Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-04-17
WILL CENTER anANaE AUswER.
EDDYyILLE, IowA,l
April 18th, 1873. 1
Eos. COURIER:

inst, among other things, resolution
passed by Center Grange, censuring
the Hon. Joseph H. Merrill for voting
against the Railroad Tariff Bill, while
the vote and services Of the Hon. Jno.
II. Carver are very highly eulogised, -
thus demonstrating that the latter gen.
tleman was the especial advocate and
defenders Of the interests Of the people
Of Wapello county,-while, at the same
time, the services of the Hon. s. T.
Caldwell are wholly ignored, or silent
ly condemned.
! have few questions to PROFOUND
to Center Grange:
Will Center Grange inform the pe0-
pie Of Wapcllo county wherein the
Honorable j. III. Carver gave such nm.
mistakable evidence of his watchfulness
over and disintercsted interest in the
cause of the people in contradistinction
to those of Mr.. Caldwell's? I take it for
granted that Center Grange speaks
from the record, or, from information
derived from one who was we'll in
formed as to the record!
Now, will Center Grange please in.
form us whether it was Mr.. Carver or
Mr.. Caldwell who, at the opening of
the session Of the Fourteenth General
Assembly Of Iowa, introduced rcso-
luton (Which was adopted after spir-
tied contesD abolishing the practice Of
preceding legislatures Of squander-
ing $50, e0Oper session in subscriptions
to newspapers; and which led to the
extinguishment of another abuse in the
way Of the publication of the laws in
the newspapers, by which the snug
sum of $75, 600 per session was saved !?
And, for which impertinence, Mr.,
Caldwell, the Honorable j. "A.
Kasson and Ed. Campbell were sound
ly berated throughout the State by the
almost unanimous press, (save and ex-
cept only our own papers) the CoUR.
Ter and Democrat.
Will Center Grange inform the peo-
pie whether It was Mr.. Carver or Mr..
Caldwell who introduced House bill
No. l56-a bill for an act to establish
reasonable maximimum rates of charges
for the transportation of freight on The
different railroads in the State? BY
reference to House Journal, page 2O2,
they will find the answer, and If thew
are not advised as to the history Of
this matter, they can be by referring
to the Journal, in which they will find
that this bill No. l56 was one Of the
t,co maximum tariff bills introduced in
the Fourteenth General Assembly: the
other House file No. l2-introduced
by Mr.. O'DonAell; aud that the latter
was adopted by the Committee on rail-
roads by close vote in Difference to
No. I56-the C0ld.ceN biz, recommend
ed to and passed the House and was
defeated in the Senate, or, in other
words, was so amended in the Senate
as to insure its defeat in the House,
This House file No. II was reported
pfrom the Railroad Committee by it,
chairman, Mr.. Caldwell, who labored
for, spoke for and VOTED for its pas
sage. See House journal, on pas
sage Of the Bill, pages 429 and 457.1
Will Center Grange tell the people
of Wapello county that, at the ad.
journed session OF the Fourteenth Gen
eral Assembly, MFR. Caldwell voted for
the ODonnell bill, pure, in contradis-
tiDction to the Keables untt-discyimi.
nation billf Did Mr.. Carver do az
much
VIII Center Grange inform the POO.
pie whether it was Mr.. Carver or Mr..
Caldwell who introduced House file
No. 276-a bill for an act to repeal
chapter l06, acts of Thirteenth Gener-
al Assembly-in relation to taxation
of Railroad property-the repeal OF
which would have placed railroad
property in the same condition and
subject to be assessed by our township
and city assessors, aud liable for the
same levy, as individual property p
tSee House Journal, page 3O8, for an
swer.]
Will Center Grange tell us whether
the Introduction of House file No. gig
had not the effect to bring about the
introduction of House file No. DTS
Bill for an act to TAG Railroads.
| See House Journal, page BIOL Bill
introduced by Mr.. Duncombe, fol
which bill a substitute was prepared
by the Railroad Committee, reported
to and passed tho House by q very
large majOrity-and which is now
the Railroad Tax law. This law gives
to the people OF Wapello county an ad.
dition ofabout 100000 tax valuation
upon which is realized from $1,000 tl
5000 additional revenue above the
old law, and for which c0nsummstior
Mr.. Caldwell gave his best efforts, moi
only i'll the Committee room but in thu
House also, where 1t was considered
for four consecutive days.
Will Center Grange tell US whether
Mr.. Carver stood by this bill as re.
ported by the committee and passed
the House, or, whether he supported
Mr.. ODonnell's amendment, see jour.
nal, page 1901, which provided for OK,
Guiding all property which was with
out the right of way from said valua
ton, thereby giving to the great rail
road centres and river towns the OK.
elusive right 10 assess and tax all tlls
round -houses. machine-shops, and, in,
deed, all other property which enterl
l MeO lhc uuity OpcraLlOH Oh Ln(
roads and which is not included
within the right Of way, to thos.
points above named, thereby depri wins
the rural districts from their Just pro
portion of said property tax, depriv
ing those sections through which th,
road runs, and from which the road,
receive their principal support, frou
their just and equitable division of th,
valuation of the road as an entirety
leaving to the rural districts nlerei,
the road-bed. Are the tax payers il
those sections through which the road,
run, ready to yield about onc-fourtl
or One-thlrd Of the total valuation o.
railroads to those exclusive points
or arc they in favor Of thelaw as ituow
exists, giving to them an equal shar,
of the road as whole, in proportion
to the number of miles of road within
their respective townshipsY Ii the,
are in favor of the latter proposition
they agree with Mr.. Caldwell; if II
favor Of the former, then Mr.. Carver
reflected their wishes in opposition L
MI. Caldwell.