, 1869-06-12
THE -nrrs oy THE FRfE csNaL,

The Alb4us<S. W -ic.,v. is one Of those
Papers vl-:ch never rises al,cyc t!." mere
3Sr,is@1, Il Insists flat the Democratic
parry i ;ii.e Stale of New lr.k will never
:ssrre Z, r,!t .>c I: :.e tolls Oh the Erie Canal
-',t's:. :.-e ,i"::.:s :, 1liel tsioso tolls are
lug. Il a=e discharged. In this proposition
;E-1.' is neither reason nor logic; it
1,'i',,,14ts simply 10 declaration that the
j. :4.:er..tie parry will keep tsuiet and avail
itself vf whatever party capital it may be
:.s,le II, make out Of the matter. Under the
c;,lui.:.it;u,l uf the railways the Erie Canal
is cefs'r:, every year to l'c a route f"r the
Transportation cf yr..ia. Its gross rey.-
..;,,s for Isis wc-r not ;ahoro the average
II ,lv last twelve ycars While the tonnage
# rr.since moved annua1'S.to ansl FROM the
r.:st is increasing enormously. the bu s:ncss
a. ,i:s. c:..s;sl is at ! stand. 1t c12 10 longer
t'aElei. will other means VI tr4nsporia-
::un. i'i.t lis managers insist upon retaining
IS e1orlit*rt charges. O2cc it carried all
tl.@ gs,.!. c:il nreal.tufFs of the West sent
Es:st: nUw i; carries no more than it did ten
years ago. though the product to l,s moved
LIS heen doubled over and over again. It
Is. slvw coach Of limited capacity, and the
dnvers imagine that the public will con-
u:s'1e to patrunize it at rates of fare equal
tc Tie new and fast lines, wlich can make
'cn tnps TO its one, nad each trip
t.:Ee 4 greater load. II tho Argus
is correct il saying TINT the Democratic
1,.sty OF New York will oppose any reduc-
ton Of tolls, then the Democratic party Of
that State must be either blind or iudiHer-
cnt to tie interests OF the pnblic and of
the canal itself. The original design of tho
canal was to establish free highway.
New York wnnted the other States to unite
in constructing it; but, falling to receive as
sistapcc, buiit it at the exclusive cost OF the
S;ate. Since then tho tolls On the Enc Canal
have repaid the State nn its original cosi
md the cost of its repairs and enlarge
1ncpt6. and has maintained large army o.
officials It's revenues have been tAkeu Il
lu,i1a othcr canals which do not pay tn
interest o,, their cost, md to pay the gen
.rnl debt Of tho State. Oae Of the obllga
ti,ns to which the revenues Of the Fri
Canal huvc been applied is to pay the gen
cr7l OF GlEl1llE2A AcaJh ga AAG A1LApG- 3S%A4V
cratic politicians, Instead Of making til
c.nal free, and & means Of furnishing foo
and fuel cheap to the pabGc, have give
out big jobs, created additional debt, an5
instead Vi meeting the responsibility b.
imposing taxes ~ pny the sane, have give
mortgages On the canal revenues We be
llere they now propoce to borrow ten mill
ions OF dollars to buill ne1 Suite Eous
1t Albany ! and this is one Of tho " conssi
" tutlonal obstacles" in the way OF reduc
ing the tolls. There ra1lst be anothe
mortgage put on The cauals for that jol
The producers Of the West a7o unwillin
to be taxed to pay the debt Of the Stat
State House. They have long sine
pad the cost Of the canal, az
would Ike the canal to be made a frc
highway, rs vas originally in.cn1el. It
said that the capacity Ct the ems, can
nearly doubled. and its frcigLts reduce
one-third, bS an expenditure oi eight mil
IONS IN calarging the locks. The gurplu
Revenues Of the c;.nL could pay this who.
sum with interest in th-ee years: b,
there Is a constitutional obligation in Ii
way. These revenues ere nlrealy deep!
mo1tgagea and other mortgages are read
to berut On, and the Democratic party oil
ject to doubling the business of the c,n
GRIN any ~sy suboriina:;ng the rights {
mortgages to those OF the whole peopl,
One party in New York propose to NAL
Tie canal free if the General Governrae,