran
ces the iron horse OF modern times
1t you cannot comprehend it now, you
will sometime.
recoliect short time ago, that in
Toledo, house was about to become
vacant. Immediately there were a
dozen applicants tor the to.be-vacant
domicile. Thrce-iourt}s of the appli-
cants for that house were well able TO
build dwelling houses for themselves
They did not choose to bald They
preferred to rent. In this state of at
fairs the widow and the orphan, who
have houses to rent are enabled to get
SO much for ordinary dwelling houses
that they can get a decent living from
the rent of one or two houses If you
bring the cars into Toledo tomorrow.
the immediate result would be, the
men who could build dwelling houses
would do 50; the extraordinary demand
for houses already occupied would ma.
tcrially diminish, and tie houses that
now rent readily for fifteen dollars a
month, cash maatsly IL adraRca, would
be drug at ten dollars. What, then,
would become Of those whose existence
depends upon the rent OF the few
houses they own? You can picture to
yourself, much better than | can 6elin-
cate it, the misfortunate condition Of
those whom the railroad would thus
throw upon the charities of a cold, I'm
feeling world. BY what right do you
thus call for the performance of deeds
that shall injure your neish5prs and
deprecate what little property they do
possess?
There is another special hardship
which the introduction of railroad
would work. The land in the immc-
date vicinity of the town would be 50
enhanced in. value that farms now
worth one hundred dollars per acre
would then be worth three Hundred
dollars per acre. The poor man who
owned the farm would thus be sub
jectcd to triple taxes. The taxes are
now so heavy that he can hardly live.
Then he would be crushed Hfeless.-
See how Hall, Lewis, Hollen, and 9th
ers of lama City, have had their prop
erty appreciate in value there, tour or
ten times in railroad value, and
their taxes corresponding'y increased.
Do you not believe that they would
prefer the return Of those days when
railroads were uaknowno There arc
men in Toledo. whom railroad here
would injure in the same way. There
is Muckler, blind to his OWL interests.
DESTROYS Of railroad, whose burden
ct taxation would double in one year
by the advent of railroad There is
Phillips, whole souled, large-hearted,
liberal, general and philosophical, but
who discovers far ahead the terrible,
crushing cnginery of taxation which
the railroad will prove to be- There
is Conant, who is able to see glimpse
of the promised woe, and yet who list
ems, hali-creduious, to the guiletnl sto.
rles Of interested parties. | might cx-
tend the list, to great advantage, but I
fear to make this letter so long as to
insure tor it oblivion in the waste has
kct.
But cannot forbear to again remind
You that greater woes than were Wis
tied upon Troy will fall upon our de-
voted town If the ends so devoutlv
prayed tor are consummated. And
make the reminder the more fearlessly
as Mrs. G. p, Sr. supports me hike a
good and faithful "pardncr.'
Yours, &c.
CNclNNATus pEREGiL, SIX.