Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-08-03
Comm uniCatcd.
AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE,
AmeS. Iowa, Juiy -, 1871.

Ames, Iowa, July -, 1871.
MessRs. SPEKRY x BARKER,
Gentienen:-When at home du-
ring our short vacation here, l could
not help feeling considerable anxiety
about the work on our a. X. 4 ID.
Railroad, especially in regard to the
difficulty between the Agent OF the
Construction Company, Hon. J. B.
Gripnell, and some of the Abba peo-
pie, on account Of which labor was
suspended upon that part Of the line
within the limits of Monroe County.
or course there were all sorts Of
reports in circulation as to the diff
Guilty, and the probable effect of
suspending the work. Some asserted
that the project had utterly failed;
some, that new arrangement had
been made, or was being made, by
which the route would be changed,
SO as TO run from Oskaloosa to In
dianola, and SO on west, instead of
running by the original route, from
i Abba to Des Moines; while Others
maintained that the terminus on the
BE- M. II. Railroad would be so
changed as to have the connection
some two or two and half miles
east of Albia-any of which changes
would be o radical departure from
the original plan and the express
PROVISIONS Of the charter under
which the "a. X. & ID. Railroad
Company" was organized. As The
Charter In express terms made Abba,
Knoxville aud Des Moines points on
the lsGad, the question seemed nat
urally to arise in my mind, How
/ should the Subscriptions and taxes
he collected, in case Of resistance, if
we made points entirely different
from those fixed by the organic law
under which subscriptions were pro-
cured and taxes voted: This struck
me as question of very grave I'm
portance, unless every Subscriber to
the work and taxpayer along the
line should voluntarily pay-which
! could not think probable.
After learning what l could at
Knoxville about the matters Of diff
ference, land which, / will remark,
might l think, have been easily
settled by a little coolness, by recip-
rocal explanations and true under
standing of the circumstances out Of
which the trouble originated, went
to Abba, making that on my way
back to the College, for the purpose
of learning how the citizens Of the
place felt on the subject, and making
up my mind as to the projects. !
confess, too, that / went with some
prejudices; but am happy to say that
after pretty full conference with
prominent citizens there, ] believe
there was not only misunderstand-
ing Of the facts, but an entire misap-
prehension Of the legal rights and
liabilities Of the parties, at least by a
portion of the Abba people and the
Construction Company.
For instance, they doubtless be-
lieved that the people, that il, the
legal voters, Of Troy Township had
lawful power TO rescind the three
per cent. tax voted in aid Of the A.
X. d ID. Railroad last September;
whereas no greater absurdity was
ever dreamed of. They could no
more do this than they could, by a
popular vote Of Troy or any other
Township, repeal the Actof the Leg
islature in pursuance Of which the
first election was held. All Mr..
Grinneli or the Construction Compa-
nv had to do was TO go on and fulfill
their part Of the Contract, aud collect
the tax. They could have gone on
without any regard to the late pre-
tended election, pursued their work
and demanded pay for it on estimates
certified to by the Engineer in charge
and the President of the Company;
and had the County officers whose
duty it was to make the Assessment
and collect the taxes refused TO do 50,
they could have been compelled by n
ManGamus from the proper legal
tribunal.
But had there been an express
Statute authorizing rescission, am
vel satisfied that a vote for that
propose could not have been carried;