Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 17 February 1915 — Railnotad Subsidies Are Up to the Voter Always. [ARTICLE]

Railnotad Subsidies Are Up to the Voter Always.

During the past ten years Marion township -has voted on several subsidy propositions for the support of projected railroads. So far we have no railroad but the need of one is more apparent than at any previous time. There are some people who are opposed to subsidies as a proposition. That is very nice in theory. It would be nice if we always had everything coming our way and never had to pay a cent for getting it. It would be nice M some corporation would come into Rensselaer and say, “Well, we are now ready to build a railroad and want to purchase a franchise and briy the right-of-way." That would be very fine, but so far no one has come along with that sort of a proposition. It eo’sts about 40 or SSO probably to hold a subsidy election. We believe that the petitioners should pay this cost, but we are not in favor of passing a law that will not give the people of any community a right to vote a subsidy if they see fit. The last time a subsidy election was held in Marion township about six voted for the subsidy to one against it. The principal of local self-government, which was so ardently argued when township and ward option was made a law certainly ought to maintain in the matter of subsidies. It is very probable that O. L. Brown will ask a subsidy for the Lafayette & Northwestern railroad. Rensselaer and Marion township can well afford to support the subsidy if in doing so the construction of the road can be encouraged.