The Idaho world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1864-1918, 1873-03-27
IruE STATESMAN A BAR TO fV14s -
$500 pROVEMENT.

- xuo,,n.-One of those peculiarly mean
;,,,rhles Of words that tho BOISE Ci')
Statesman digni6es as editorials appea, :.
S On ;.sne Of last week. which indica1es 'n"
tha genios who presides over the oo'umns .
th.t n,n.r is still suffering the most excru
ciatiug agony in consequence OF his cnrou =.
fears that railroad will sometime % ou'' ."' !;
Id,ho Territory. Prompted by kindly 'ee'
inc tor the good old man, and profound STATES
man. am constrained to beg space 10 tue COZ
.n,ns of the WORLD to reassure him. Inere
Is not the slightest occasion to be alarmed aoo''
t.o matter There will never be a railroad u
Idaho until such Rip Van Wrinkles as no y
rive place to live men, Who are capao'e u
praspiur the mighty and progressive 'd'a'
which. in the last fifty years, have made ou'
country the marvel OF growth progress 'n =,
movement and wealth it now is. and VINO wiz
t,ke hold of the work of building up an empire
!, the west. such as destiny has already de-
creed shall be- built, with hands that do mol
tremble and wills that cannot fail. Inc "r''c'
Of this was in Illinois when every such OLD los
all as the editor of tho Statesman was consii''
ua,ly deploring the bankrupt condition to whicu
they conceived that State had been reduced oy
what they termed the ruinoas policy OF lending
State aid to internal Improvements But those
who we're engaged in the work OF railroad
building kept right on. never needing the Ia
mentatons of their ruined and heart-brokcn
neighbours and the unparalleled prosperity ana
growth of that queen of all the States furnish
all tho yindcation needed Of the far-seeing Wis
dom of the policy of pushing forward public
improvements, no matter what obstacles bcset:
no matter what difficulties have 10 be surinouns-
ed, or wlixi reasonable aud Legitimate Liabilities
incurred.
While il must be- admitted that economy.
and not extravaganza. of expenditure should
be- the rule, which should be- strictly observed
in all instances on Oh. ether hand. il cannot
be denied that railroads have become absolute
" indispensable To the development, of a coun-
,ry. and wise people will no. ia,l 10 give ever,
aud necessary aid for securing
such roads q, the earliest pcssihle moment. Nor
is j, true that 10 have granted the requested
aid 10 the Portland. Dailcs & Sal. Lake Rail
road. would necessarily have Increased our
taxes We would. when that road Was CON-
ple,cd. have had 10 the ncishborhood of 400
miles oi road In the Territory. which. valued
n. So ,00o dollars per mile. the figure a. which
railroads are assessed in Nevada. would. 10 say
nothing Of Oh. rolling stock aud dcpo, build.
ings, add s.. a00. 600 TO the asscssable property
Of the Territory. This sum. reckoning the
rate Of taxation at 275. which is abou: wha,
would be the average rate, would Leave us a
ne, profit, each year. after paying The amount.
ire tho road. Of $751; In addition TO this
sum. there would also be an amoan. ot proper.
~ brought into the Territory by immigrants
Who now go elsewhere because of the expense
and Inconvenience of coming here. which. a.
low estimate. would. in Eve years. equal in
value the prcseus asscssable property of the
Territory. All of these facts we ought duly
to consider before refusing TO do anything. or
give anything. to assist in the building of a
railroad.
agree fully with the Statesman tina, the law
csempsing railroad property from ,axa,ion ia
a bad one and should be repealed /, is bad
law which cxempts any species of property
from taxation; and he ia n bad citizen who
will live under a government and enjoy i,s
benefits aud receive its protection aud yet,
having property. not pay taxes. But the prin.
ciple. bad as it is. has been permanently fixed
upon the financial policy of our government BY
The Republican party, and our last Legislature
'nly followed its blghting and per6dious exam.
pie when it exempted, or attempted to exempt.
in Idaho from taxation.
But Is the statesman sincere in its opposi.
ION to granting subsidies to railroad com.
'anies! If l remember Alright, while il on.
POSED aiding Col. Chapman's road last Winter.
favored giving assistance to purely inapin.
Try company to build road from Winnemucc,
o Boise City, n road, to build which. womb
'ost twice as much per mile, owing to the
mountainous nature Of the country over which
would have to pass, as would build the p
}. and s. L. road; and when the Winnemucca
Dad wns built--if it should ever be built-;t
would start in desert, and traverse desert
Until it reached Snake river, and when com.
eted would be, practically, about N useful to
ne Territory as an mir line to the moon.
IDAHO Cry, March "a, 1873 IT'S.