Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1874-01-21

:. anticipate more important results from add
, ticna facilities for transpor ia ton by means c
this river hereafter.
La this connection I would also call Won
attention to the Importance of q slack waite
) communication between the Mississippi an
/ st. Croix rivers Such an improvement woul
hasten the rapid development of our owl
state, and would prove equally beneficial t.
other northern states bordering on the Misss
sippi memorial to congress on this sub
ject might serve to call the attention of tina
body to the nature and Importance OF thi
route. .. ....
FOX AND WISCONSIN RIVERS.
Intimately connected with the question O
cheap transportation, Is the cOmmendabl,
undertaking of Congress to complete practi
cal and permanent water route between the
Mississippi river and the great lakes, b,
means of the Fox and Wisconsin rivers Fol
the first time the national government as
sumed the active and exclusive responsibilit1
of this important national ENTERPRISE in Octo
ber 1879. At that time the work was trans
ferred from the Green Bay and Mississippi
Canal Company to tho United States govern.
ment and during the past year the improve.
ment has been effectively prosecuted, under
the immediate direction of Assistant United
States Engineer, Capt J ohm Nader. In his
general charge of this improvement, states
that there is no public work more national in
its character than this that by this route the
products of the southwest will find cheap
| transportation to the seaboard, and the um-
Der and iron of the northwest to the Mis- sissip-
pi Valley, and that 'sthere is no other route
which will meet the necessities of 50 large a
section Of the United States at so small an
expense" Capt, Nader estimates that the
whole work may be completed II accordance
with the plan early in the year 1876, and at
an expense to the nation trifllng in compari-
son with the benfits anticipated.
! .... CHEAP TRANsPo RATION BY LAND.
The permanent 1mpro vement of natural
water channels Of a national character, doubt
| less furnishes partial solution of the ques-
zion of cheap transportation. But the prob.
lem is one Of vital significance in all it's
phases, and also must be fearlessly and intel
ligently considered in relation to land car.
riage. with view to every possible relief from
existing evils. Wisconsin has territorial
area approxlmating that Of all the New Eng
land states combined, and it's sell abOunds
with many sources of agricultural and min.
eral wealth, now comparatively vaueless,
because Of the obstacles to quick and cheap
| transit Of freight to distant markets. Every
reduction in the cost Of exchanges between
the producer and the consumer necessarily
| enhances the value of every acre Of our ter
rltory, and induces corresponding invest
ment of capital and labor in the development
OF our material prosperity. The serious con-
| slderatlOn OF this matter can no longer be
prudently postponed. The agricultural
| classes, upon whom rest the heavier burdens
OF governments, and who are ordinarily the
last to claim or receive special protection at
| the hands of the legislative power. are but
reasonable in their demand for security in the
future against the wrongs of the past, and
for such intervention on the part of their rep
resentatives as SD all secure that just reward
for intelligent labor already generally assured
to the American people IN nearly all other de-
partments Of labor and enterprise. We can
not be blind to the general truth, that classes
| favored by government, or conspicuous in the
management of corporate interests have be-
| come pc SIS essed of wealth far in excess Of hu-
man want, or the natural fruits OF human in
dustrv, while toe average farmer of our state
| scarcely realizes the ordinary wages of his
| hard and protracted daily labor, and is com
PEELED to rely upon the indirect influences OF
| immigration. mostly from foreign nations, for
any visible increase in his landed possessions
Certain 1t is, that Wisconsin, with large aud
constant accesslOns to her private capital and
working population, with soil naturally pro-
ductlve far beyond the average OF American
states, and with an amount of exports large
ip proportion to her population, should have
reached at this time rank In the scale OF ma
terial progress much higher than she now oc-
cupIes. i.it a# iias...'t asH .-'3'5'S5e-'. s2s
eral government for relief from abuses in tia e
operation OF railways. Apart from the ques-
ton OF constitutional power, always worthy of
grave consideration in connection with in
ternal enterprises of this kind, it must be con-
fessed that experience has not given occasion
for Unlimited confidence in the ability, purity
or mpartiality OF congress in the mana cement
of enterprises OF this class = fgs s4-,4- rsa
Fol tunately no doubt can exist as to the
plenary power OF our own state over corpora
ttons Of its own creation. By constitutional
provision all existing enactments on the sub
ject may be altered or repealed 5Haa.. 5a+~2
The duty of the legislature to exercise this
power to the full extent of preventing or abol-
ishing the evils of monopoly and extortion, is
equally clear. A corporation which transpires
to plumber the people by whose con-ent it
exists, betlays It's trust and justly forfeits its
claim tC existence. - .-q...s<- . -.s#. I'D. rs
1t must be admitted, however, that railway
companies are necessary to the prosperity
and development of the state, and that in the
discharge of their honorable obligations to the
public, they are entitled to the gratitude and
pOsitl e and uniform protection OF legislative
authority. In this matter the people will
make no peace with enemies, but they seek no
war with friends. While they are willing to
encourage to the fullest extent the develop
ment Of the railway system Of our State, they
cannot submit to manifest injustice, nor per-
NIT the abuse of chartered privileges.
Inc great problem Jhen Is, how shall the
State afford proper protection and encourage
ment to all it's varied industries, and, at the
same time, mete out equal and exactj justice to
all it's citizens.
The precise manner in which the state can
best exercise it's power for the protection of
the people against the abuses Of railway cor.
pora tons, is question not now presented
for the first time. There is no aspect of the
subject which has not been the occasion of
rigid investigation by the wisest statesmen of
this country and Europe, and there is no con-
ceivable expedient of legislation which has
not been resorted to on both continents for the
attainment of the most desirable results. In
matter so complicated and important, it can
not be expected Of me to recommend, or the
Legislature to adopt soecitc measures Of re-
lief, without much research and mature de-
liberation. Permit me to briefly suggest,
however, a few general propositions OF a
practical character. as basis of legislative
action
1. Railway companies are entitled to full
return of all proper expenditures for running
and repairing roads, with fair interest on the
capital so invested in the construction and
outfit Of such roads; and this interest on the
capital so invested should be sufficient in
amount To eOcOuraoa the contjnuous amnlov.