The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1877-10-12

aouhf lint does il show thai Uslhgie uoii'
L. heen added to the aetnai "eatn u
,be country. or does II only sho" t",'
many millions Of dollars nave s'hP'
changed hands, Does II exhloit re"'
solid structnre of substantial prosperity
or merely gilded cloud, the pntriu eA,
Ealatiou of 4 rotten, reekIns system o.
6c.ncisI corruption. sureharged with tht
seeds of pestilenc. and death les.
know We have built more than forty StS
thousand miles of railroad, but kno"
moreover that il has cost the people OF TINS
country over three hundred thous"hl
squAre miles of the public domalh-tahu
eno-gh for an empire eight times - iarg'
the State of Kentucky | kmo" too
that 10 assist in the construction OF some
thousands OF those miles the government
of the United States loaned its credit Il
certnin corporations TO the extent Of
$64, 6I3 $40, but where it got the constI-
tutional auihoriiy TO DO 80, | confess do
nat know. l know however that the peo-
Tic OF :his country have already been
taxed to the amount of 81, Is ,31S to pay
fhe interest on that loan, which the cor
porations to whom the loan was made con
tracted 10 pay it as il accrued, but which
they have not done and never intend to
do. though know that two Of those cor
poTatious who pOcketed S33 II 49, OF
nett annual profit OF over - 900 u mile
on every mile they operate. This may
lock 10 others like prosperity, but to me
!, looks like pluniering the masses to
enrich the few.
les, We have built over forty-six thou
sand miles of railroad in the last four
teen years, but NC know that many thou
sands OF these miles have been built on
credit. Not only OF credit but on the
credit OF counties, cities, towns and pre-
ejners, large proportion Of whose
unwilling tax payers, have been coerced
under the forms of law to contribute of
their own private property 10 prosecute
projects in which they had no more real
interest than they could.have in Il silver
mine the tar side of he moon. This
may b. prosperity, but it seems TO me
like commnnciSm, aud cOmmunei-m Of
the most despicable character At that.
Not only robbery, but robbery committed
under the specious aud insulting pretext
that il Is all for the heuehi lof the help
less victim himself who is garoted aud
stripped of property. But this is not all,
nor The worst of it. The lines thus built
on credit have not only COST twice or three
times "a much as they ought TO have cost
and would have cost had they been built
by private enterprise with its own capt.
tai, and in response TO the natural de-
mands of commerce, but while adding
immensely TO the burdens OF focal taxa
lion, they have flooded the country with
county bonds, city bonds, and corporation
bonds amounting 10 thousands Of millions
Of dollars, which with our government
houds state bonds, aud other stocks all
bearing interest At from six 10 ten per
cent. per annum have tended to keep, aud
will keep the rate Of interest upon eircu-
listing capital ~ least three times high
a. the average rate of increase in the
permanent wealth of the country. And
besides the roads thus built must inevitsl-
bly, fall into the hands OF a few capital
i4ts and become tributary to some vast
overshatoving monopoly, while the orig
inal stock holders are left, TO use hoiHeIy
e press sian. with the bag TO hold
Yes, we nay re prosperous and our
railroad psnies NAV prove IT, | can
mention one of them now fhat may be
said 10 show that tact couclusiveiy. 1t
cont sells within tritiing fraction of : per
cent. Of abe whole number OF miles OF
railroad in the United STATES It's lines
extend through or into eleveW States of
this Union, commanding the connections
"f The Atlantic, the lakes, and the Missis-
sippi river. In the magnitude OF it,
financial operations, il i second in this
to the Federal government alone
various branches Is equal to ,be entire
foreign commerce of the Uni,ei States,
y Ct that company recently confessed it.
self unable 10 pay It's army Of laboring
men wages sufficient 10 keep themselves .
= nj their families from starving. aud re- 1
fused 20 do so until compelled 90 10 30 by .
The great strike
The country may h. prosperous and .
til extraordinary activity OF our railroad
a
may show it, yet the Indebtedness OF the +.
rail ro..ds themselves i estimated at over
s., :1nU. zoe 900. N an average interest of .
seven per ceut. per annum. II this he
irue the commerce which passes over
hem i subjected TO an annual tax of
: - 0u0.00U which Ike all other burdens
rests at last upon the shoulders OF Che
producing masses. - the question still
remains whether the wonderful increase
IL our railroad facilities il any indica-
lion of a genuine prosperity among che
seneI al mass OF our people, or only one
u the results of vast system OF plum
Ter designed 10 roh them Of their sub
stance TO swell the colossal fortunes OF a
avored class.
What effect railroad corporations are
ultimately to have upon the de$tinies Of
his country, may be matter of curious
ejaculation II Is certain that their ina
portance a. factors in our federal, State
) nd local politics. is constantly increas-
IER and the perplexing problem - con
.tantly forcing itself upon the thoughtful
statesman, wheiher il would be more dan
verous 10 our liberties for the government
% undertake to run The railroads or to
ia The railroads run the government.
Standing here however. upon the mar
yin of nxtures most majestic thorough
of W. fgh m
mind cannot diVest itself, and that Is,
hat this vast and wonderous valley, with
IS /. 200 GOO square miles of territory
,iretching from the Alleghanies TO the
Rocky Mountains, with its wide extended
,laits and fertile fields turning the in
ini;e riches Of their varied products,
With its mountains of silver oar, and eN-
laustIess beds of coal, with its own net
E9rk OF railways. and navagat lie streams,
with its millions of industrious aud en-
/ ghtened people and ali their illimitaote
of material wealth aud gran
lure. il veAr by year. aud day by day be
oming more and mere subsidiary TO the
,rowth aud power of the Eastern sea
,oard. where every pound of its exported
,roducts pays toll, aud every dollars
worth Of its imported merchandise leaves
Is profit: while ii cur government hai
xpended enc half the amount II has Law
shed upon a few corporations TO extend
through uubrokcu forests, aud
IeSert plains, aud bowling wilderness.
uli hriy gears before they ~ere demand
d bv che exigeucies of trade, in opening
he mouth, and deepening the channel OF
lac Mississippi the drst. class ocean
teamers might to-day he diseharging IT'S
.argo. and receiving its freight AZ your
: i,arf aud all the vast, aHd varied com
nerce Of this studenPendous empire oi
and wealth, Instead OF cropping
Trough tunnels, aud winding It's WAY
long mountain gorges 10 pay tribute 10
he distant cities OF the East, would he
weepinz over the bosom Of your maJes-
i. inland sea TO the markets OF the
world. Leaving entirely out of view the
Inference in the cost Of transportation
. bieh alone " ould amount to hundreds oil
rillious of dollars, let any man estimate
Z lie can. the immense advantages IN all
,ber respects saat would accrue to the
.reple Of this mighty valley within
,uarter of a century, or even single de-
AIDE. with it's ports along the banks OF
AZ Mississippi to its very center. aud
lTreet and uninterrupted trade with all
In. markets OF the earth, and ON the other
and the manifold disadvantages they
ans, encounter in having their commerce
x.aderiog hundreds OF miles IN search OF
IN outlet 10 the sea and then tell nae