The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1873-05-08
Objections to County Subserip-
lions for Railroads An
svvarah

Objections to County Subserip-
lions for Railroads An
swered.
We find In the Greenevllle Falcon
complete and convincing answer to ma
ny objections which are often urged
against county subscriptions to rail-
roads, and with pleas ire transfer it to
our columns:
OBJECTION lsT.-We live on other
roads and do not need these roads.
ANswER.-This is n mistake; these
new roads win benefit you by reducing
the freights on your roads to an extent
greater than the amount you Will have
20 pay on the subscription. Compcti-
ton reduces freights. In the northern.
States, where they have twice as many
roads as we have, freigllts and passenger
charges are not more than twO-thirls
what they are on our roads. The roads
on which you live, and whose benefits
you now enjoy, We're built by State aid
for which ala the people In your county
are bound. Are You now unwilling TO
give county aid to those who give State
aid to your
OBJECTION 2ND.-RnilToads do not
pay, and stock In them Is worthless.
ANSWER We have shown above that
If the railroads should declare no divi-
dends now the county would be benefit
ted, but IL Is not true that railroads new
or pay dividends and that the stock I'm
them Is worthless. The railroads la
Georgia before the war and even now
pay handsome per cent Stock In
them Is above par. Railroads la Ten
nessee before the war did pay, the Mem
phis and Charleston as much as twelve
per cent. The reason why Tennessee
roads have not paid was that they were
built mostly on credit; the people neUer
took much stock individually, and as
the war came on and destroyed the
roads, the stock was deprecated in val
ue aud the debts increased. Even now
the stock In many OF our railroads Is
worth nearly fifty per cent. Can this
be said of much of the property VIC
owned before the war? These new
roads will be built much more chcaply
than the others were, and as we hope
there Will be no war to Interfere with
them, they must and will pay hand
sOmely as Investments. Those who say
that railroads do not pay seem to forget
that we have had a war which destroyed
$4,000, 600 worth of property In tayette
county alone. Many of the men who
make this objection never had any
stock I'm railroads and never did any
thing towards building them.
OBJECTION 3D.--lt is unjust to build
railroads by county subscription, be-
cause you tax men against their viii.
Let those who want railroads build
them.
ANswER.-This objection II valid
would destroy all government. IL IL is
unjust to build railroads by county sub
zcription IL Is unjust to build bridges
and make common roads by county
IL. Ii If rNtfa 81
not use or need them. What right has
the County Court, 10 might be asked, TO !
enforce u tax on the people ". the
northern part of the county to build
bridge across Wolf River that they new
cr cross and do not need Why should
4 man who has no wagon work ou n
road for the benefit of men who own
wagons and teams Such arguments
~ these are unteuable, but they are
equally as much so rs the argument
against county subscriptions to rail-
roads. These enterprises are for the
general good OF the cOuuty,and cannot
bc built R0o without county aid. They
are "A necessity, and therefore county
subscription i justiiiablc. They Will
y,ay, and therefore a county Sttbscrtp-
zion Is wise. They viii benefit all, and
therefore a county subscription Is just.
OBJECTION IrH.-AIen who own no
property should not vote taxes on men
of property.
lie root OF republican government. III
81 poor man should vote no tax for rail-
roads, why should he vote tor Justices
of the Peace, who impose all county
taxes? or why should he vote for lpenl-
bSrs of the Legislature, who impose all
state taxes? If a mans right TO vote
in such matters is 20 depend on his
property, then the man who owns SlO,-
700 worth of propcrtys according 60 this
argument, should vote ten times rs
,rtsuch as the one who owns; only 81 ,O0O
worth OF property. This objection Is
dangerous and uutenable. The men Of
hat little property are often more wise
and more public spirited, and TO more
u Improve a country, than narrow
minded, ciose-tsted men who own a
large amount CT property. Liberal
men Of wealth. never make any such OBJ
iections as these, and all the small
minded aud narrow-hearted should not
control the country and prevent It's Inn
provement. A county subscription re-
quires every man to pay according TO
his ability and TO the amount OF benefits /
lac may derive. Under any other sys-
tenn some do all the paying whilst those |
who pay nothing get an equal portion |
OF the benefits. Tliis Is unjust and tun-
fair, If it WIZ not pay us 10 build these |
railroads how can we ask those who own |
no land and no property In our county |
TO build them. If IL Will pay them 10 |
build these roads it viii pay us still |
more. Shall we give way to prejudice |
aud permit our county to get behind all 1
the other counties, or shall we be gov 1
erncd by reason and sound Judgment /
aud vote for the subscription IN order /
10 secure these important roadsg
OiJEcrIoN 0rH.-It will increase the /
rent Of land, and therefore poor men /
should vote against IL.
ANswER.-Ihis wilt not necessarily |
be the ease, hut II Il should increase the I
rent Of the land To the amount of the 4
tax, that would be only few cents an 4
acre, and the reduced cost Of carrying 1
what he makes 70 market would be Ave |
times this amount. Again, what Ne |
makes and cann0t now sell Tor want of
a railroad would De ten times rs much
as would be his increts rent, which
in All probability would be nothing.
she increased beno It's % the renter
would be at L. ~ five tsnes rs great As