Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1872-01-24

pleted to Reedsburg, it is expected will reach th
MISSISSIPPI river at La Crosse within twelve months
The Milwaukee and Northern railroad passing
through rich and populous country, and on'
greatly IN need of such facilities, will soon be il
connection with Fond du Lac and Menasha.
Oshkosh has joined hands with Ripon, and Fond
dll Lac VIII soon do Green Bay is rapidly con
truchng line TO the Mississippi while the Madi
on and Portage is being extended up the valley OF
the Wisconsin to Grand Rapids and st: vens Point
Ihe rapid and easy trar sit of passengers anC
freight by rail- has given that mode of conveyance
the preference all other systems, and strong
ly impressed is every community with this fact
thai they are often induced to giant aid, to secure
near at hand, this most desirable method of trans
portahon, greatly i'll dsproportion to their ability
to pay, and greatly in of the advantages tc
be obtained
On the first day of January 1871, there were ir
operation within the limits of The state, 23S
miles Of railway, and the first day of Januiry
1877, l,5oS miles, representing cost either actua
or itCtltIaus OF nearly one hundred millions of dol
lars THIS vast concentration of capital in one in
tcrest alone affects every other interest in the
state and it may with truth be SAID that tlcr. is
no brunch of industry within the state that ia not
dependent upon railway facilities, and which I'm
friendly action on the part of railway managers
may not at any time crush out.
The railway interests of the state have grown to
their present proportions without any general svs-
tenn and with little responsibility 10 the people of
the state, and the opinion among railway managers
seems generally to prevail that their will is the
supreme law. This is error which ought to be
rected
Railroads are public corporations, and as sucb are
authorized TO take private property on making Just
compensation, right which can only be given where
property is taken for public Use.
II then, railroads are public highways, the public
are entitled to the fullest benefits TO be derived
therefrom after allowing The stockholders reason
able dividend their capital invested and to secure
both parties in the full enjoyment of their Just
rights, the most adequate protection should be given
| do not regard the railway management Of this
state as less air liberal than that Of other states
Trains are run with regularity and safety, and the
travelling public has been well accommodated so far
as theiJ physical comfort and safety is concerned
Nevertheless, there are mpaints of unjust dis
cr1mlnatlon Ill particular localities, for which it is
claimed there no redress, and that rates of
transportation generally are unnecessarily high
pass no Judgment upon these complaints as [
have no epch personal knowledge as to enable me
TO do SO; but tins Interest Rts Bccuhc SO Important
and is vital to the prosperity Of the whole state
that ] recommend the organization of boatd OF
R4iroad Commissioners with power to inquire
into all complaints and abuses, and to exercise a
general supervision the operating of the sew
eral railroads within the state and to recommend
such iegslataii0n as itiay seem to them sSpedien,
and report annually to the Governor.
Fortunately, our constitution gives TO the Leg
isature absolute control over this whole question,
and hope that there will be hesitation in ap-
plying an adequate remedy to every Just cause of
complaint.
The practice of giving bonuses in aid of the con-
strictioti at tai'teayN, il not 70 he condemned
where the Cumiuuntics Confine themselves within
reasonable limits, and the bonus is not dispro-
has becn a degree of rccklessDess in this regard
that has brought great distress on many localities
After the explosion of the farm mortgage system,
which brought hundreds of farmers to bankruptcy
aud ruin, the next device was to induce the towns,
counties and ctiss To l6at ttsesr 5tedit III aid of
various railroads. Towns that the most profi-
ising of any in the state, in evil hour per-
suaded to loan their credit far beyond cir fair abi
ity the isructiOn of railways the eXpec-
tation that The benefits would Pad so LARGELY TO their
business and prosperity that they could easily pa}
Ipi1t tod for In ali
instance disappointment has been the result and
stead of the great advantages predicted, they find
themselves buried beneath almost hopeless debt,
and their prosperity greatly impaired destroyed
With the MANY examples of this kiud which the
state atfords-fitst, in ihe ruined farm mortgayors
and, next III the enlbatrassqd aud lTdsttate towns
be more cautious about involving themselves In
debt bcyoiid their reasonable abilityto to pay. But
such appears not to be the fact, and as near as
cyet III iis tbS paE war ii, $otips snth bntntiSs
The disposition 70 create debts for future genera
tious to pay, appears universal.
While there may be no great objection to any
community taxing itself each year to limited
amount III aid of such public improvements as the
majority may deem necessary for the public wei
fare-to saddle posteriy with heavy debts for
doubtful benefits can only result i'll repuiation and
disgract. As a.. temporary measqre of safety, |
recommend the passage Of a law prohibiting any
town, county or city from creating any debt IN aid
of any railroad public Improvement. in exec
of five per cent of the assessed value of the prop
erty of such town, county or city, and that
amendment tn the constitution to the same effect
be submit ted to the people at the earliest possible
moment.
