Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1870-03-31
For The Republican.
Hlcs MOimcs Correspondence
DEs MoiNEs, March %, Il


DEs MONIES, March &c, 1870.
EDlroR REpUBLlcAN-Dear Sir:--Ev.
cry thing is lost: the Railroad Tariff
Till, that was adopted last evening in
the House, after three days debate, by
two-thirds majority, was lost on en-
grossment, within fifteen minutes, in
the Senate. Tho bill was very mod
crate, only affecting freiehts to the
river, and giving the Iowa farmer a
competing market at the Mississippi;
lrcvcnting discrimination against points
in the interior; protecting the river
towns against the Chicago men; max
ing Iowa somewhat independent, in
,'ead Of tributary hunting ground for
Eastern monopolsts. was in the
Senate when the bill was lost, and saw
the Senators do as their predecessors
tor the last ten years have done: defeat
Tie House and the people, on this ques-
ton, which so much interests them.
The only remedy is at the polls, and
] am proud that Tama and Powcshie
10 not need 1t as Senator Dysart's vote
and influence have steadily been given
tor a redress OF these grievances. Our
treights are about as high now as when
wheat sold for $3.50 per bushel, but
there is no help Tor it; and l see no
prospect Of change as long as coun-
ties will send here, as their reprcsen.
ta,ives, the tools OF the Railway Com
panics.
\ resolution has been adopted
asking the appointment Of com
mittee to investigate the attempts to
buy votes for the Capito! bill. The
Committee is at work, and this very
d:sagreeable affair will soon be laid
hetorc the House; for the honor Of the
state it is hoped that no such dishon-
orable means have been resorted to,
and for the honor of the House, that,
it offered, they have beeu rejected.
Scarcely any OF the appropriation bills
have been considered. The defeat of
the tariff bill renders the tax bill a null
lily, as any taxes levied on the roads
will be charged on the shipper, and as
most OF our profits are paid to the
Railways, our appropriation bills must
be considered in this light All bills
proposing to raise salaries OF State Of
tcers will also be affected. Iowa just
now IS being severely tried; poor crops
raised at war prices tor labor, sold at
prices nearly corresponding to gold
10 pay debts contracted when the pre-
nium was thirty for specie. The
,cople have waitcdpatiently until roads
that received land enough to build and
Equip them, were paying reasonable
dividend, before they insisted on tax.
ing or tarittng, but when retrench-
inent and economy are the watchwords
Of the Nation, the State and the family,
it is asking too much Of the merchant
and farmer, to charge substantially the
rates Of two or four years ago,
when the roads did not pay, and
cur staples brought double the present
prices. We are led to seriously inquire
what will be the end of this; are the
great corporations to control the State,
allowing US just enough to subsist up
on? Are a few sharp men III the East,
through their creatures in the lobby,
10 control the dcstinies of Iowa? The
owners OF Iowa railroads can as surely
tell how much OF our staples they will
carry, at what price, through what ele-
,ators or stock yards. with whom we
shall deal. how much We will realize,
what amount Of profits can be made
vat OF the muscles OF an Iowa man i'll
a given time, as an engineer can tell
what surface is drained by the Iowa
River, or Simon Legrce could estimate
the value OF Uncle Toms body and
soul. See that your schools prosper;
skilled labor is worth more than un-
skilled: look after the morals of the ris
ing generation; Uncle Toms religion
made him more valuable, cultivated
patriotism and love Of country: but
know that every step in education, ev.
cry patriotic aspiration, every religious
inspiration, only makes you more val
liable chattel IN the possession Of the
hallway monopolists, and there is no
help for II; scnd a weak minded be-
ing to the Legislature, throw cloak
over his shoulders with green or red
lining, put cigar in his mouth, cane
in his hand, and Railroad lobbyist at
his elbow. and 1t requires not the aid
Of inspiration to foretell how he will
yots. SPECIAL.
a young man in the vestibule Of a