Oregon Republican. [volume] (Dallas, Or.) 1870-1872, 1871-03-04
Jht Oregon 9epublieau.
DALLAS, SATURDAY, MAR. 4.
Subsidies.

many objections, from the press, as
well as from individuals. Whatever
may be said of the propriety of giving
heavy grants aud subsidies to railroad
and other corporations in the future,
no one will pretend to say that they
have not been beneficial in the past.
In opening up the great West, they
have been of more advantage than any
or all other causes combined. Very
true they have enriched few individ-
uals at the expense of the many; but
while the many were enriching the few
they were also enriching themselves
more rapidly than they could possibly
have done under the old regime. The
Illinois Central Railroad Company
: built their great central lines through
Illinois, and had millions of dollars
worth of land and other property which
came from the tax payers of Illinois
but ask the same tax payers if they
would dispense with the advantages
they have obtained, and those which
are daily accruing to them, and be
stripped of the Central Road, and from
one end of the State to the other would
be heard an unanimous negative
The great Trans continental road, Of
which so much has been said, has cost
it is true nearly double what it should
have cost but ask the people Of the
country both east aud west if they
would do without the convenience of
that road, to say naught of its material
advantages, for the amount which it
has cost, and we opine the answer will
be unanimous-no.
But, says one writer on this subject,
:" suppose railroad runs through a
certain section of country in which |
own piece of land worth say $1,000,
AMI the value of that land is affected so
that I sci: it for $4,000, pocket the
money and leave, is the community any
better off for the enhancement of the
value of my property than they were
before 2" We answer most emphati.
cally they are. Property always rates
in value in proportion to the remuner>
alton to be derived from it; aud if a
farm is in close proximity to any great
of commerce, either railroad,
river or canal, the observation of every
man teaches him that it is worth more
than the same quality of farm less
accessible. We're any person who has
visited California say ten years, or even
FIVE years ago, to go there now, they
would find in the Sacramento, San Joa
quinn fact all over California-'and
which ten years ago was considered
worthless for anything but grazing, is
now in q high state Of cultivation;
and what has brought about this
change, but the Central Pacific Rail
road We might go on and show nu-
merous instances of material advantages
accruing from railroads, which would
never have been built without SUBJ
sidy, but do not deem it necessary.
The policy of granting aid in the con-
struction of railroads through new
country we have always favored, and
still think it best for all parties. We
do protest, however, against land subsi-
dies, the granting of large tracts of
land to companies for any purpose. If
the Government or State wishes to give
anything in the way of aid in the con-
struction of roads or any important i'm
provements, let it be given in something
else beside land and let that be kept
for the pioneer, the actual settler, who
is willing to go to work and use his
bone and muscle to develop aud i'm.
prove it.
In cases where it is advisable to
grant Government subsidy for any
great improvement, which is often the
case, it can be done in the way of
bonds, or other Government or State
sureties; and these should always be
drawn so as to make the company res,
ponsible for them whenever they ma
ture, and should always be attended to
promptly, SO as not to allow any advan>
tage to those corporations that are dis
posed to take them whenever opportu-
nifty offers; and in no case, nor under
any circumstances should the public
domain be thrown into the hands of
spectators.