National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-11-26
CHEAP TRANSPORT TTON

The report prepared by Mr. Window
upon the subject of cheap transportation of
the products of labor contains many inter-
esting statements of fact with which every
man should become familiar. The actual
annual movement of 213, 900, 900 bushels Of
grain from the wheat fields of the North
west to the Eastern and Southern markets
for consumption and export, upon which
an economy of movement averaging TWEEN
ty cents per bushcl could be made by max
ing the Improvements recommended in that
report, is a most startling announcement
This is almost $40, 900, 600 per annum to
be saved upon grain alone. The economy
upon all other agricultural and mineral
products would be in like proportion.
THE resulting benefits, " says the report,
"will, for all time, annually repay more
ethan double the entire cost. 4" These chan
nels once constructed, at a cost of less than
$50, OOO, 900 (the lowest estimate being
$3.50, OOO, 900, and the highest 1856, 600, 0OO)
for the four great water routes, would
thereafter doubly pay for their cost every
year. These are facts which are agreed to
by mixed committee of Republican and
Democratic Senators. There was no dis
sensiOn or disagreement at all upon these
points, and the deduction from them of the
above results.
But when it came to a question of power
resident in Congress, which means the peo-
pie, to do these economical things, then
these Democrats who are constantly shout
ing economy in our ears until we are deaf,
are very doubtful on the subject. Their
economy is Of the penny wise and pound
foolish" order. They are ready to save
few drops which poor devil'' is catch
ing at the spigOt but they are not troubled
by the waste at the bunghole, - which is
going on by the loss, ship-load after ship
load, of grain and cotton which Britain
takes of Russi1 and India, because they fur
nish them cheaper than we can.
The same report states that Russia fur
nished Britain, from 1860 TO 1864, inclusive,
Al, 376, 800 bushels Of wheat. We furnished
her, during the same period, 127, 047, 126
bushels. Now, observe the contrast. From
1858 to 1874, inclusive, Russia furnished
III, 967, 022 bushels against 116, 1852, $50
from the United States in the same time
Here is an increase of over seventy millions
for Russia, and a decrease of over ten mil
lions in the supplies taken from US. Sup
pose Russia to adopt our machinery for the
purposes Of handling, ,threshing and trans
feIrng of grain, and we make no advance
in these matters from our present position,
and we shall be utterly driv en- from the
British grain market. Our cotton exports
show a similar state of affairs. In 1860
Great Britain took from us /, lis, 800, 6O8
pounds Of cotton as against 275, O4s, IA
pounds from all other countries. In 1872
we sent her 625, GOO, $50, while other coun-
tries furnished her 783, 2S7, 1872 pounds.
In other words, India is rapidly driving
our cotton from the British market.
Shall we submit to this, or shall we turn
the tide il our favor by cheapening pro-
duction and transportation, so as to main
tain our foothold in the markets of the
world? But the Democrats come up and
say this proposition that the people shall
use their own credit and their own money
TO create channels through which they NAV
exchange the products of their own labor is
moDstrous. 1t cannot be tolerated for a
moment They say we must pay tolls to
the railroad monopOlists, because we have
not the power as "a Government. Congress
has power to make and carry on wax,
even to the extent Of running the country
into thousands Of millions of debt. 1t is
III, a.
to destroy Life and property, and stop pro-