ST. GROIN AND LAKE SUPERIOR AND GRANT.
The tenewai of the st. Croix and lake Superior
Land 3rant Is gteaty deeii ed by tie teGple Ill the
northwest part of the state. Having made their
settlements in the expectation that this road would
be built, and purchased their lands at double gov
ernment price, it is but just that the grant should
be renewed to the state; and to that end, it
is recommended that You ask Congress- to take such
action IS is due to The state and The people most
directly interested. The care of the lands within
the limits of this graDtwas intrusted by the Secre
tary of the Interior and my predecessor to General
Samuel Hartman, who authorized to act both
for the state and general government. His report
shows that there WAS in the State Treasury the
first dAS o. Ctc'tet, 1871, to the credit of the Ct
Croix and Lake Superior Railroad land Ire tass
Fund, balance Of S35 626, and that suits arc now
pending against responsible parties to recover about
$4,000 more ~...s ..--
aerJCutfUitt.
The reports of the county and state agriculture
societies afford evidences of growth and progres 81
in agriculture that are quite satisfactory.
The exhibitions at our late state and county fairs
were the best ever had in the state, and it gen.
orally observed that the farmers devoting more
attention to the growth aud breeding of stock and
less to the growth of grain, to be transported,
expense Of more than half its value, to distant
market for CONSUMPTION; and greatly to tie in1pov-
That they will md thelr advantage In iiloie di
versited industry, there cah be Io doribt. As agri
culture IS, and must continue to be for long TIME
if net always the leading interest of the state it will
no doubt receive your fostering care.
MANbtAcTURiNa.
While the interests of agriculture have been in the
main satisfactory for the past year, those of manu-
featuring have been progressive, but not all that
could be desired There is state in the Union
that can present great natural advantages for a
manufacturing state, as Wisconsin
Her raw materials of iron, copper and lead arc
found distributed over the state in exhaustIess
quantities from the shores of Lake Superior to our
southern border. OF building stone, we have every
variety of granite and of limestone, and the beat
iftl aud never ending tire-prOof brown frcestoitt
Of Lake SUPERIOR.
kaolii, or thG finest ottality of porcelain clay,
exists in immenst beds at afand Rapids, ON tic
Wisconsin river.
Our forests of pine hemIock, and all kinds OF
hard wood, are exceeded by those of Other
state.
For The growth of wool, our state has proved 10
be among the foremost, and the cotton of TeniIes-
see, Mississippi and Arkansas, can be laid down il
Wisconsin for much less cost for transportation
than in New England. Bounded on the north and
east by two of the greatest inland of the world
and on the west by the Father of Waters, connected
by water communication stretching one hall
OF our vast country, with water powers running Il
waste equal 10 moving every water-wheel in the
United States, the state is far behin(
many OF her sister states, Which
have no such natural advantages. An
Other year will see completed the government i'm
.provelucnt of the Mississippi at Rock Island anC
Des MONIES rapids This may he regarded as the
most valuable work ever undertaken by the gov
eminent. When completed, steamers of 500 ton
burden VIII he able TO navigate the Mississippi q
all seasons when not obstructed by ice and wheI
supplemented by the Fox and Wisconsin improve
neDt, cannot fail TO exercise wholesome intluenC
over the question of transportation. Then the ray
cotton may be brought TO us for less than one-hal
! of what 1t costs to transport 1t to Lowell Man
! chester, Fall River or Lewiston and when manu-
/ faCtured, the whole lake basin, and valley of tn
Mississippi offer uurlvaled advantages for market
! teacl1ed by cheap transpor taton.
with the best iron ore in the world, why shoul
nne-tentlS OF all the iron consumed in the state
/ brought from distant state or from Europe?
! Why send our wool to New England to be worke
into CLOTH and then buy it back greatly enhanced j
value? Why go to New England for manufaC
lures of cotton, when it is apparent that ca
! tabrlcate them with much advantage at home?
1t is apparent that for many years large portio
! OF the revenues to support the government mus
be raised from tariff duties. Common sense woul
seem to indicate that in raising revenue, dutie
should be so levied to best promote thos
branches of industry that can be prosecuted her
as well as in any other country but for the deare
capital and labor here and hope that your legis
4 lation will be directed to encourage th
growth of those branches of manufacturing indus
! try, to which the state is well adapted.
The existing tariff doubt requires revision
The duties on many articles unnecessarily higl
Raw materials should be admitted either free
! avery low rate of duty.
\ INDIANS.