New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1847-06-29
Erie Canal Enlargement.
Prom the Albany Atlas.


high rate for all other products-snd when those
gagged 10 transportation are receiving revenue much
larger than the sum paid to the state for tolls
From the Albany EcsHia9 Journal
Such confessions. from such source, will serve
to awaken its abused readers to a sense Of the
Forty Million Debt fraud practiced by those whom
the Atlas represents, upon the Electors Of this
State.
In 1889, Mr.. Ruggles, then a Canal Commission.
err, in the Annual Report Of bis Board, estimated
the Tolls OF the Enlarged Enc Canal at THREE
Millions or DOLLARS. While the Controller in
his Reports, and Loco Foco Members Of the Legs
lature In their Reports, arrsyed columns Of figures
| TO prove this estimate UDiounded and faacio0s,
! Loco Foco newspapers and stump orators made
| Mr.. RUGGLEss Report the theme OF ndicule' taunt
and caricsture
The game of "panic.making against the Canal
| proceeded, step by step falsehood succeeding
| ialsehood, until "FoRTr MILLIoS DEBT" exist
| ing only in & mountain OF hes, was laid to the
charge Of the Wing State Administration. This
huge falsehOod by dint OF reckless profiigste and
/ reiterated assertion came 10 be believed. The
/ people. cheated by the base perversions and cal
| umnies Of men in whom they were accustomed TO
confde, rushed, panic stricken, 10 the polls, and
| filed both branches Of the Legislature with the
! enemies OF the Canals.
And then the work Of Vandalism commenced
| Then law was passed suspendlng the Enlarge
/ ment Of the Erie Canal The People, IN their
/ DlllGueSS.
1 Millions Of Dollars already expended upon the En-
/ largement Nor is this all They gave their sane
ton 20 a law subecting themselves TO Direct AKA
ton 10 pay enormous damages TO Contractors-dam'
ages in some instances, nearly equal TO the amount
/ required 20 finish the contracts The People al
lowed large quantities Of prepared Canal materials
to be wasted and unfinished structures TO crumble
and decay without word Of reproach for the Goihs
who were thus sacrificing their best interests.
The emergency which furnished pretext for al
this wanton waste, was deliberately created by the
demagegues who were prohtDg by II politically
The credit of the State aud the value OF its stocks
had been impaired and deprecated by the Con-
troller. by the Argus, by the Atlas, and by their
followers throughout the State, tor the basely selfish
! purpose Of eiecting "a restoration Of the Bour-
bons" And never was a more stGpendO0s fraud
perpetrated. Never did the People pay so dearly
for their credality.
The Financial Policy Of Forty Two," or, in
other words the Stop Policy Of the enemies OF the
/ Canals has not only cost the State Treasury many
millions Of dollars but retarded the prosperity and
/ crippled the energies OF the People. Nearly a
million Of dollars paid to contractors for stop
ping works which, in their dilapidated condition,
are now 10 be resumed
The Canal Commissioners, in their Annual Re
port for 1899, informed the Legislature that Their
! arrangements contemplated the completion OF the
| Enlarged Erie Canal IN the year ls45. These ar
/ rangemeuts were thw arted and this purpose defeat
I
was beneficial To John Jacob Astor and other capi
! talists who, after Messrs FLAGG, HOFFMAN, &c
&c. had greatly deprecated the market value OF
our State Stocks purchased largely for the purpose
of reaping the advantage OF the returning tide
The Albany Atlas paper in which Mr.. RUC
GLEss estimate of Canal Tolls was sneered at and
ridiculed now comedies that the Canals are paying
at the rate of FIVE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS
a year This is doubling Mr. RUGGLEs's "extrava
| CANT" absurd" ridiculous estimate.
The Canal Tolls will not, this year nor in any
coming year. until the main artery has been enlarg
ed reach $1,000 900. But had the Erie Canal
Enlargement been completed, this golden dream
might now have been realized But for the blind
/ aud ruinous " Financial Policy Of Forty Two the
! Enlarged Erie Canal, as Commissioners BoUcK,
/ EARL, BAKER &c informed the Legislature,
] would have been completed throughout us wnoe
line IN the + all OF Isf5.+-Ikis would. by It's ia
creased facilities and cheapened rates OF transport
| alton have protected us against the Rival w orks
/ in Canada, Pennsy lvania and Ohio which are now
diverting large portions OF Produce to the ST. Law
renee, through the Canals OF Pennsy lyania and
! down the Ohio River
Had the Erie Canal Enlargement been compile
| ted in 1915 it would have given us $500 600 IN
1896 and the Atlas Mr.. Flaggs organ now
| comedies $4,000, 900 in ls47!
! With such showers of gold flooding the Treasu
/ nv, the Canals would have borne the expenses %
| the Government, and paid the entire Debt of the
/ State, in ten or at the outside twelve years In
1855, or at farthest in 1851, therefore this State
would by pursuing an enlightened system of I'm
provement be free from Debt and with Public
Works yielding their annual tribute OF millions tc
/ its Treasury Our Commercial Metropolis, doub
ling It's population and trebling its wealth, would
have reflected back it's prosperity in fertilizng and
bountitul streams upon the Agricultural Mechani
I cal and Manufacturing portions of the State
/ And what Nation, what State, or what Govern
ment, possessing the elements of so much prosper
/ ~ sndhappiness eversomadly cast them all away
/ When, before. did People, stimulated by wise
and audabe ambition after all the obstacles to the
achievement of their enterprise had been overcome
with verdsnt and fertile fields in full view, ever turn
/ back to batten on this moor y
All these advaltages-all this treasure to the
State-sll this prosperity TO the Peope-n then
magnitude and FITNESS, BE IT REMEMBERED, were
sacrificed 10 advance and promote the POLITICAL for
tunes of VAN BURES WRIGHT, FLAGG, DIX. hoFF
MAN. &c. &c. The greatness and glory of the
State were desecrated, and the prosperity and hap
piness of the People trampled under foot, that men
who had fed at the public crib for quarter OF q
century might again fasten, with horse-leech
tenacity, upon the Treasury.