, 1873-05-09

sion. The high price OF f0Od increases the cost
and as oes
While tho Western farmer realizes but q pit
tance upon his teeming crops, o7ery manufact-
ured article which he uses comes to him burden
ed by oneroua and oppressive tariffs. Cheap
cheaper food, but would, as consequence, also
cheaper labor. This result would enablo tho
manufacturer to supply our wants at greatly re-
duced prices, and would enable him to compete
successfully abroad, as well as at home. Our
manufactures would increase; our exports
would be doubled our shipping ginterestsrevived,
and the balance Of trade would be once more in
our favor. But, without speedy relief, existing
oSils must increase and spread until poverty and
bankruptcy oyershadow tho whole land.
The foye1ish anxioty which peryades the pub
lie mind is abundantly shown in the fact that
Congress ia gravely asked to take control Of the
entire railroad system OF tho country, and by leg
islative action torogulate their charges. Whoth-
er this would mitigate or aGGravato tho evil,
OF operating the roads would be 80 diminished as
to afford the deerel relief, ARE questions which
I will not here discuss. l only mention them to
ahow that great, pressing necessity underliea
this whole matter, which cannot remain longer
UNDECIDED
The ontre value Of busho1 Of corn, transport
ed a thousand miles by rail, is consumed by the
cost Of transportation. This leaves no profit to
tho carrier, none to theehippor, and not one cent
to the producer. So that II the railroad should
carry corn for it's actual cost and nothing more,
from st. Louis to Savannah, or from Chicago to
Now York, the producer would still receive no
ADEQUATE remuneration for his labor. Neither
can the indefinite multiplication Of railroads, nor
any Legislative restriction IS to freight charges
cure the evil, 30 long as the actual cost OF ope-
rpting railroads remains undfminished. Until
this cost shall be reduced by means not now
known, resort to either Of the remedies propos-
ed will provo mere e1pedient, which, in tho
end viii surely disappoint public expectation.
Wo do not want ezpcdients or partial remedies
A cure Of the evils demanded by tho farming
interest OF the country, and to nothing short Of
this should We look for permanent relief. In
seeking this relief tho first step to be taken is
to find q less costly mode of transportation than
that by rail, Experience teaches Us that
water furnishes tho cheapest means Of trans-
portation known to the commercial world, aud
there ia but ittle reason to doubt that tho soln-
tion Of this whole question will bo found to rest
upon the connection Of great lines Of watsr COM
munication between the West and the scsboard,
wherever Nature provided q way. Build the Nj
agara Ship Canal, connecting the lakes by an IN
broken chain OF navigation from Chicago to the
sea connect Lake Cha1nplain BY ship canal with
the Hudson; enlarge the Erie Canal. il feasible;
extend your water lines from the Lakes to the
Mississippi by every proposed route, where Ea-
ture has provided way improve the navigu,-
ton OF your rivers, so that barges may pass
through their entire length without hindrance,
and you will have done more to relieve your
selves from your present troubles than you can
Justly hope to secure by my other means. In
this way the railroads may be made the feeders
and distributors for your great trade arteries, aud
the CAUSES which now induce them to enter into
extensive leases and combinations, in many n
stances SO injurious to the public interest, would
in great measure, cease to exist.
4 glance at the map will be sufficient to show
that from the great lakes to the mississippi
River there is vast expan5e Of country. divided
by the Appalachian chain, which separates the
waters of the Atlantic from those which flow in-:
to the Gull Of Mexico. Tho Ohio and the James
Rivers have their sources among the mountains
OF this chain and further south, also the Ten
nessee, the Coosa, and the Ocmulgee. Recent
surveys have demonstrated that it Is feasible to
ana the Tennessee with the oemulgee and thus,
30 to speak, turn the M1ssisalppl INTO the Atlan-
tic at Norfolk and Savannah The merits OF the
james R1vor and hana~ha Canal nave been tully
discussed, and WILL not pause mere to repeat
the many reasons which nave been offered IN
however, ior momen!, "hlle polnt oat somo
OF me aaYantages "nlen "oala r no% 11om % mo
conHt1netlon ot INC ht4antlc q 91eat western
Ganal, conngcslne Ine htsstsslppl, 1nlougn 'ne
tennessee ! ASor: WIN 1ne h'lanoo ocean' az
hayannan, VA q, ueotgla. a. o,,;o .,,~+ a.,
lance aoovo !ne GonAuenee oi tno Ia! !at'et VIII
tne M!saisalppi. rrou tnis potnt tne eene:a1
direction OF tGe tennessee 's = sousheast 70 Us
great hend a. uuntslagae, n & tne ssase .t O. "a "a
other tere bepe on
narrow neck OF ann oe."eeh tnem. ,a AeIoss s saas
isthmns cana tnlrtY mnes aong Moaia ~ cqnmees W
tneso 1Mo 11sess, anu opnu 49, ~ Coa
~: tiom noe uie ~ ~ s40 1a,t,a
70 Ls nealess popk 81 H. ~ c ie ~
sIl, ana aoth t 1o Natro n baa 10y roadg ~
ano sncneo " .uo ssa ~; 1..5 ~
psu ~ g1sI.et ~ co,,1ota ~ r., or h;.
aa's ~ 10 " 1n ho haa o1,rrosa na1
~. h.tcIeG - ~ r. o1Sn @ ~
~ ~ has hea6 1rnno.ncaI " h ~ era
nontir an fa.a;h1a | D''t tAoA''Ase3 ~ e''e'A. GUY