The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-03-29
The Midland Railroad.

hndS tauit with what we have SAID
about the bonuses to the above
named railroad company, and claims
that it is conceded that towns, coun-
ties and States have "a right to aid
everything that is public benefit.
If that were true, bonuses could be
voted to aid in building mills, black
smith shops, stores, ETC., for it may
often happen that the establishment
of any Of these is a public bene-
fit" He is right in saying that we
would not oppose taxes for schools,
roads and BRIDGES" but these are
public institutions. Railroads, like
factories, etc., are private enter
prises; and it is not right to tax a
community for aid to establish them,
because to do so is to take the prop
erty of one citizen and give it to an
other.
AS for the assertion that we would
favor the bonus, if the road ter1ni-
mated at Red Wing, "Cue" puts his
statement against the record Of our
life since 1851. We have always
opposed giving bonuses Of either
private or public propertyto railroad
companies. We should like to see
a road built extending from this city
southwardly, but should oppose CIV
ing any bonus to aid its construction.
Whatever aid is extended by CON-
nunities along the routes of rail-
roads ought to be in the shape Of
stock, thus emitting those who give
it to share of the ownership in, man.
agement of and profits arising from
the road. "Cue" will find that it is
generally the case that the bonuses
asked for about pay for the construc-
ton and equipment of the roads. II.
then, the public build the roads, is
it not fair to demand that the pub
lie shall own and control them?
As for the assertion that the Up.
per Minnesota valley is dependent
upon this line of road for an outlet,
it is obviously false. That region
has the Winona and St. Peter, St.
Paul and Sioux City, and the Man.
kato and Iowa lines. All good
standard-gauge roads. And, as for
the alleged probability that the West
Wisconsin will extend its road to
Wabasha, it is nonsense to enter
tain it. The Midland is to be
narrow-guage road, and whatever
freight it carries will have to be re-
shipped before it reaches market. 1t
will be as convenient to do this at
Wabasha as anywhere else, and there
is where it will be transferred to the
Chicago and St. Paul road. The
West Wisconsin company could not
afford to build even thirty!fve miles
Of road and bridge the Mississippi,
in order to compete for this freight,
and there will be no other induce
nnfnt to offer.
a standard-guage road, connect
ing the lake Superior system of roads
with the through trunk lines running
east and west, and with those COM
:n'unicating with the Gulf system, is
"a necessity Of the early future, and
one Of the most available routes
for this is from St. Paul ria Roches-
ter, etc., to Davenport, Iowa. We
have advocated the building of that
road for several years, and endeav-
ored to interest in It's behalf the
Northern Pacific, St. Paul and Pa
cihc, Mississippi and Lake Superior,
Pennsylvania Central and Illinois
Central companies, and have but
little doubt that such road will be
built as soon as our currency troub-
les are definitely settled; but we
are not in favor of giving it bonuses.
The proposed Midland road will
be advantageous to the country