Eaton weekly Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1866-1875, 1871-08-31
kentucky and Railroads.

The Commonwealth of Kentucky,
through her Legislature, has entered
a solemn protest against the con-
struction of the proposed Southern
Railroad through her territory.
Many accept the decision in broad
sense, and claim that her action de-
monstrates an unreasonable opposi-
ton to all such popular innovations
as steam transportation, notwith-
standing she has permitted the lay
ing of some hundreds of miles OF
track through her most favored and
wealthy regions, and has steam craft
plying all her navigable waters. She
has been sharply criticized in all
quarters, although the fact is gener-
ally conceded that her representa-
tives consulted their own individual
interests, if not those of the Louis
vile and Nashville Railroad Com
pany, in denying the right to the Gin
cinnati Southern Railroad Company.
When it is considered that the city
of Cincinnati had guaranteed the
payment of S1O,OOO,OO0 toward
building the proposed road, and that
Kentucky would have been enriched
by that amount of taxable property
being added to her assessment roll,
we naturally wonder at her indiffer-
ence, and are disposed to Judge her
rather harshly, especially as there is
no apparent reason for the refusal.
Well, it is a notable fact that the
State, of cold Kentucky is not in the
van of progress. Her movements
in all public enterprises and of in
ternal improvements, it must be con-
fessed, are slow, to say the least, and
she seems to be indifferent whether
her inaptitude for exertion and her
inertness are agreeable to the world
at large or not.
But there is a reason, and very
good reason, for all this. The peo-
pie of Kentucky are physically and
morally, and perhaps to some extent
socially, very similar to those of
other portions of the country. A
class of citizens who trace their de-
scent from Plymouth Rock nay take
exceptions to this assertion; but they
are at liberty to Giscredit it if they
wish; the TACT stands, nevertheless,
whatever hideous visions of KukluX
may be conjured up in the minds of
these doubling Thomases, by the
mention of Kentucky. But the soil,
climate, and geographical peculiar
tiles of the State render her d1ssimi-
lar to any other in the broad expanse
of the Union. Kentucky is hap
PLY favored spot. Her smiling val
.leys, lofty hills, lovely streams,
proud forests, anil bounteous soil all
contribute to render children self
sustaining, self-reliant and independ-
ent of the thrift and material pros
perity of her neighbors. The peo-
pie of Kentucky-the proud, gallant
and hospitable (if self-contained and
self satisied) people of Kentucky
have heretofore lived within their
own confines, upon the products of
their own soil principally, and clothed
themselves comfortably with fab
RIGS made in their own looms, from
the fleece of their own sheep and the
flax from their own fields. And
they Jared we'll. The cattle upon a
thousand hills we're theirs, and their
granaries were filled to repletion
with the products of their farms.
Her fine grazing lands were the mag
azines from which the markets of
distant cities were supplied with such
Juicy heef and pork as no other
State could produce, and vast herds
of horses and mules were shipped
every year from her borders; while
a glance at the Turf Register will
satisfy any one of the superiority OF
her blooded racers. Every variety of
cereal responds in abundance to the
moderate labor of the husbandman
it is a land that, literally, ''if tickled
with a hoe laughs with harvest
Delicious vegetables and fruits come
early to their tables and linger late
each year, and every blessing of con-
tent and plenty is cast with lavish
hand in Kentucky's lap. A prudent,
energetic Kentuckian need scarcely
stir from the confines of his own
land to possess himself OF any ar
ticle of use or luxury that reasona-
BILE creature could wish. Of course,
when he wants articles of ornament,
rather than of use, such as china
ware, Brussels carpets, gilt wall pa
per and exotics, he must obtain them
from abroad. But these barren van