The Lincoln County herald., 1872-03-21
6PEECH or HON. T. g. HUTf
N OPPOSITION 70 PEE
sleeper Railroad BILL"


sleeper Railroad BILL"
During the discussion on % act entitled
ian oct TO facilitate the construction OF
railroads in Missouri, better known %
the elS, 600, 900 railroad bill, Mr.. T. G..
HUT OF Lincoln county said:
Mr.. SPEAKER: The subject under
consideration has aroused 10 my mind
more serious thoughts than any that has
been presented for our consideration
during either the regular or adjourned
session Of the Twenty sixth general as
sembly. It Is one that looks not only to
piling up our already heavy state debt,
and adording the harpies of contracts,
job: and swindling, such golden oppor
tunity a. they seldom look on, but it
strikes at the very vitals of our organic
law. 1t is proposed, sir, to give to each
ten miles Of completed railroad $500
per mile, until the enormous sum of
eighteen millions Of the peoples money
has been, in this manner, exhausted.
Now, sir, where is that money to come
from? II is not IN our treasury. That
is empty, and wo are already indebted
beyond that, in a sum equal to that
sought to be raised for the purposes of
this bill. Then We must issue our bonds
and put them on the market to raise the
amount. Remember, Mr.. Speaker, you
cannot give these bonds into the hands
Of the railroad mpanies-that would be
too plain violation Of the constitution
for even the most devoted friends of the
measure to psrpetrats. To hide the shall
low deception, the circuml ocution Office
must be resorted to; the bonds sold by
the proper officer Of the state, the funds
arising from tho sale put into the treas.
ury, and then paid out to the several
railroad companies. # the giving the
bonds directly to the railroads violates
The constitution, does not the mode
proposed as effsotually do the same thing
lndireotly2
Is not one as palpable q violation of
the constitution as the other? To my
mind it admits Of no doubt, nor do
believe the honest yeomanry of the
country, those who have to pay the taxes
by sturdy toll aud hard labor, will be
able to look upon 1t in any other light,
despite the casuistry of the railroad
peculators, their aiders and abcttors.
am no lawyer and do not pretend to make
a legal argument in this case. I prefer
to leave that branch of tho subject for
abler and wiser members than myself to
discuss. The friends Of this measure
paint in glowing colors and gilded words
the magnificent strides to wealth and
prosperity which are to follow the pas
sage of this law. They point with pride
and enthusiasm to the rapid advance 10
wealth and material development which
Missouri has mad since the advent of
railroads, clamoring, as many Of them do,
that this is in largo part if not wholly
due to the roads now in active operation
in our state. Let US examine this sub
jeot little.
About the year 1913 or 8, many acres
Of land in the county which l have the
honor to represent, wero entered 10 the
land Offices then at Palmyra and St.
Louis, for the sum of one dollar and
twenty five cents per acre. and before a
single mile of road had been built north
Of the Missouri river great deal of that
same land could not have been purchased
for less than ten dollars per acre.
Did the same result follow2 Was that
the result after the completion Of the N.
M. railroad which runs within . fcw
miles Of my country line? Certainly
not. The prices Of those lands rose .
litsle in value prior to the .'late unpleas
autness." While the war was ragiug
everything was sta9nant 10 the way Of
buying and selling real estate. Property
Of oil other descriptions took au unpre
cedented rise. Not owing to the advan.
tagss Of railroads however, for they we're
generally bristling with bayoneta, and
many Of those living adjacent thereto
were compelled to leave their homes and
seek safe retreat in more sequestered
quarters. But, sir, after the war closed
the unprecedented increase of the circu.
latiug medium in the shape Of green backs
and national currency gave new impetus
to the purchase Of real estate. The
oxorbitant prices the farmers had been
and we're receiving for their live stock,
tobacco and grain, produced q plethoric
condition Of their pockets, filed almost
to ovsraowing with grsenbacks. What
will We do with it2 was the question.
A very grave doubt seized the public
mind as to the ability Of the general
government to pay it's debt. The most
natural aad ready way to dissolve the
doubt was to invest iu real estate. Prices
rose rapidly, and sales were easily made.
The price had only to be named and the
bargain Was made. Another cause added
no little to the ouhsnood value Of and
lively transactions in land. Many immi
grants from the old states as we'll % from
Europe, some having been de. erred from
coming hithsr 10 consequences Of the Ok.
istancs Of slavery, TO which they had an
aversion, and othsrs leaving their homes
10 the Southern and Middle states, ba-
,ause Of the dssolation Of the war,
doeksd hithsr and sought home in our