Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1881-01-22
MORE RAILROAD TALK
A Reply to n Railroad View Direc
From Headquarters at CassOn.

A Reply to a Railroad View Direct
From Headquarters at CaasOn.
EDITOR SENTINEL: The article in your
issue of yesterday, signed Fair Play"
without doubt came from Carson. If a
person were asked to guess who wrote that
communication the reply would be about
this: Fair Play was written by a combi-
nation of talent, George W. Baker, the
lawyer lobbyist, furnishing the spelling
and W. W. Hobart, the Senator, the fig
ures and the last expression about 'nutri-
ment.'" This is merely a guess. How
ever, the arguments contained therein are
| fair enough, and state the case of a rail-
road subsidy or loan in the most plausible
manner.
There is no one opposed to a railroad
| running from Eureka to the Colorado
| River; on the other hand, all good citizens
| are in favor of such q road, and woutd give
such an enterprise a willing and grateful
support. The objections raised to the
| present scheme are to the methods, not to
the undertaking. The opposition is to the
subsidies or loans, and not to the measure.
1t is said that a road running from Eureka,
through White Pine County by way OF
Hercules Gap, and thence on through Lin
coin County to connect with Utah and New
Mexico, would be a profitable investment.
Perhaps it would. But it is rather diff
| cult to see how much benefit such a road
would be to Hamilton, Ward and Cherry
Greek, the present towns in White Pine
County, and which places, together with
the ranches, would be compelled to bear
the burden of taxation for a few years at
least. There Is no doubt but that q rail
road when finished increases taxable prop
| erty of a State, and so do mills, furnaces,
theaters and developed mineral property,
but under what system OF morals or justice
can you give county aid for one enterprise
and withhold it from the other? The ar
guments in favor of subsidies and loans
from municipal bodies are all old and
somewhat plausible. These arguments
have been used time and again during these
many years throughout the United States,
while towns, cities and counties have only
learned their fallacy when large debts have
been incurred. Is Eureka to have the
same experience? 1t is to be hoped not.
1t is said that some cities and States have
made good investments in railroads. How
many?
They are so few that they can hardly make
an exception to the general rule. 1t is also
asserted that if the counties bordering on
the Virginia 4 Truckee Railroad had taken
stock instead OF giving q subsidy, divi-
dends would now be paid where taxes are
levied for interest. Does anybody believe
this Is any one SO foolish as to think
that William Sharon and his assoc ates
would ever have declared q dividend with
the counties as partners. First mortgage
bonds would have eaten up all the stock
long before there was a chance for a diyi-
dend.
The State OF Illinois is cited as an exam
pie by those who favor q loan. Unfortu.
nately they fail to state the facts. That
State never gave a cent in the shape Of
either money or bonds to the Illinois Cen
trail Railroad. The facts are simply these
The Illinois Central Railroad had a larg,
land grant from Congress. Stephen A
Douglass, then Senator, had inserted il
the law a proviso which compelled the road
after a certain time to pay the State a per
centage of the gross proceeds OF the road
The land sold for a large sum, and 1t 81
happens that in this one case the State
which gave nothing, received a benef
from a railroad corporation. People VIII,
want subsidies are continually quotinI
Illinois. when it is we'll known that this /
about the only instance on record wher
the people got the best OF a railroad.
As to paying dividends on stock belong
ing to counties, the idea is not only ali
surd--it is grotesque; and the soleml
manner in which it is stated in the Perle
bill into what particular funds dividend
shall be paid is just the best kind Of bul
lesque.
The writers Of Fair Play complain tina
"thoughtless persons call the railroa
scheme a s'grab" and a fraud" Stron
terms are now and then needed. Wha
good, indeed, can be said Of a measur
} conceived in the dark in Eureka an
( brought forth in the Senate at Carson
I What persons in these three counties eve
petitioned for such a bill as this Was
, ever discussed openly in Eureka9 Di
. Senator Hobart ever print in his paper a
, intimation that such an enterprise woul
be presented to the present Legislature
Was it ever mentioned during the canvas
last fall 1t was not. No member froi
Eureka would ever dare to run on such a
issue. The Perley bill may pass into
8 law, but after it stalks Time, the Avengel
which makes all things even.
. ~ANTI-SUHIspy.