The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-01-20
How the West Was Made to Teem
 With Happy People

How the West Was Made to reem
 With Happy People
 l.euissille Courlet Journal
 The south needs more railroads. more capital. more laborers. The gro~th oi the western states Is one of the marscls oi history. and yet the same strange story of material development, may be repeated m the south If we ASt wisely and invite, sasiead at IsnsL ,hs an..adusnon :: men and money.
 The west secured immigration hfst by it's cheap lands, and mex, by It's tree ln- -stltuuons. Inc immigrant, American or tore,ga, coming from New England. cf from Ireland and Germany. avoided the south, be- Ause the ( slavery existed. and the dignity of labor was mol recosnIfed. They vent west. and the railroads iol- lowed them and went before them and surrounded them. The ~oik done by the rAiio4d oompanics m the vest cannot be estlmA,ed. Without the roads the fertile soil of those states and the appiic Auon and industry of the inhabitants would have Avalled httie. Great gram crops would have served only ior fuel, being e,ond the reach ot consumption. Bu, the rail znnihiiAted distance. Within the past few years the wheat crop has iu- cieAsed,nearly loo per cent. and il hnds Al open market abroad. bringing money to the farmer, multiplying hIs comforts. increasing the value of his lands. and making hun zn independent man in the midst ot the blessings of et,llizA,ion. which otherwise could have been ob- tanned only within day : Journcy.oi New York or Boston.
 This improvement, may be repeated m the south. but nu, fl. by unwisc lcglsla- ton or by unneo essary restfleuons. VIC dcpfco ate the value oi raileay properties no; II We try to take the management oi these oompanles from the hands ot theu owners and gitc Il over to poiisicIans Inri ambliiou, demasogucs. We shuaid not create any tcc.Ins ui unc cftaInty cone efn- .ng tAe value oi the utic to faIlroad. In the south We arc just beginning 10 feel the bcneile ent infaene e of the cKtension of our railroad systems. AgnCulturai -iInts are ncruurng ,E,ot- valuable ,-,isas- Der lands arc brought w.thin the range oi commerce minei al lands, winch have oeen oi no value, arc attracting the atten- iion of capitalists, and adding largely to the wealth of the community. lhls good work sc wish to go on ever incfeasins Tn force and volume. We need more railroads not iescr VIC wIsh them to do more business. to cary more passengers. io increase and lenaincn their ire5sht traIns. in other words, we want tIec trade m railroads as far as thls h eonsist- en, wi,h the weii-being of socie,y.
 Over 10000 mics oi toad are m operation m tins county. lhs growth Is due ,o the lct alone policy, al.osins men to manage thch own prop cry. i,, magnitude b n .tseii an afgu- men, asainst government control. It h no, to Oc denied that there arc cvfis ees.- nec,ed with this wonderful. growth. some oi winch might bc diminished, and ought .p oe, by general tass l here are many pcrniclous practices which should be pun Ishcd. many stock-lobbing eutcrprgsrs winch should be made penal otienses, bat ]; ,s Idle 10 suppose that the opera ton of roads, the regulation of rates and the Inn ta,ion of competition can be un- dcrtaken by legislatures without causing great inJury to every class of society. By such efforts two serious dangers arc IT, cured FIrst, such en4etmeBts enlarge govern ental po~crs. increase the per sonAl and political influences of leglslA- lures, governors, etc, centTaliEe power about the state capitals, eliminate the re- sirainlng power of Competition and give 10 commissions an influence over com merce, over individual afairs, over pr- vste as well as corporate property, which will change the character Of our govern ment, lead to despotic Acts, and ultimate ly to the most serious discontent The second danger lies in the thorough dis organization of the railroad system. A soon as i, is definitely understood that legislatures will no longer respect the right of property when connected with Railroads, the extenson of the lines wlll cease, capital will go elsewhere, nes portions of the country will ask is Aid in vAin, and the state, in order To supply the required COR venicnees, ~Il resort 10 taxation. No, only wilI the evil be felt here. i; elil Dc Inanifes, in the decay of the c,as;sag Ines, n the lessening of fAcIii,les for iht ffAAs- actIsn of business, n very gen. a Gtssa A. isfaciion 1iih rates which -lI be faea, not with any..regard to natural assantAses or the requirements of the ia~ com petition. oa, oy poiiacs, .a.suenl.. Si,2- cal favors will be given n exchange for votes, or for instructions from pr'narcs. or for political support Of every charzc;er. The tendency toward corruption, greatly accelerated by the war and the multiph- cation of offices which Ii entziled, IS now a source of alarm to all thinking men. 1, :. Bossism," the most obnoxious form Of . tyranny, has by it's excesses aroused the people 10 serious revolt. bat bossisr.