The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-05-15

transportation ana Anuuse
vclOpmcnt.
The managers of the Congressional Conven-
ton at st. Louis and of the proposed Govern
ors' Convention at Atlanta, as well as others
who have some prominence and take an inter-
est in these movements, declare that they have
no political object in view and that their only
purpose is to consider what can be done to
promote the material interests of the West and
South, the question of cheap transportation
for the products of the soil being the principal
one to engage their attention. The Congress-
men and Governors being prominent public
men the party press generally has given the
movement cold look, fearing that it might
result in new political issue or some political
change Old parties do not like innovations,
and q dominant party, preferring the status quo,
clings to the policy that gave it power. The
declarations of those taking leading part in
the St. Louis and Atlanta conventions whether
made in sincerity or to allay the apprehensions
of party politicians must for the pres
ent be accepted in good faith. II
this movement in connection with the
movements of the Western farmers, should
be well encouraged, it must in the end have
considerable influence on the politics and
governmental policy of the country; for, after
all, the material interests of the people and OF
different sections Of the Republic are the basis
of public policy. However, upon the maxim
that sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof,
we shall specially consider the avowed and
,rocapt cb,acf oh tho cop var tionu rafarrad
to and the farmers oranges have in view.
The Mayor of st. Louis, in his opening adj
dress to the Congressional Convention, or
Conference, as he preferred to call it. said
delegates had not been called there to discuss
local attractions, to bring undue influence to
bear upon them, or to influence legislation in
favor of any particular section, that might
injure other sections of our common country.
The object was to submit plain, practical
exhibit Of the need of the West and South for
improved water communication to the ocean
He referred especially to the necessity of max
ing the navigation Of the Mississippi River
safe, and instanced the wrecks of thirty-six
steamers in bend of that river only four
miles in length-in the Graveyard Bend" as
it was appropriately called. He argued that
as cheap and safe transit for the products
of the Mississippi valley has, and must always
have, great influence on the markets of the
world, the removal of distractions and the
deepening of the channel of the great river
and its tributaries were necessary. He no
ticed, too, that in consequence Of the high
rates of freight to the seaboard many farmers
had actually burned their corn for fuel, be-
cause to transport it would bring them in
debt. The Hon. Henry T. Blow observed
that cheap transportation was the great thing
needed, and added that, though the country is
threaded with railroads, over which passen-
gers and freight can be transported in all
directions, feeling had grown up in the Mis-
sissippi valley, as well as in other parts Of the
country, that there are existing and extending
combinations on the part of railroad cor
porations against the interests Of the produc-
ing classes Still he urged generous treat
ment Of these great representatives of capital
and enterprise, and remarked that the railroad
system Of the country was the proudest monu-
ment to progress ever made by mortal hands.
But he wanted relief for the farmers and in
dustrial interests of the West and urged COM
CATION. In the main these were the argu-
ments of the other speakers, all going to show
how deeply interested the Western people have
become in the question of cheap transporta-
ton.
The coming Convention of Governors at At
1opfa Ia 10 for a 1La nh;act opd acpao;o11,,
to consider the subject of making canal
from the Southwest to the Atlantic. So
earnest are the Southerners on this matter of
developing their material interests that the
newspaper organ of Alexander II. Stephens
denounces any one who may try to divert the
Convention from this object to political one.
The land is rich and productive, and there is
labor enough to bring forth large surplus
production for expectation, but outlets to the
markets Of the world are wanted. This, in
brief, is the difficulty and the cause of the
efforts we notice. The President, in his Mes
sage to Congress last December, struck the
keynote of all these movements, and they are,
in fact, a response to his remarks. After re-
ferring to the rapid extension of the railroads
Of the country and the immense value of
them, and favorably to the project of ship
canal round Niagara Falls, the President
said:-"Looking to the great future growth of
the country and the increasing demands Of
commerce, it might be well, while on this
subject, not only to have examined and re-
ported upon the various practicable routes for
connecting the Mississippi with tide water on
the Atlantic but the feasibility of an almost
continuous land-locked navigation from Maine
to the Gulf of Mexico. Such route along
our coast would be of great value at all times,
and of inestimable value in case of foreign
war;" The President, however, did not recon-