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

y will for the next twenty years be one
lillion souls annually.
4f. Speaker, 10 IL not striking fact,
Tofthy the rapt attention of statesmen,
nat . region % vast - this great valley
nth it, millions of busy men, its resour-
% 20 great. it's wants 90 numerous and
xactine, its intelligence 90 varied, d.
and extensive, its success 90
marx ed In all matters Of business, has
70 open highway to the sea Yet such
the fact. The tea and coffee, the spices
nd exstics which supply the people of
~ section reach them through tie port
4 New York.
LsavenWorth the CT lief city of Kansas.
. separated from the Atlantic ON the
ast By eighteen degrees oflon gitude and |
rom the Gulf Of Mexico on the south by |
'ine degrees OF latitude. 1t IL barred |
rom the eastern coast by broad rivers.
Intensive forests. and high mountains.
mpassble excep, by long, devious, din
;ult deiiles, steep accents. and costly ,un-
sels; while between II and the southern
,oast NO obstacles OF any kind intervene.
all thir, however, this
tate Of fact exists. The coffee used on
Ihe breakfas!-tables Of that city this
the silks wor by her ladies to.
lay, and oil The imports which minister
10 the wants, the taste, or the luxury of
her citizens came BY way Of our ere,,
Eastern port, Through tunnels, overmoun.
lains, aeross prairies; lakes, and rivers.
And Why! Simply because the Missis-
sippi Valley has no sea port.
Another view. The beef and pork
product at the great pscking>houses of
the wheat and corn raised by
her farmers, all the articles of exports
ton, for the most part raised from the
soil or manufactured in her factories, or
from whatever source, 70 out to the sea
through the artificial gatewsys of the
East, instead Of by the natural outlet of
the Gulf of Mexico. The result is most of
the CROPS raised on our fertile lands will
not bear exportation; and those which
are exported are consumed in freight by
the time they reach the market of desti-
nation, while the price set upon our I'M
ports 10 far In excess of what it oneht to
be. The consequence which follows is
plain. Living on the most fertile spot
Of tho globe. where it 10 literally true
the farmer has only to" tickle the
ground with his hoe and the soil will
laugh with abundant harvests," our peo-
ple do not thrive as they ought. and their
whole attention is correctly directed to
find and apply the remedy for the evil.
Hence the farmers movement Ofthe West
cheaper TRANSPORTATION. Can any one
glance at the picture here drawn and SUE
pose for moment that this movment is
a Temporary call of unrests II he does,
let me assure you, Mr., Speaker. he is
indeed mistaken. What ID TO day only q
slight ripple OF the waters OF discontens
will next year have swelled into gale.
increasing in fury with the increased
force of a million helpers annuaIy aoded
tn the mo:ive-power behind inc s'ofm'
cloud.
The people who reside west OF the
Mississippi cannot afford 10 cross tnat
stream to find market for their products,
or to obtain the Injuries and necessaries
which their country does not afford. And
! have shown that two thirds OF the VAL
lev 10 to the westward Of the river. When
You take into view the fact that the
States and Territories west are the ones
in which the increase of population will
be mostly found, 10 it not manifest that
the crv for cheap transportation cannot
be stifled. IL it not plain that no legis-
lation relative to railroads, however wise
and wholesome, can answer the call which
will 60 up for cheap transportation-for
. home port.
Mr.. Speaker. when I contemplate the
magnitude Of the interests involved. lam
amazed that the cry for cheaper trans
portsnt. for home port, had not long
since been raised and become a univer-
sal demand throughout the West.
Onlv the fact that the nation for the
last fifteen years has been in the throes
of civel war and the disorders which fol-
low such convulsions; only the fact that
the people Of the great valley are pos
sessed of patriotism so exalted that
they subordinate interest to love ofcoun.
try. and that they fully understood the
perplexities in which il would involve
the country in those troublous times to
have made the demand in this behalf
which they now make, can account for
the patience and forbearance which they
have exercised all these years. History
tells you they were not unadvised of the
importance Of the question when the war
broke out in 1861. Sir. when it became
demonstrated truth that q great peri,
menaced the integrity of the Govern
ment and threatened to transfer the out
let Of our great river to q foreign power,
the hardy sons of the whole West ewar-
med from their farms and their work
sh0ps their counting rooms, their offic-
es. and their pulpits to the defense OF
their country with the slogan and war
and. cir. BY their valor and devotion,
displayed on 90 many historic and men,
orable fields unvexed to the sea those
waters 60.
Mr. Speaker. Il should do wrorg to pause
here. Although of western origin, this
war-cry was confined to NO section, but
East rs well - West all felt that the
chain that for months barred our steam
boats from southern waters at Columbus,
kentucky, in the early days of the war
and by which puny men expected to re-
verse the laws Of nature, would be an in
supportable bur len upon the neck of
every citizen of the Republic should such
. fact be made perpetual. The closing
of that national highway by armed enc
mics of the country WAS as offensive to
you of the East as to Us of the West
And here let me be simply just. / do
not intend to array the sections. That
the East has prospered and the interests
of the West have been neglected; that
the Government in its Executive De-
partnents is scarcely represented any
where westward of Ohio; that executive
marks are in fact obli.erated beyond the
that infinitely the greatest
ms jority of representatives ia all these
is eastward of the Alle-
ghsnies 10 The fault of no section, no
party. For the last quarter of q cen,
Try has been employed in solving the
problem Of human rights and not attend
ing to the material interests of sections.
In that high duty the West has borne
ts full share, and claims an equal divis-
ION of the glory which arises from great
success. Only this say. now that the
zreat question which divided the coun-
nv into . North and South is removed |
by the abroga,iOn of the evil; now that
he Union is restored and rehabilitated;
,ov that Ku-Klux disorders ON the one |
tide and misrule on the other have to q |
Rreat extent ceased and the bitter sor- |
'ows of the war been assuaged by time.
which ever brings "healing on its wings"
ome eection, some party, will be res. |
,onsible II this state of things shall con-
inue and relief is longer denied to Us.
Ne come to arraign NO one for the past.
We come, sir, in q spirit of respect and
and ask that our present de-
hands be met in like goodwill, conf
lent that We do not ask in vain.
And here, Mr.. Speaker, pardon me