The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1907-09-26
AGAINST, THE SUBSIDY TAX
Hon. Daniel Mcdonald Gives His
Views on the Subsidy Tax.


You ask me to give you my opin-
ion in regard to the proposition to
vote aid to the proposed Logansport
and South Bend Traction Railroad in
Center and North Townships at the
election TO be held October 5, 1907.
Briefly | can say that | am unalter-
ably opposed to the granting of sub
sides on general principles, no mat
ter for what purpose it is asked, and
| am especially opposed to the vot-
ing of a subsidy - the proposed
traction line October 5, 1907 am
opposed to it,
First, on principle The theory of
subsidy is dead wrong No man has
a right to go to the polls and vote %
tax his neighbor against his Will for
something, or some purpose. that he
does not believe will be of any bene-
fit TO him.
Second, it is UNFAIR and unjust to
at least one hundred widows, unma- =
ried women, estates and guardian
ships in Center and North townships
who are deprived of the right to vote
as TO whether the tax shall be levied
or not, or how it shall be expended
and to over two hundred voters in
Inweod precinct, who, if the tax is
voted, would be of no benefit to
them whatever, and would not be far
removed from highway robbery.
Third, the tax is not asked to be
voted for the Loganspor, and South
Bend Traction railroad, but in the
interest of some promoters who seem
to think they know what the people
of Center and North townships want
better than they do themselves.
These promoters are simply schem-
ers to secure the voting of big SUBJ
sidy, a large proportion of which
they expect to secure for themselves.
These promoters are not railroad
builders. They probably have not
enough money of their own to build
a single mile of road All they are
after is for the people to vote them
aid to enable them to do business on.
If they can find capitalists that will
contract to furnish money to build
the road for a part OF. fine subsidy,
So that they can retain the balance
interest IN the building of the road
ceases.
As the member of the legislature
from Marshall county in the session
of 1905, | introduced and secured the
passage through the House OF bill
TO repeal the Act to authoii1: the
voting OF aid to railroads by counties
and townships After its passage in
the House 1t went over to the Sem
ate where one of the promoters of
this road was the senator from Cass
county. Through his influence in
that body it was defeated in the Sem
ate. rs soon as the session was over
he and his fellow promoters imme-
diategy started the project of secur-
ing the voting of subsidies for what
they named the Logansport and
South Bend Traction railroad. r>llch
they originally intended should run
along rle Michigan road +h.ough
Plymouth. When they came to in
tervicw the people of Plymouth in
regard TO it, they found that the op-
position was so strong against the
voting of subsidies that they aban-
doneo it and switched off at Argos
and located the line through Bour-
bon, Bremen and MishawaIa to
South Bend, and in Bourbon and
German townships secured the voting
of aid for their proposed line That
was bluff and aimed as an insult
to the people of Plymouth, as the
road, If built at all was never intend
ed TO be constructed on that line.
Mean and contemplate things we're
said aiotr the lack OF enterprise OF
the people of Plymouth and vicinity
and /, as the representative who had
secured the passage of the bill repeal
ing the subsidy law in the House,
was denounced as a CRATER and as
working in the interest OF the steam
railroads, WHICH, they said, had Sc
cured all the subsidies they wanted
and desired the law repealed so tina,
the traction lines could not secure
voted aid. This they knew was alb
solutely untrue.
I do not know that all these men
are connected with the present pro-
ject, but / do know that it is the
same scheme worked under different
management.
Let IT be understood that ] am not
opposed to the building of this or
any other traction fine. | am willing
TO aid in it's construction in every
legitimate way, and if it is necessary
to secure its building | will be will
ing TO give the company the amount
my tax would come to, but | will no'
vote to tax any other taxpayer, and
enter here and now my solemn pro-
test against any- tax payer in Center
or North township going to the polls
on October 5, and voting to tax my
property against my will for the pur-
pose of putting money in the pockets
of some schemers who have no pos
sible interest in the tax payers who
will be feeced to pu. money in their
purse.
Daniel Mcdonald
Plymouth, Indiana, Sept. "a, 1907.
Worms Work Havoc.
Gardners about the city report tha:
the grapecrop this year is almost a