The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-12-05
THE PRESS,
SATURDAY MORNING. DEC. 5, 1874
Government Railways and Canals.

NO'SA AAAASae anu Sn"Aos
The Cheap Transportation Conventio
which has been in session at Richmond, Va,
the present week appears to be mainly made
up of parties who are intent on besieging
Congress during the ensuing session with an
extended scheme of Government participa-
ton in the construction of railways and ca
mails. To be sure, there was minority in
the Convention opposed to that policy, but
large majority of the delegates were either
schemers who propose to derive personal
profit from such action,b Congress, or enthus-
lasts who are riding hobby. Each section
represented had its scheme and the result is
the recommendation of trans-continental
railways, trans-continental canals and vast
deal OF transcendental nonsense. In short,
al! OF those schemes foreshadowed in Sena-
tor WINDOWS report and halfand-half en-
dorsed in the address of the Republican Con-
gressional Committee issued last July, are
emphatically endorsed by the Convention, land,
in due time, their advocates will probably ap-
pear in Washington with bill committing
the Government to all those plans for cheap
transportation and calling for an expenditure
of not less than $20O,OO0,OOO.
The utter absur6ity of all these schemes
may be ascertained by noticing single ex-
anple-that of the Kanawha Canal, which
its advocates say will bring st. Louis 22O miles
nearer the seaboard, Louisville 500 and other
distributing points of the Southwest in like
proportion. 1t is estimated that it will cost
$6O,0O0,000 and will require $1,000,000 an
nually 10 keep it in repair. 1t would save
thirty-six out of forty-nine cents on every
bushel of wheat from the Mississippi to the
seaboard and, with a tonnage of 10000, 900,
would save twice us UoGsta cost IL a sr.ssss
yearl All this is very wonderful. Here is
AZ enterprise which promises 10 realize 200
per cent. year and would possess such adj
vantages that it could carry freight for less
than half of what it would cost railroads
and make an annual dividend of two or three
hundred per cent, on the capital employed.
Still the CARROTS and Vanderbilts continue
to work expensive railway lines which pay
only from six to ten per cent on the invest
ment Now it is no. in the nature of things
that such an opportunity would be neglected
by shrewd and experienced capitalists. The
fact is there is no such opportunity. The
project is the assumption of Missionaries or
spectators intent on committing the Gov
ernment to an experiment which will inaug-
urate an era Of fraud and eventuate in failure.
Fortunately Congress has no time to devote
o these schemes, and we cannot believe that
majority OF that body is in any temper for
the wasting of time in serious consideration
of matter so absurd and yet fraught with
so much of evil.
1t is well known fact that the Govern
ment, in the execution of its own business, is
wasteful. It costs the Government much
more to construct its buildings and shops,
than it does private parties. When, there
fore, the Government undertakes to build or
aid in building railroads, there will be the
most startling extravaganza. We have
striking illustration of this in the revelation
of the fraud and corruption in connection
with the building of the Union Pacific Rail-
road. Government was never intended for
the purposes of engaging in business. Ger
tainly it is TO part OF the mission ola Repu5-
lican government to be paternal or to be-
come rival with its citizens in business
which belongs exclusively 10 them.
Certain newspapers are urging the prop
osition for the Government to Iembark in
these railway and canal schemes on the
ground of affording the unemployed laboring
men work TO do. This is pretext of the
lobby, which moments consideration will
show 10 be the most transparent nonsense,
because DO possible system of public works
could afford aid TO any part of the unem-
ployed men, unless an enterprise should be be-
gun in every state in the Union, which is
impossible. A comparatively small body
might secure temporary employment, but
the most of the money would go to specula-
tors, while the whole country would suffer
taxation for their benefit. 1t does not re-
quire much penetration 10 discover that this
sort of advocacy is only mask under which
Tom SCOTS jobbery may be enabled 10 steal
nto a degree of favor it could not attain by
open advocacy 1t is curious 10 note that
the advocates of this reckless scheme at the
same time declare for an imitation of the cur
rency. They well know that this is the first
step toward the accomplishment of their OBJ
iect. Thus, the proposition for Government
participation in railroad and canal building
shelters under its wing pestilent brood of
evils-corruption, johbery, imitation, profit
5 gacy, increased taxation and consequent dis
asters.
Vain is it for the journals of the Southern
Pacific and Northern Pacific Railroads 10 ap-
peal to Republicans in Congress to save the
party by giving laboring men a chance to
work upon the construction of these enter
prises. Mr.. Scott and his Washington Re-
publican must not assume that the Republi-
can leaders are such fools as to be caught
with such chat. The lobbyists well know
that the endorsement of such reckless
scheme would be fatal and suicidal to any
party. 1t is we'll for them to know that the
whole sober sentiment of the people is ar
rayed against them and their schemes with
their inseparable horde of evils, and the party
responsible for their endorsement would 60
down and deserve to go down. We, there
fore, believe that all these scandalous schemes
will futter and die in the lobby.
A MAN has lately died In the Prestwica
Asylum in England, who is called by the
English papers ian unfortunate lunatic."
The premises upon which they found this ac-
cusation seem to US altogether insufficient.