The Weekly Washington telegraph., 1871-08-30
RAILROADS AND RADICALS.

cceding high mountain, and showed
him all the kingdoms of the world and
the glory thereof, and said unto him:
"All these things will | give thee if
thou will fall down and worshsp me.
In the days of reconstruction, when the
State of Arkansas was in the wilderness
this same devil again appeared in the
person of the Radical party, and made
to the people of this State like promises.
They told us if we would place them,
the Radicals, in power they would give
us railroads. Through fraud and
bayonets, in 1868, they usurped and
took possession of every Office of our
State government. Like the devil
tempting Christ, they lied and prom
ised that which they knew was not in
their power, for the purpose of de-
ceiving and defrauding the people.
On their accession to power "they
stole the thunder" of the Democratic
party, and substantially re enacted the
act of the legislature of 1867, entitled
can act loaning the faith and credit of
the State in aid of the construction of
railroads" Before this act could go
into effect, the constitution Of the State
required that it should be submitted
to vote of the people, and be ratified
by a majority Of those voting. This
was done and the people irrespec-
tive of party voted for its ratification
and it thereby became a law. Under
this act, State aid bon,ls have been
issued as follows, to wit: to the Mis-
sissippi, Ouachita and Red River road
$3.50 900; to the Memphis and Little
Rock road 81 200, 900; TO the Arkansas
Central road $500, 900; to the Little
Rock, Pine Bluff and New Orleans
road $780, 900, and to the Little Rock
and Fort Smith road 5000, 900, making
in the aggregate s3,600,00 in bonds
loaned to railroads. In many instances
we understand, they have been issued
in advance of the work required to be
performed before they could be lawfully
issued. Instead of being used to aid
in the construction of railroads. they
have been fraudulently disposed of, anC
the money pocketed by spectators
the State involved in a heavy debt-an'
the roads have rot been built.
Our State is now involved in a deb
of 81, 900, 900 on account of the bond
loaned these railroads. ! hese bond
are payable thirty years after date aD'
bear interest at the rate of seven pc
cent. per annum. The railroads t.
which they are loaned, are only required
to pay the interest on them until thel
are built and completed. After th'
expiration of five years from the com
pletion ofelch rold receiving State aid
Il special tax of two and a half pc
cent per annwp.unon the whole amour
of Staie-.ud granted TO such road vii
be imposed on such road until thc
whole of the State aid so granted is col
lected. If the charters of any of these
roads should be forfeited before they
are built, the State will be left to pay
the bonds loaned to such roads forfeit.
ing their charters, without recourse.
How many of these bonds the State
will be compelled to pay, without any
means or hope of reimbursement no
one can tell. This depends, entirely,
on the building OF ihe roads mentioned
under their present charters. This. To
say the least ct it, is extremely doubt
ful. 1t is true, that the Memphis and
Little Rock Road, in defiance of all
opposition and by the grace of God
and indomitable energy, has been built.
The bonds loaLed this road may be
regarded as secure. But the other
roads mentioned are languishing-ab,
solutely ydying-while Radical vampires
in control of them are sucking their
very life blood. Bankruptcy and ruin
hang threatingly over them like a
dark cloud. Remorseless spectators
have gained control of them absorbed