New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-06-14

l,5OO,e00,0o0 bushels, two-thirds of which
Is sufficient to supply consumption in this
/ section. The markets of the country are
| supplied from the Mississi ppi valley with
fully l,5oO, 600 cattle, 100000 sheep and
5,0O0,0eO hogs. The surplus of food pro-
00O, 600 in value, which must tiad Eastern
| and foreign markets or be wasted a. home.
More than one-half the cotton is produced
| here, and for want Of local man ufactures
| must be transported to the East or TO Eu.
| rope, to be wrought into fabrics and in part
| retransported for consumption. Popula.
ton and production are more rapidly on
the increase in the Mississippi valley than
| elsewhere, and the more trade develops the
| more grievous will become the charges Tor
transportation.
| 1t is 10 wonder that the present and pro.
spective burdens imposed for carrying
| products to market have caused the lorna
| ton Of party powerful in numbers and
earnest in purpose, who make relief from
them the cardinal principle Of their plat.
form. The greatest strength Of this party
is in the Mississippi valley, because there
| the burden is most felt. Agriculturist more
sensibly feel this grievance from the bulky
nature Of their productions and the email
| profits Of their business. Besides, capital
| invested in railroads is largely owned in
the East, and the profits N the main inure
| to the people of that section. AS railroads
| furnish the chief means for commercial in
| tercourse, it is quite natural that attention
should be first turned to them, and that tie
| plan of reducing freight charges BY legal
means should be resorted to as an initial
and practical measure.
In obedience to resistless and popular
| sentiment, this branch of Congress con.
sumed many days in the discussion Of bill
| to regulate railroad transportation. Al.
| though it passed this body, it can not be
| denied that, in the opinion of many men,
| grave constitutional questions were IL
| volved, and still more serious doubts Is to
the practical benefit which would result
| from il or any similar measure. In
der the constitution il is clear that
navigable waters within the limits of the
United States are under the control of Con-
gress, while it is not controverted that each
of the thirty-seven States in their own way
and manner may charter and control rail-
roads within their respective limits and SO
far as relates to the Inhabitants Of such
State. II Congress can exercise any coI.
troll, it must be limited and Inadequate.
Competition is tie best regulator Of
prices. Experience has shown that as a
rule competition among railroad companies
ends in com binatiOn. The track and rolling
stock are private property: more but the
owner can use or control them. Nobody
will assert that the government of the ma
ton or of the State, or both together. can
deprive the owner of the occupation of his
property and throw it open to the public
use. The subject Of cheapening transpor-
tation By railway through the power of
legislation is surrounded by legal and prac
teal difficulties. 1t the charges of carrying
upon public highway are unacceptable,
the dissatisfied party may put on his own
team and lessen the cost by HE own GEM
petition. The rivers and the lakes are the
common roadwavs of the people, open to
receive the vehicle Of any one. Then COM
petition may be efectual. Upon them there
can be no monopoly, 70 exclusive right.
Moreover, the river and lakes are given to
the people free of the cost of construction.
and almost expenseless in repair and main
tenance. while the building and preserva-
ton of railroads cost large sums of money,
and they must be managed to pay expenses
and reasonable profit upon the capital il
vested. Enough has been said to make it
apparent that the true method OF cheaper
ing the cost OF transportation is 10 i'm
prove water lines wherever practicable
and throw them into competition with
land lines. Public attention IS already
turned to this subject, and thoughtful men
believe that the adoption of this policy can
not be long postponed.
The physical characteristics Of the coun-
try invite the adoption OF this policy. Ma
ture seems to have been mindful of the
wants of'the interior Little OF this great
section lies remote from some navigabe
water channel, or one which can he made
navigable at a small expense as compared
with the benefits which Will result The
channels through which the water of the
interior finds its way to the sea indicate the
routes of transportation. The extreme
DOrfherO nOrfinD nS rho tricc,cct,., rol1ax-
has its chain OF lakes, and little canaIiza-
ton will enable ships to reach the Atlantic
coast without change OF cargo. The Canadian
government have utilized these. advantages
more than We have, and there is great dan
ger that by the execution of further de-
signs the commerce of much of the North
west will pass through foreign waters and
pay tribute to foreign people. II will cost
little time and money to connect the lakes
with the Hudson river, which would give
US all the profits of this trade, and il can
be conducted more cheaply and expedi.
tiously than through the waters OF the
British Dominion.
The james and the Karawha rivers are
separated by but narrow space. and the
same IS true Of the Tennessee and the
rivers OF Georgia. A little artificial aid
will create water channels in these direc.
tions, and their utilization must soon be.
come necessary to accommodate increasing
population and production in their vicinity.
While all these lines are of great value
to large and productive sections, there is
another channel whose improvement to the
extent of supply ing every demand of COM
nerce will cause the expenditure Of less
time and money than any other, and will |
benefit the whole population from the Rocky |
mountains to the Atlantic sea. 1t is never |
closed by ice, and when the mouth of the |
is made navigable for the |
largest ships. the Mississippi valley will be |
TO all nations and all ports of |
,ur own, and the trade of our interior |
,ities may be direct with all the world
The cereal producers of the West are
most vitality interested in this improvement,
because it opens direct route TO the peo- |
Dles who co not produce breadstutts, and |
who ought to and soOn must obtain their
supplies in this country. We must RELY
lpon Mexico, the West India islands, and |
he Northern States of South America TO
'onsume our surplus. This can rot become
he channel OF expectation for the West
'ortatlons to supply the people OF the eight
en States into which its navigable waters
1tend. This route will furnish com
'etltion TO tie railway lines the
whole of the year from Cairo south
ward, and for eight or nine months even as
ar up as Cincinnati on the Ohio, and Keo.
lux on the Mississippi, while the lake chan
lei is closed by ice Tor FIVE out of the twelve
months.
1t is important to Inquire whether trans.
ortation by this line Is or will be cheaper
Ian by railways, and will it pay the ex-
ense of opening and keeping open. No
Ian of improvement contemplates the ex-
enditure of more than Sl0,000,000 to COM
lete, and the one which l favor will cost
lnch less to maintain, as l shall hereafter
now, than to continue the Intellectual pro-
eSs OF dred ging now prscticed.
1t Is estimated that the Atlantic States |
ny OF the West 100000 bushels Of wheat