Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1872-01-19
From Janesvills. Wisconsin.
JANRsvlLLE, Jan. Is, 1872

per Of the 9Th inst. that the good'I
people of Independence are getting
sikners to : petition for the repeal
81 the law that allows townships to|
assist railroad corporations that
will bring to their doors better IA
silitics for transportation.
So far as our township is con-
cerned, this seems to be ON the
principle Of blocking the stable
door after the horse is stolcn," as it
can hardly be expected to get legis-1
lation on that subject before the
question in which our farmers, and
the city ATE so much interested, in
relation to giving aid to secure the
Immediate extension Of the Ana.
mosa road to our place, is settled,
either affirmatively or otherwise.
The principle involved in that
law Is one which has been agi-
tated ever since the foundation of
our government, viz: Whether the
majority as represented ut the polls
were adequate to, md ought to
have the privilege Of determining
what are public improvements.
Time was, since my recollection,
when the right of the ballot was
very circumscribed compared with
the present, and every step in ex-'
tending it to the masses has been
opposed by the wealth of the coun-
try, and on the ground that the la
borcr without capital had not the
right, or was it equitable that he
should dictate in its distribution in
carrying forward public improve
ments. It was fortunate for the de-
velopment of the vast resources of
our Western country, that the gen.
eral government early established
the principle of extending pecuni-
airy aid to corporations which would
invest their own money III extend.
ing railroad facilities to the sparse
population of the Western States;
and none are under greater obliga-
tons than lows. Without it, it is
safe to say that even to this day
there would not have been single
line of railroad across our State,
and instead of an increase Of our
population from IS, 900 to 100000
in the last thirty-four years, our
growth in population and wealth
would have been dragging along at
q snail's pace. The principle in
volved is the same, whether our
general government shall appro-
pirate its resources to aid corpora
tions in carrying forward great
pubic enterprises, or whether our
State shall, by its statute law, au-
thorize counties or townships to do
the same thing when a majority of
their legal voters think it for their
interest. A majority of our citizens
have already said that the interests
o: our city will be advanced by the
building of the B. & M. road, and
the more I see of what Wisconsin
is doing in extending facilities of
transportation and, particularly,
what is being done to open water
communication between the Missis.
sippi, at McGregor, and the Lakes,
by way of the Wisconsin and Fox
rivers, I am satisfied that that road
is to be of the greatest Importance
to our city. There are but few, I
suppose, but what believe that the
road now projected up the Wapsi-
pinicon, from Anamosa, giving us
another direct competitive route to
Chicago, at the east, and a direct
connection with St. Paul and the
Northern Pacific road, at the north,
is of equal Importance.
The question Of many seems to
be: Will it not come to us without
our aid? Now, admitting that at
some distant future (which is a
matter of great uncertainty it may
be extended through our city, which
is the best for us, to give its stock
holders the small bonus they ask,
and thus secure its immediate ben
efts in increasing the growth of our
city, or wait until the transporta-
ton along its route will warrant
good dividends to its owners?
One word iu relation.to the equity
Of extending public aid to corporate
enterprises. Now, I do not suppose
there has been a railroad built in
Iowa that for the first ten years of
its existence paid its owners five
per cent. on its cost No one can
anticipate that the road now pro-
.ected through our place will for
many years pay any dividends, and
in my view, the question is, wheth-
er we viii, by small amount of To-
cal aid, have their immediate bene-
fit, or wait until the local business
along the route will induce capital
lists to build them, and meanwhile
run the risk of their sliding by us
from inducements which other towns
may offer. G. d. /
STATE Agricultural Society.
A. Al -. oo%s.,~ rF tl,o Otatn