The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1874-06-25

On the narrow platform
Il partisan success it 10 welcome; on the
'roader stage Of public welfare, such
peech from 90 high source is public
Mr.. Speaker, 1 have NO right to speak
or my party or my section. do not
pretend to claim such Q disiinction.
But let me say to the gentlemen on the
,ther side of this House, many of whom
we're upon the other side in the recent
conflict ofarms between the sections, We
want peace and fraternity, We want
united country in substance a. well as
IOrm. Speaking for myself alone, hav-
ing fully considered the import of my
every word. am ready today to vote
for any measure Of general amnesty
which you OF the South deem necessary
10 tie public welfare without condition. |
want every citizen beneath the flag of |
my country equal before the law, with |
out regard to past political offenses or |
past condition Of life. Equals to equals
will always award justice. Hence the
bill with me does ros hinge
upon general smnesty. or general am
nc,ty depend upon civil rights. | am
ready TO do right at any tine
Mr.. Speaker, turning from that which
10 general 10 ths, which IL special, let me
ask the attention Of the House and the
country to the material victori which
await the Common wealth whose Repre-.
sentative am. by . proper improvement
OF the Mississippi River and the perman
ent establishment OF . reliable ard ade-
quate port for vessels OF all tonnage on
or adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico. The
State of Kansas, as I have shown, is
pre- eminently an agricultural and pas
toral State, and the great majority of her
citizens viii always be engaged in one
or the other of these pursuits: She can
not embark in the carriage OF the products
of other people because she is an inland
State. she does not expect to rival MANY
of her elder sisters in the business of fac
tories, workers Of metals, or of wood.
Her wealth 10 in her soil. Her people,
part and parcel of the American family
with tastes a. refined and wants 40 num-
erous and diversified, will always de-
mand what their State will not produce
She must exchange her productions for
her imports. Hence the matter of trans
portatiOn of her products to the sea, the
worlds market, viii ever be question of
great moment to her active and prosper
Gus citizene, and the study of how to
lessen the costs of transportation will
always enlist the active and best thought
Of her statesmen and iawgivers. Her
wishes will be answered in this respect
when ocean-going vessels shall be put
the nearest possible to her during all
seasons of the year. This 10 clearly by
way of the Cult of Mexico and the Miss
Issippi River. Improve the outlet of the
river as contemplated in the resolution
which have recited and you have taken
the first great step in the right direction.
Next improve the channel of the river
SO that ship drawing twenty feet OF
water may moor at the wharf of Mem
phis and you will have accomplished for
Kansas and the West . work whose
value to the nation is ilimitsble. Do
this and you have doubled the value OF
the vast acres of Kansas. DO this and
no prosperity Of the past which has
visited my State will approach tina,
which is in store for her. Do it speedily
and one million souls will not comprise
all the inhabitants OF that rising Com
mOnwealth when the marshal of 1880
shall number her hosts in their happy
homes on the census-rOil of that decade
Sir, we're this done, every acre of the
district in which live would be practi-
cally placed within four hundred miles
Of Underwater. l quote the followinR
from the memorial of the Kansas City
Board OF Trade, which / have referred
to in support of my views. Discussing
this subject, the able writer says:
IT. ob.,-,
Mississippi removed, or avoided ocean steamers
could hand At Memphis just : freely rs ut Nes
Orleans and ain be loaded direct from the e,e-
vstors and shipped I, either New ork. Fhilai.l-
pha, Boston. or TO Europe; and the h,ur; a G
from our winter heat equal to any ia 'he tnoa,
be shipped by the shortest route to the West India
and Sou'h American markets.
IL would p Cticals place our gr' port within
four hundred ni'!-s Of lie mouth o. TIE kansa1,
a;d give DO for export and im 1T the low est
rates, and uniform at all seasons
Taking the same rates of charges on freight by
river and rail, we have US ID above. We could by
this proposed route place grain in Memphis at Il
cents, in ew Orleans at 20 cents, New ltrk 30
cents and Liverpool at % cents per bushel or even
by reh,ndling AZ New Orleans in additi TO
ZEN hi, it would only make the cost of grain
at New York AID Liverpool IS and ~ respective V
a swim! over PR sent rat TO Europe OF SCI
for every bu>h-' of the grain Of est Iowa
West IN Missouri. Kansas, AID Nebraska.
What is h. rein asserted about ,riins is
true VI Ciulrc III Inc udtUVT VI IcfSHtr,
and v hat Is true Of Kansas in this respect is
true Of al Ter Isi.hbors-
From one, learn all.
Sir, to dwell longer on this subj &c. to IN.
press its importance to my State and section
upon vour mind and that of the country i.
to offend against the good sense and
patience of this House. l pass to con
slider how the end We seek may beet be
accomplished.
Mr.. Speaker, this bill and the substitute
reported by tina gentleman from Iowa in
behalf of minority OF the COMMITTEE on
Railways and Canals embody two pro-
iects which have long been discussed for
the improvement of the outlet of the
Mississippi-the one known as the jetty
scheme and the other as the Fort Sain,
Philip Canal. Both of these plans have
able and honest advocates among scien-
The former-the je,ty plan-is the one
proposed in this bill. Ii comes to US
with the high sanction OF the great engi-
neer whose monument for all time is the
Saint Louis bridge. 1t has the approval
and ardent support of the exchange and
press of that city as we'll as many warm
friends among all classes deeply interest,"
ed In the question. Ay, more than this.
So confident are the gentlemen who urge
this scheme upon Congress Of its entire
and absolute success that they propose
to put tie large moneys it vii ! cost into
the work with the distinct understanding
tbs. nothing shall be paid them ia case
the scheme Is Q failure. Upon its face
the proposition of Mr.. Eads and his asso-
ciates to the nation is to the last degree
favorable, and we're IL Q matter about
which the country could afford to exper-
imcnt and drive sharp bargains should
not hesitate to give it my support at once.
But!oir, the opening OF the Mississippi
River to ocean commerce, and that
speedily, 10 SO vital to the interests OF
my State, IS have attempted to show,
that dare not for one moment enter up |
on the unknown field OF empiricism if |
there be any sure cure for the ills which |
beset us. The question Of the expendi-
ture of few million dol!are more or less |
in the prosecution of the work is to nv
mind but feather in the scale, SO vast
and overlapping are the interests at
stake.
Mr. Speaker, we must have these in
the order named: First, certainty Of sue
e -; and second speed ~ its accomplishment
To attain these In the order named no
of personal respect for
men, no niggaIdly fears of lavish dis
bursements of public moneys when
another and cheaper way of doing may
be possible, shall swerve me. What
want and will have. il / can, is to put
nvarstnallxy I.-