Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1865-12-01

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The :ity Of Chicagomsss look oet for her
name q the " great mstropolte Of the North
vpee" o. st. Loeis viii sasteh Il from her.
We Asm it our duty TO speak out plainly
upon this suhjsti, Tor the Soasoa that those
most deeply Interested do not appear to b
a. .skeful in regard to To mester as they
should be.
The enormous freight tariffs Of our rail
roads are just now damaging Chicago to =
degree that it il difficult to compute. The
producers. shippers, merchants aud drovcrs
west Of %, and especially those west Of the
Mississippi, feeling outraged At the exorbit-
ant charges Of transportation, are beginning
to turn their faces and their trade from us,
and looking down the Mississippi. A rail-
road through the State Of Iowa, extending
from it, northern border to tap the trade Of
Minnesota, to intersect with . railroad
already built from St. Louis TO within a
few miles Of the Southern Iowa border, Is
now in progress Of construction, the object
being to divert to st. Louis the immense
trade west Of the Mississippi, now coming
to Chicago. II is the capital and enterprise
Of st. Louis combining with the opponents
Of Chicago Railroad extortion in Northern
Missouri, Iowa and Minnesota, and there is
no need Disgusting the fact that they bid
fair to be successful, just as st. Louis has
been successful in almost monOpolizing the
trade Of great portions Of Southern and Cen.
trial Illinois, and in d,erting from Chicago
much of the trade Of Northwestern Mis-
| souri,, Kansas, Nebraska, and the Western
Plains, which, until within few months,
sought Chicago as the most advanta geous
| market.
The short. sighted.ess Of the boards Of
directors Of our several railroad companies
in thus driving trade from Chicago is amaz
ing, for that which is or Chicago's interest
is also plainly for theirs. There is no rca-
sonablc excuse for the high freight rates
now in force on our railroads They arc
beyond all reason, and will, il PERSISTED in,
most assurcdly result IN ultimate damage
to the railroads themselves, as they are
| already a burden to the whole West
II is high time our men Of capital, en-
terprlse aud influence should turn their
earn st attention tn the now rarely men
toned project Of opening a Ship Canal to
the Mississippi. This is what is now needs
ed. The growing commerce OF these North
western States demands it. The vast com
mercial interests Of Chicago and the great
lakes demand it. The unreasonable cour SC
Of the railroads in imposing a burIcnsome
tariff upon iicghts demands it. 4 Ship
Can, to the Missppi would prove a death
blow to the now slccpless efforts Of t.
Louis t. draw TO herself the trade OF Iowa
and the upper Mississippi that now cmpties
ITS immense wealth into the lap Of Chicago.
We trust that our men Of public spiiit,
capital and energy will move soon and witt.
vgor IN matter that is so clearly great
commercial necessity. Chicago il pros per
Ing, and Tor years has prospered, wonder
fully-may we not say immensely blu,
she must not be so cn rely absorbed in
her present prosperity as to lose sight OF
what is being done by her rivals to divert
from us the tributaries of our prosperity
Let us not 60 to sleep in a pleasant dream
OF coinplaccncy over what we have don,
and have become, but be ever awake to the
possibilities favorable and unlavorublc o!
that future which must he laden either with
rich stores which we deserve to enjoy oI
with those unwelcome disappoirtments that
are ever SUR 10 fall to the lot of the a,,a
thctic and Indifferent There is a tide il
the affairs OF men which, when taken at tn,
flood, leads On to fortune" Let Chicago
not let any opportunity for the incrcas,
and continuance of her prosperity pass un
; improved. Let us have that Snip Canal
Chicoyo .journai