Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-12-13

Shall We have = SHIP Caaals
The question Of ship canal connsetine
the Mississippi with the Lakes il being dis.
cussed as State measure. Hope Of max
Congress has in Il representatives Of too
many conflicting interests. The governs
ment, these men say, has siready assumed
sufficient burdens, ard she ought not TO en-
gage In the enterprise, even II, in other cir
curnstances, IL were desirable.
We are thus compelled TO fall back on
the conclusion that IL the enterprise 10 TO
succeed. il must succeed a. State measure
Illinois must build the canal II il 10 built
~ al. We do not know but this is the
more advisable mode Of procedure after all.
IL is a question whether we shall ever hsvs
satisfactory transportation for our produce
unless VIC control the transportation. Hav-
ing control Of the route, We control the
rate. and ago masters Of The situation. -
The questions whi1h our people ought TO
discuss IN connection with this enterprise.
are theae:
lst II the ship canal necessary
I'd. Will Il paw 10 build its
81. Have We tho necessary mans, Or can
We obtain them7
We answer the flrst question BY saying
that We are feeling the necessity Of . ship
canal every day. Our people are groaning
everywhere under the high rates Of trsas-
portation between the West and the sea-
board, end until something effective shall
be done, this trouble and difficulty ID to in
crease rather than diminish. Let W build
ship canal bets cen the lak6s and the Nis-
sissippi, and We put i in the power Of the
holders Of grain and produce at Chicago
(which is to b. the great depot ofths Wsat)
TO take advantage Of either the Eastern OF
the Southern markets. Nineteenth Of the
produce Of the State nov finds its way "a
Chicago. and Il always will. At present,
when Il arrives at Chicago. it il compelled
to 60 East, because It can't get an outlet BY
the way Of the Mississippi. Open up Z
canal BY which steamers from New Orleans
can run alongsids The Chicago elevatoss, and
you have rod 10 hold over the backs Of
the monopolxing transportation eompaniea
Eastward. Further than this. the buildise
Of this ship canal will compsl the building d
one around Niagara Falls, to b followed b
one from the st. Lawrence cia Laks
Champlain, 10 the Hudson river.
We think 10 make NO extravagant %.
sestion when Ne say THE ship canal must
and will hc built. n Il 10 not built now, Il
will be built in the future. Our poetsrit,
will build Il IL We do not This is.ls q
10 the sA~e.a 9~.ssss~, viii it pay % 4
build in This is about the question every
farmer asks himself when he proposes 10
drain o. reclaim . piece Of marshy or waste
land-wilI II pay! Ifhe can answer II in
the affirmative he goes about the work.
Let the State Of Illinois ask II the ship CO.
nal will pay. Have our railroads paid p
Has the present canal paidi What would
Illinois be to-day without themi The es-
timatcd cost Of the improvements for steam
boat navigation tn Chicago 10 between
twelve and thirteen millions Of dollars. Cou
pied with THE 10 . proposition 70 run 4
branch canal from La Sale to Rock Island
q cost Of an additional four or hve mil.
lion dollars. II these improvements would
reduce the price Of transporting grain one
cent pcf busAeo, that one cot going int
the pockets Of our producers, how long be
fore our people would get back the Who'll,
cost Of the work. Let some one of ou
statisticians cypher Il out.
We now come 10 the third point. Ha
the State the means. or can Il secure th
means 10 prosecute the enterpsisep Uu
doubtctl'y. We have already said. il We d
not build the canal our posterity will VIII,
not build the canal ourselves and beQueat
II To our posterity, aud let them assist u
in paving for It. Even IL they have to pay
the whole expense, il will be no worse 70
them than IL they had 10 build it them
sclvts New York won and retains he
proud position NJ the Empire State Of III
Union only throagh her public improve
mcnts. This proposed canal 10 10 Illinois
mere pgmv to what the Erie cana, was I
: New York nj the time she made that i'm
provement We see Chicago making i'm
prove'ncnt after improvement, gigantic /
character, and in consequence her popula
ton and wealth increase with unexamplc
rapiditv. Where would Chicago be had sh
: not made thesc improvements : A poo
G un' nterpris'ng, poverty stricken city. W
do not argue from this that our State shou
!, rashly indulge in wholesale ~ stem Of i'm
: proveinents, but NO do say shc should n
: cept the inevitable, and do NOE what some
time must be done. Every producer in III
State 10 interested lit, - W have showr
for this improvement opens rival routes I
tbs ocean for our prodace finding it, fri
Judgment in Chicago, and will compel COZ
, responding improvem nts eastward.
Il We do not want to put il into the hand
, ola company to build and then form ..
ring" with existing monopolies, but We var
= TO make il State enterprise, controlled b
: the State in the interests Of the people. A
II il work which must sometime be done
either by ourselves or those who come afte
Z ~, and ~ cur credit o. State is good. On
/ We are rapidly growing in wealth and i'm
. portance. end every year the burden woul
10 distributed on more shoulders, lot Us Z
to work upon the measure ct once, and
We do not caro- to pay for the whole Of it b.
: taxation, Let tho State issue long bonds 70
the balance and let those who come alter q
liquidate them. II we do not, they will hav
to take hold Of the work and bear the Who'll
, burden. while We g through and out Of Oh
world grumbling 1t the small prices " Il
' for our produce consequent upon che made
quate means and high prices Of transporta
ticn.-Peoria Transcript.
} A LEAF FROM rue PAsr-The Cincinnai
Enquirer has been looking into the pest, On
Il reproduces The following resolution oifere
at an abolition meeting in New York b
Henry Ward Bsecber twenty years ago, q
adordins key to the attitude Of the Radi
cals at presents
| Rssolsed, That it 10 the duty Of every Al
olitionist, South and North, to agitate an
reagitats until they erect the overthrow 4
che Fedora! Constitution and effect the dis
) solving Of the AmsricaS Union.
Commenting On this, the Enquirer say
with force and truth that there were new
men who more faithfully exerted themsslvs
to respond to sentiment then did the clas
to whom il IVES addressed. In season On
out Of season, in the press, In The pulpit "a
{ in the forum they labessd With On sner1
that Vas satanic 10 e9scl 10 eaiee1s, cd {
last, after seventeen ysass Il vshsmsat sesul
gle. substantially aeeeapaisAsa thsif ~
. pose. Then they-the plan.ess end sehsu
II ers Of seccssiou-toek new ~ besor, 4
political world, and appeared - the chau
I" piors Of Union, The defenders Of the Coos