The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-03-14

4 y. NJ
candidate FOR the Legislature in the Mont
pome-y district. Capt b. has scheme
| for building, with State aid, railroad
from Mt Sterling 10 some central point in
the Eastern Kentucky coal deid. lie
thinks this 1.-The greatest work to be &C
complished by the State. II Covington
Comm on " ealth.
If there ever was proposition
dead, dead, dead, it is the PROPOSE
ton of Estate add in Kentucky.
The very counties along the Ken
lucky river, the Improvement of
which by the State is SO DANGEROUSLY
and persistently sought, can not be
voted in the Legislature, or at the
polls, in favor Of an appropriation,
much less any considerable number
of counties that are not directly to
be benefited by such appropria
tions. This has been repeatedly
proven.
There is but one kind of estate
aid" which can ever be engineered,
and that is a sweeping bill that will
directly appropriate to a large ma
jority of the counties for local i'm
provements or, that is to say, q
bill that will bribe a majority of
members by the temptation of local
aid to their respective counties.
This would take millions, and its
magnitude would defeat it, and the
State Constitution forbids it. Hence,
we say, the proposition is dead.
The talk of it now is only the ghost
of its former proportions, and is
only invoked to help in the elections
of certain candidates.
In some few counties the candi-
date jumps it as hobby, and draws
delusive pictures of the "appropria-
ton" he is to obtain from the State
20 improve some creek. or railroad,
etc. In fact the candidate, unless
he is the veriest idiot or visionist,
knows that the appropriation" will
not be made.
In our section, and Other sections,
the candidates sometimes rear and
snort about the "millions" that are
to be snatchcd from the public trea-
sury for this creek and that branch,
and that he, through his tremen-
dous influence did-or will, if elect
ed-stop the grand swindle by
throwing his giantabilities and great
patriotism before the internal inn
provement carl
This, for the most part, is idle
talk. In 1868, when Gen. Preston
headed the movement in Central
Kentucky, aided by such talent as
/ Col. Noble in this end of the State,
the question was a formidable one
but it has been defeated 50 often
and so overwhelmingly, that it is
now "too dead to skim"
The Constitution of the State,
with all its cumbrous defects, in this
regard, stands an an impossible
barrier to any great expenditures
in this line.
Ii, during the years when Gen.
Preston headed the movement
when speculation and adventure in
such works ran wild over all the
country; when nearly every State
in the Union was voting mi lions
and millions for such purposes the
movement then was 50 overwhelm-
ingly defeated, what prospect j.
there, now, for it to be adopted :
Now we have the experience, that
the enterprise of those States which
tempted US then are reaping the
bitter fruits Of bankruptcy, repudia-
ton, heavy taxes, wrecked roads,
and every financial calamity which
could curse good people.
There is nothing in the compari-
son, or the illustrations of the poll
cy, to tempt us to re-vitalize the old
corpse of Estate aid" When YOU
hear candidate prating about it,
set it down that he has either hum
plugged himself or is trying to hum
bug you.