Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 23, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 July 1883 — The Railroad Election. [ARTICLE]

The Railroad Election.

The Pennsylvania Democratic State Convention is called to meet at the Opera House, in Hartisburg, August Ist, 1883. at 10 o’clock a. m. That great English statesman, John Bright, save that “high protection* is a curse to every European nation that indulges it. The remark might include the United States. ■' p Mr McSweeney, a dele ate to recent Columbus Convention, thh concluded his speech before tha* body: It anybody asks, “Watchman, wha 1 ot the night?” say “There is no night," On the misty mountain tops the jocund day stands on tip-toe and points to a glorio js victory. Wheel the old Democratic column around. On! Onwaidtothe contest. There is no such word as “fail." Indianapolis Sentinel: The Prohibition Republican member of the last Legislature who was on a very high lonesone in this city during the latter part of the past week, and which finally led t > his arrest, was released Saturday evening on condition tha 1 he would go hdme. But graciou ß hevings, to think of a Republican drinking whisky! How did it hap pen! Read this from an old, reliable Republican paper, Harper’s Weekly: The Republican party is smirched with the whisky ring swindles, and the Star Route swindles, and the Belknap swindles, and the salary grab, and the third term plot, and a myriad other similar jobs and thefts and crimes. The argument will be that no reform is possible until such a party is turned out, and that it can be turned out oniyjby putting in the Democratic party. That such a plan is shrewd and promising is undeniable. The “g. o. p.”? must go.

Railroad election In Marlon Town, ship, August Ist, 1883 This election is held tor the purpose of deciding whether the legal voters of Township desire the railroad built through Marlon Township and the Town of Rensselaer. Tne amouat of aid proposed to be raised will be a sum equal to one per cent, per annum upon the assessed value of property for the year 1882, for two successive years. • The number of acres of land in the Township, exclusive of town lots, are 81 860, appraised in the year 1882 at $206,080 or an average of $6 58 pe r acre, and the tax proposed to be levies would be on an average 13 cents per acre for the lands in Marion Township. In the Town of Rensselaer in addition are Town Lots valued at $55,154. The value of improvements on lands In the country, $99,330. In the Town of Rensselaer, 1151,160 The value of personal property as sessed in the country, $135,775, and in town, $211,580. Total amount of taxables in Town, $432,173, and in country, $426,821. The amoun t proposed to be appropriated is sl7 000, of which amount owners of property in the Town of Rensselaer would pay $8,600, and the owners of property in the country $8,400. The railroad would be seven miles long in the country, and one-half a mile long in the town. The amount of taxes assessed in 1882 for all purposes, in the town, on the county duplicate, $8,740, and in the country, ar township proper, SB,« 690. The present railroad, with nine miles of track, p aid of taxes for the benefit of Marion township, in 1882, near S7OO, while the total amount of taxes on property assessed was about SB,OO0 —the railroad paying 8 and three-fourths per cent, of all taxe 8 assessed in the township; while the town of Rensselaer was assessed, in 1882, $8 740, of which suifi the L., N* A. & C. BE. was only assessed about S4O, or i of one per cent. The town of Rensselaer would pay more than One-half of the taxes, and get in re - turn only about l||l7th as much o taxes per annum as the township proper. 'The investment on the part o' the country would pay a net dividend forever of 9 per cent, while on part of the town, of Rensselaer the return would be about one-half of one per cent. A large proportion of the property taxed in town consists of money and goods in stock, the price of which would not be increased by greater railroad facilities. A very a rge propoation of the property own. ed by the farmers consists of land and live stock, the price of which would be materially advanced by the construction of new roads giving choice of markets with a direct line of communication and competition. The town of Rensselaer is central for all the inhabitants of the township. The writer owns land in the south part of Marion township and proposes to vote for the tax. He believes the same to be a good investment, with accruing benefits of more than ten fold. It seems from the facts and figures that if the residents of Rensselaer can pay those taxes, when bu* few of the citizens can reap much financial benefit, the farmers ought to be very willing to do so.

The railroad company can best afford ta build their road on the nearest and cheapest route. We want the road built on the line through Rensselaer, and it we come to the polls and issue a financial invitation tor the same we may secure it. The tax cannot be collected until the railroad is completed. It will be a valuable enterprise te all of us, and I can not see why taxation is not the fairbat P IBD b ? which te aid the en-

terprise

REASON.