Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-01-28

instructed to prepare and distribute to the
several subordinate oranges suitable petitions
to Congress for the better and cheaper means
Of transportation from the West to the Allan
tic al Southern seabOard. with. he request
that said petition be signed az numCrOuSIv a s
possible, and returned to the Secretary of the
State Grange at as early a dav as pO- slble, to
be by him forwarded to Congress at the be-
ginning of the next session.
In accordance with the above resolutions the
Executive Committee prepared and distrbu-
ted petition to Congress, representing the
necessity of improving the great National WA
ter routes for the purpose OF securing cheap
| transportation, and asking for the speedy i'm
provement OF the Mississippi river at It's
mouth, and at such other points upon it as
work has already been commenced by the
general governments; and also the speedy inn
provement of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers.
The improvements recommended are OBJ
vlousy OF the very first impOr lance to the
whole people. and are entitled TO the special
attention of Congress, not only on account of
It's merits, but because they can be reached
only by the national govern ment. Indeed, 1t
wonld be supposed that, in view of the i'm
mensr material interests Of the people involved
III the improvement OF these natural water
courses Of the country, and that they are en-
tirey under the control of Congress, the first
thing to receive the attention of our repre-
sentatlves would be perfecting the natural
facilities of the people for carrying on a vast
inland commerce and to improve the natural
channels to the sea, both from the
Father Of Waters" to the south,
and by the great lakes and their
outlets to the East. And yet the people have
seen these improvements, so vital to their in
terestS, langulsh from want of efficient appro-
pratons from year to year, sensible at the
same time that their aggregate loss has been
largely IN excess Of what the whole cost of
these improvements ought to be- But while
L..
OF these natural highways, which would be
open to all, they were unwilling witnesses 0
the despOment of the national domain tor the
benefit OF class Of private transportation
companies, whose only limit to their greed
was the amount Of depletion that could be
borne by their victims without absolute ex-
haustlOn. The relations of the people and
their interests with their representation in
Congress have finally become we'll hnder-
stood. Official position is now to a great
extent regarded az means Of advancing
personal instead of public interests. And III
difference to the real interests of the people
at arge ls not more apparent than devotion
to those schemes which have for their Objec
private emslnments rather than public bene-
fits. Even an entire disregard Of solicitations
from their constituents Is not at this day con-
sldered as indicating failure to meet either
the duties or the COurtcsies OF official posi-
ton. In accordance with the suggestion
adopted at the keOkuk meeting, the Execu-
tive Committee Of the State Grange Of Wis
consin issued the following circular letter to
the United States Senators and Representa-
lives Of Wisconsin :*