The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-01-29
Voice Of the People

under this head The Daily Gate
City will publish communications on
any and all subjects of interest to the
people generally, reserving the right
to reject unworthy articles or those
inspired by personal animosity or
malice. All communications must be
accompanied by the names OF the
writer's. The Gate City does not
assume responsibility for opinions or
sentiments expressed IN any com.
munication.l
keokuks Lack OF Railroad Facilities.
To the Editor of The Gate City:
/ have read your editorial com.
menting on the address by Hon. A..
W. O'Hara and what he said about
good roads and the Wabash and It.
p. and w. railroads as at present
maintained and the unjust discrimi-
nation by practically aid roads now
in and out of Keokuk. A few years
ago at meeting of the Keokuk In
ldustriai association i dwelt upon the
fact that we have the great Santa Fe
railroad running at our very door, but
no genuine effort has been made to get
this road. Mr.. RIPPLE, now dead,
threw cold water on our efforts. We
laid down-because he had interlock-
ing arrangements with the Burling-
ton. What united effort has Keokuk
made as a city 10 boost Judge
Hughes plan for road from Omaha
to Logansport, Indiana? None to
speak of. We seem to be as much
tied to the Burlington railroad as the
chamber of commerce of Omaha is,
which refused to allow this CONNER
nj V-crnr n iv.f ior, avdr 10,
route, and this Commercial club is
absolutely controlled by Manager
Holdrege and Frank B. Johnson, poll
ticians for the Burlington west Of the
Missouri river. But this one road
does not sew Omaha up" as the
Burlington does Keokulc by controli-
ing the roads in and out of our city.
Yes. committee should be APP
pointed to co-ouerate with other
towns near Keokuk. all to get the
relief, and have conference and
meeting of all towns along the Rock
Island, K. and W., and the Wabash
and T.. p. and W., and a united move
ment will produce results. Indi-
yidual efforts amount to nothing. 1t
takes concerted action. keokull Is
what it is because it has poor rail-
road facilities in and out, and we can
talk until we are blue in the face.
The train service in and out of keo-
kuk has for a quarter of century
been miserable. But keokuk folks
are to blame. If some fellow comes
along with plans for Keokuk beauti-
full, we fail for that and beg him to
relieve US Of four thousand dollars
for few fifty-dollar blue prints. II
someone comes along and asks US to
eXpend our pin money or savings for
this drive" or the other, we do it.
lie some "galliyantihg" lodge worker
comes along we fall for him and all
he asks for. But when it comes TO
uniting on action to do something for
ourselves really beneficial, SO persons
can come in and get out of town the
same day, we do nothing. And seem
to be not interested.
keokuk is just what her business
men make it. We will be cenpen-
stated in proportion to the labor we
expend. Ii we do nothing we should
receive nothing, aud that is what we
are getting. Idle dreaming and hop
ing. doing nothing. will get US
nowhere. keokuk has got to have a
strong committee appointed to arouse
sentiment with other towns for
lettering its railroad Facilities. The
government has made as colossal
blunder in operating the railroads,
as it has of everything else it has
undertaken. The most stupendous
failure ever made was by the gov
eminent in trying to run lot Of rail
roads. Never has any similar
failure been chronicled anywhere
or in any period of the worlds his
4. r.., Nacf nh ,y1
management for two years and ovet2
Z II we would but invite competition
by getting the Santa F'e, much of our
trouble would be over and then we
would get competitive service
worth mentioning. Are we going, to
do what / have advocated openly at
our Industrial association meeting
two years ago, or are we going to
sit idly by and wait. until the Santa
Fee says Il am coming. Don't keep
me out this time even If it offends
Burlington interests which have kept |
Keolcuk tied up for quarter OF a |
century and propose TO keep 1t tied |
until all die of old age, senility. gan |
creme, rust and evaporation"
Get a committee together and do |
something. Ii we don't do it then !
we will stay just where we are.
Every fellow who analyses our failure
will tell us this Is Keokuk's trouble.
Get this righted out, and we will
grow. Until that is done we will re-
main stagnant. Others see and know
our great errors and failures and why
we don't grow. Can't we awaken TO
realization of what others say
after analyzing our shortcomings?
Now get a good committee OF twenty
five and do something and get a new
railroad win subscribe one hun
dred dollars for a boost to get TIE
Santa Fe railroad into Keokulr.
PROGRESS. !,
= Keokuk, Jan. 81, 1920.
~
REPUBLICAN /