In 1857 an acrimonious debate ensued in the Iowa Constitutional
Convention over an attempt to give further extraordinary power to the
railroads. Already the State of Iowa had incurred $12,000,000 in
debts in aiding railroad corporations. "I fear," said Delegate Traer,
"that it is very often the case that these votes (on appropriations
for railroads) are carried through by improper influences, which the
people, if left alone, would, upon mature reflection, never have
adopted." [Footnote: Constitutional Debates, Iowa, 1857, ii: 777.]


IMPOTENCE OF THE PEOPLE.

These are but a very few of the many instances of the debauching of
every legislature in the United States. No matter how furiously the
people protested at this giving away of their resources and rights,
the capitalists were able to thwart their will on every occasion. In
one case a State legislature had been so prodigal that the people of
the State demanded a Constitutional provision forbidding the bonding
of the State for railroad purposes. The Constitutional Convention
adopted this provision. But the members had scarcely gone to their
homes before the people discovered how they had been duped. The
amendment barred the State from giving loans, but (and here was the
trick) it did not forbid counties and municipalities from doing so.
Thereupon the railroad capitalists proceeded to have laws passed, and
bribe county and municipal officials all over the State to issue
bonds and to give them terminal sites and other valuable privileges
for nothing. In every such case the railroad owners in subsequent
years sneaked legislation through in practically every State, or
resorted to subterfuges, by which they were relieved from having to
pay back those loans.