National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-01-16

DAY MORNING, JAN
blsd, Snd from the discussion which he expected
% follow they could detipee certain practical
1880. which oosld b embodied In report or
Thsfellsvtnsk thS1 G:FlJJa G25ASl
~ MAJORITY REPORT.
Restlved, That some system Of inland transpor-
Itation cheaper than that which We now possess ID
The glsat need Of the country:
eksspsst ,ssns "a moviax the heavy productso d
the feld, forest and mines, and that some system
esr 6tercourse The different sections Of the eoun-
Try, y the great need Of the whole country, and Is
! l6psratively demanded II We would revive our
t@saen eon@sres and increase and develop our
HsssissG That TO eject this object, 20 essential
e " whole country, The United States Govern
Which form the natural channels Of trade, and
soe.:st thsss By such syssen q canal. a. will
tenes 70 the sss, and the means Of intercommuni:
cation between the States themselves. This will
give cheap food 70 the industrial interests ofthe
the mining and che manufacturing interests Of
one section and the cotton interest Of the other.
he present object in View and that h. matters q
detail may b safely len to the wisdom Of Con
fHI MINORITY R1P0Rr.
Mr. Allen, Of Illinois, said that he desired to
Il: inss1s:' Is ,A he ss1er.i
he Tine had been given the COMMITTEES to con
sidsr; grave and momentous subjects. In his
ijudgnent Il was better TO start with specific
effect and 70 thas end he had prepared minority
/ Where's the great wsnt Of this country 10 cheap
ttxaospes4ak10o, and the experience Of the past
tpesvss eoacluiiyely that heavy freight can DO
I'd; ssd Shsssss he sr.ss mas: q the proaes ~
~ wsn - eeosumers arc suffering continued and
uninterrupted oppression from railroad corpora
transportation money enough to make all the im-
provsmsnts herein ccatemplsted; and whereas
tasrs are g many ssasss "a . nssy nil !, sf
combine them in making the needed improve
Genera ao1ssanss a tssrs fo s.- 'A '
1ssoIved, That this eonventlo, propose to Con
grsss - . means Of afording tho relief to the
Of the Erie canal and Like route Is may be prac-
tcsblc, and the enlargement and extension OF the
Illinois and Michigan canal to The Mississippi
ton Of the work on tho Illinois river, which will
furnish additional and cheaper transportation
MORT g I'D sso be- the
means Of sdectnafly cheapening rates for freight
upon all the railroads running 70 the Mississippi
IsOH IVA1 Sn0 luOutu VI IAo OutO " Jul uortueiu
| limits, and such Improvement Of the Mississippi
river ct its mouth aud elsewhere ~ may be
needed a, 70 furnish good nsyigation to the Gull,
scaboard by the Tennessee river route called the
| Atlantic and Great Western.
the or dre 2. ee Ie
be sent 70 Congress, asking such aid Of the Gen.
ernl Government as may BIO necessary to accom-
plish tho result named I'm the foregoing resou-
Resolped. That the members Of this convention
from the States Of New York, Illinois, Alabama,
as are earnestly interested in the water lines
named In tho foregoing resolution, be requested
to confer with the legislatures Of the above
named States and endeavor to secure such legis-
lation rs may be necessary to aid tho General
Government In the speedy completion Of said
The Chair stated that the resolutions were be-
fore the meeting and debate was in order.
No other gentleman desiring to speak, Mr..
Allen again took the floor He said he was
Western farmer, and had for forty years labored
under tho difficulties incident to high and in
suhecnt transportation, and had made the sub
were what was needed. He urged that in the
light OF past experience 1t would be folly to 20 to
then they should go as a unit. There had ever
been and ever would be an objection to any gene
raj system. 1t was impracticablc for the Govern
rivers which had been from time to lime prepared
and discussed; The propositions OF the minority
report set forth what was known to be necessary.
Of their request to Congress.
AN INDEPENDENT REPORT.
