Public Aid — Historical. 
359 
fact well calculated to weaken the strongest mind in its progress 
to any conclusion which would tend to weaken or invalidate 
contracts thus made. On the other hand, we are admonished 
at every step in this investigation, of the immense debt that 
may be laid upon the inhabitants within the towns, counties, 
or other municipalities, without the means of prevention or 
payment; the oppressive and perpetual taxes which may be im¬ 
posed to meet the interest upon such enormous debts must in¬ 
evitably bankrupt the rich and enslave the poor ...” The 
committee then discusses the right of the majority to burden a 
minority “ for objects not exclusively beneficial to them, and 
that too by a soulless body beyond their body as a constituency. ” 
They deny the authority of the legislature to enact such laws 
and on grounds similar to those discussed in the preceding sec¬ 
tion. They assert that the people cannot be embarked in spec¬ 
ulating adventures against their will. That the state has no 
more right to compel particular classes to build railroads than 
she has to compel them to build stores, mills, or taverns. “ And 
the principle is the same, whether the road passes through the 
town subscribing tne stock or a thousand miles off. ” They also 
discuss various legal and constitutional features of the proposed 
bill. It seems unnecessary, after what has been said in section 
III, to discuss these, or to point out the weak points in this 
report. However, one sentence must be introduced here, in 
addition, because of the light it throws on the methods em¬ 
ployed : 41 The railroad company, deeply impressed with the 
importance of obtaining the bonds of the town for the small sum 
of one hundred thousand dollars, very suddenly commence pros¬ 
ecuting the work vigorously in the town where the election is 
soon to be held, with a number of hands (whose residence is 
wherever they may happen to be) sufficient to ensure a majority 
at the polls in favor of taking stock, notwithstanding every 
property holder and permanent resident of the town, may vote 
against taking stock; yet it goes to the world that their town 
decided in favor of taking stock; and if the policy proposed by 
this bill is to be sustained, there is no help for them. ” (p. 6.) 
Not only this, city and state officers were elected or defeated 
according to their attitude towards railroad interests, and the 
