Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1873-11-06
THE IOWA VOTER.
Prom the Republic.
Cheap Transport Question-.II
O. $. f., AUGUSTA, GEORGIA.


mised the ground of our exposition
Of the importance Of the construction
by Government of the great nationa
work Of connecting the Mississippi
river with the Atlantic ocean, tn
construction of the Atlantic ant
Mississippi, or "AtIantic and Grea
Western Canal" connecting tn
Tennessee with the Coosa and DC
nulgee rivers, thereby opening al
unobstructed water communication
between the Ohio, Mississippi, and
Missouri rivers, with tidewater at OF
near Savannah; Georgia. That this
Is d national enterprise Of the highest
importance to the whole country, we
propose now to elucidate as clearly az
we may.
Notwithstanding the constitution
Ill scruples OF some able minds,
from the year 1907 internal improve.
hents by the nation Of great thor
oughfares have occupied the atten-
ton Uf tho wisest men. Adams,
Madison, Clay, Gallatin, Calhoun,
jackson and others have all favored
mt different times, a wise and judic-
jous expenditure Of moneys out oil
the National Treasury towards the
development of internal improve
ments. and it cannot be doubted that,
notwithstanding the modern rail-
ways, water navigation always will
afford the cheapest transportation for
the great productions Of the country
the staples that feed, clothe, and
sustain nations of men. We may
travel, transport mails, express mat
Ter, pcrishable articles, light goods,
fruits, luxuries, by railway but
the subtantials, the wealth, the
great articles of commerce, the
products Of farmers and planters
toll, the wheat, corn, barley,
oats, hay, cotton, sugar, rice
tobacco, iron and iron manufactured
goods, heavy merchandise, machin-
cry and tools, coal, lumber, salt, &C.,
&C., must be transported by cheaper
arteries than iron rails. The rivers
of this vast country, interspersed as
it is by the finest in the world-God's
own gifts, as intercourses to be made
Available and useful to men--must
be utilized to bear the heavier bur-
dens, rs they were doubtless designed
for transportation and intercommu-
nication between section and section,
from fresh water to salt, and from
mountain and plain, inland district
to sea and metropolitan cities, the
fruits Of labor, the industries and
wealth Of man.
Now, when we survey carefully
End properly, without regard to pol
lite, or sectionality, the vast work
before us-not vast in cost OF con-
struction, but vast In its elements OF
development Of wealth and good
we shall find that the whole people
the nation entire--is interested, deep
ly interested in the great work we
advocate. The West--the valley Of
the Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Ainneso-
In, Western Wisconsin, Iowa, Ne
hraska, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas,
Kentucky-are indirectly interested
in this magnificent enterprise. or
course, too, Mississippi, Alabama,
Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina,
North Carolina, West Virginia, Nir-
pinia. and Flori,la are interested
more intimately In the same way;
and what SO largely interests these
States must interest all New Eng
land, New York, Pennsylvania, and
al the States not specified. Indeed,
the wealth, the prosperity, the popu-
iniion Of the entire Union is interest
I'd ia whatever Of such magnitude
affects section or locality. When the
Nest ceases to grow its great staples
tie whole Union must suffer; and
whea the great West cannot market
It's staples without loss to the produ-
Ger, ii must cease to produce them.
The question then reduces itself to
tie cheapest, most feasible, most
practicable outlet from West to East
from producer to consumer. The
iroi, railway cannot be built, equip
ped, and maintained Mt the cost OF
cana, and slack-water navigation
where its lines run parallel or con-
meet with great water levels. This
is Us clear as sunbeam, and no pos
sible argument, or sophistry, or elu-
eidatlon can controvert this PROPOSE
,son. The opening Of water coInmu-
nscation between the Ohio and
-. a t. 81 of