Mr.. H. Whittemore, Of Kankatce. Ill, said
neither Of the reports met his views, and he sub
mitted the following as an independent one:
inc pTosper ny Oh the whole country
turai interests by having reasonable freight
charges upon the transportation Of its products:
and whereas II has been fully demonstrated that
our present water means OF transportation is in
adequate to meet the demands of our present and
increasing productions and commerce; therefore,
Resolrcd, That 1t is the duty, Us It has hereto
fore been the policy of our Government that the
necessary appropriation be made by Congress at
its present session for the opening Of Northern
water route for largo vessels by the construction
Of = ship canal around Niagara Falls, and by the
opening OF tho gulf route BY the Improvement Of
fSs hIs nothne but
right and justice for the agricultural interests of
the whole country. and comedies the same to all
railroads or against capital as such, but only
against such organizations of capital rs have
sought Or arc seeking Congressional enactmcnts
capital not protected by Legislation.
RescIred, That We have met together not rs
partisans but as lreemen WIN look with single
eye to the future prospects and happiness Of our
Ho then addressed the convention a, follows:
ADpRxss OF Mr.. wHIrrENoRE.
1t cannot be concealed that there existsin our
country opinions and feelings on this subject In
peCpe eu%bipinr great n.eiiirence aetTty and
Influence, doubt sincere In their belief that
the operations Of trade and transportation ought
railroads to be under the control Of Congress
On the other hand, o majority Of the people are
believed to be opposed to that measure. They
to their rights, and many Of them regard 1t rs 4
violation Of the Constitution. All communities
are apt to look to Government for too much. The
trainers of that excellent CONSTITUTION, and the
people who approved II with calm and sagacious
delibsration, acted ut the time on sounder prin-
The
ter for the general prosperity;
1t Is not the Governments legitimate object to
n Ths
would be substantially to use the property OF
some for the benefit of others. But its real duty,
government the most precious Of human bless
ings 10 to enact and enforce Q system Of general
laws: Leave the enterprise and energies Of the
hopes. Let every man b. taught to rely on him
self his best agent for the success of his efforts
am satisfied the only hope We have is for the
legislation, the important truth that should be
everywhere known, that there Is no power under
:nSsse Of is the Waik Of
States. 1 cannot doubt that on this, rs on all
similar occasions, the Government will find its
ness Of the whole people, when limited to the
exercise Of Its conceded powcrs-in never assum-
ing, even for o well-meant object such powers as
was not designed to be conferred upon it, we
shall In reality do most for
THE GENERAL WELFARE.
To avoid every unnecessary interference with
the pursuits Of citi1ens private corporations,
will result In moro benefit than to adopt measures
which could only assist limited interests and are
eagerly soughtfor under the pressure oftemporary
circumstances The spirit Of our age shoald be
decidedly against exclusive privileges. They are
correctly deemed to be not only unjust, but i'm
polite and iniudicious. Even Lord Liverpool
declared publicly, in ls2s ..thst exclusive privi
leGes were gone out Of fashion,
What 10 tko nature Of this 0ovsrnnentf u Il
not smphatically federal, vested with IN aggrs-
rate d speeined powers for general psrposesf
The powell TO charter companies d not specified in
the grant. and contend It q Of . nature not
trAnsfagabls By mere implication. In tho exercise
Of this gigantic power We hsvs seen . SeatA Sec
company and . MiMiselppl company that dis
trastsd and eonvulsed slf 1arope. Ard Of still
later day have We not seen ered1e 0oeilie9 eom-
panyf What = . cooperative saeh - these rail-
road moaopolists eonfemplsts9 Why, sr, 4 @ Q
offended Gssoeiat1oa q hvorsd inAivaaals, taken
from the mass OF society, invested with exsmp-
lions end su1Foandsd By fmnanitiss and PRIV
flcEsa.
philosophy PHILOSOPHY which, In ooptempla-
ton, seeks truth absolute and truth relative In
the pracfieal affairs Of life and men. Such .
PHILOSOPHY cannot b divorced Iron action, for all
rtght sotion 70 truth realised. Having rot our