National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-01-17
WATER OR RAILWAY LINES,
OPINIONS 1xHE cHEAPERAxaPoR.
EArI0E CONTENTION. -

HAL1V1 NV1 o114VNs
ADDRESe BY COL. c. W. FLAGG, OF ILL
NoIs, ON NARRow-GAUsE RAILWAYS ~
BE BUILT BIT THE aovERNMENr-aEN
ERAL DISCUSSION OF WATER ROUTE
AND NATIONAL HIGHWAYS AND Rail
WAYs-ANOrHER SESSION TO-DAY.
Tho third session Of the National CONVENTION I
Ns Anesfcan Chesp Transportation Associate
vas heN yesterday ct Lycsum hail..
ia euoveption WAS called to order BY Hol
Joasn Quincy, chairman, and Mr.. W. o. iFlagu
srez1aent of the Illinois Stste Farmers' Assoeis
kon vas introduced, and delivered m address q
hNatienal Railway Highway"
He bex,n with the assertion that the danger Q
khe latter part Of the nineteenth century Hes d
he power Of it, moneyed corporations, and cite.
sn , :ss SE0 pr.dsssns tbs state x ssls
~ from Henry Q. Carney on the same subject.
IN support Of the fulhllment Of the prediction
h referred to the corporate bodies which con
Eslisd the navigation Of the Upper Mississippi
- - 81 New Orleans, which was suppressin{
he commerce Of the Loyer Ml.sssissiPRi y IN
SoSt,ei he elevators nd levied their trtbuse 8
WI fhe railroads, stsEmboats and nyeS ?
DaiifcInia lie 70 the lrssp Of one ieg.n.ed Sane
Sad sS0 ~ sanction II What is called kx, con
hrmed and enforced by what We arc vafnly tsught
10 honor % judicial decisions, produce consomefl
aIsss sse , f Ssi2 p1.ssns
He afHasd that railways In effect we're poonl
kighvsSs and quoted numerous eminent e.
- pFactifaiiy ignored In the United StaAss
LagislaAlI6s permitted, railroad compaAies -
SuiSsd and courts decided that In ehece . railway
x,s Pirate ~. =: s0spSssn 4, sas =. -.
Sheedle 81 WY through legisiativs ehambefe
4 chspter vas then devoted TO the definition d
-
asaH, rsilssys. tSrnpikes and roads. Re veail
ievete his senarks 70 railways, which - uEBs<
LDoIsLATIvR CONTROL. y.
covnshdp, city, county, State and nation all bonn
;oads and streets. Why should the laying dowr
prm Of vehicle upon them Be 20 dlsassrous to thu
Sablie welfare compared with the manipulation
q the credit mobflier and the .doings Of Erie.
ss az
trueted BY the authorities Of the territory In
uhich they ". He read from reports Of commits
s1d ssr views WITH ots in
country. He next quoted Nom Sir Rowland Hilrt
work on the railway of the future, in which he
.dyocstes the narrow gauge and gives some ne IN
hat the tendency in all Europe Is that the rail.
gay Of the future shall be the local rs well a
principal highways Of the country.
Referrhg TO the objection that in this country
here would be abuses, he said the prevailing cor
uption foul as It is docs not strike so deep as the
ottenness of private corporations, whose rule OF
yction is the interest of the association not the
Conscience of the individual. The power Of Con
;ress to regulate transportation was next dis
used, and the opinions OF several high anthori-
ties read to sustain the views Of the speaker, in
addition to which the law of Congress ITO limit
he liabilities OF shipowners" 1.-THE act to facli-
tate commercial, postal and military communi-
.ation between the several States, " and "the law
regulating the carrying of live stock" were re-
kerred to.
The difference in the rate per milo charged on
Congress should legIslate IN regard to the matter
IS many of the roads passed through different
states and Territories the Legislatures Of which
arm way. He would not have fixed rate. but
uggested the appointment OF a commission which
ihould have discretionary power in the matter.
Satisfied Of the authority of the Government in
he premises. he would invoke national lcgisla-
ion and recommend the establishment Of .
cries of
EAST AND WEST AND NORTH AND SOUTH
Ines, which should cndeavor to connect the Gen.
res Of production, agriculture, mining and man
appreciation in such a manner that each section
night have the full advantage Of its special pro-
tuct and each section obtain most cheaply what
does mot His Proposition was tS, ara%
Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Washington,
1ynchburg and Atlanta, to Pensacola and Mo-
pile, and you connect New England man Mia
and and Virginia oal-helds, and the rice and
'ott0n-felds of the Southeastern States by o lire
Yearly parallel with the coast, and on the east
ide Of the mountains.
Draw second line nearly parallel with the
irst from Cleveland, Ohio, through Cincinnati,
-ouisville and Nashville to New Orleans, and the
ugar and cotton of Louisiana and Mississippi
nay be exchanged for the butter and cheese Of
Northern Ohio and the coal of Alabama, Ken
lucky, Tennessee and Ohio md q cheap outlet In
Draw a third lima from Hruvaure. tbronob
,hicago, through St Louis to Galveston, and the
oal Of Illinois, the iron ore Of Missouri and the
ugar, cotton and cattle of Louisiana and Texas
an be probably fnterchanged. fourth line,
My part Of which is now demanded BY the ne
essities Of the case, would start at Duluth, pass
trough St. Paul. Des Moines and Topeka, and
hen draw o line from Omaha through Des
loines, Chicago, Toledo, and from thence by such
line as to
iNTERsEcT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE
the bituminous and anthracite coal fields Of
to New York, and you will furnish
< ehange with the manufactures of New England
nd the imports Of Boston and New YORK, as we'll
. admit the coal of Pennsylvania by second and
heap route into New York, New England snd
'est line from Topeka through st. Louis, Cincih-
ati and Parkersburg to Baltimore, and you con-
ect three great coal fields with regions that are
estitute; furnish another great outlet for tho
Omit the Commerce Of Baltimore and Philadel-
hia 1t living rates to the Mississippi Valley.
be country and would abound in the best quality
T -four. Draw a third line from Little Rock,
hr0ugh Memphis, Chattanooga and Knoxville to
!orfSif; and you again sst the LIZ, more mort Soythen
n to better market, and rouse up the last.and
lost neglected seaport Of the South. Draw .
'urth line from Shreveport, through yicksburg
nd you open up the cotton r,gton to . more stir
ing and profitable commerce and make corn
heap in Georgia and North Carolina.
han rival the water ways. They are 30 = sondd-
rabls extent on routes already occupied by other
pads, but these could Be purchased or condemned
e nile, Which would be about saaooo, 900 for
ach road, or 600, 900 900 for the whole, about
,ooo. 900 on the average for each State through
q each acre Of land within three miles Of line,
tHo thirds Of one par cent. on the total wealth
7 the country, and Is less than one half the an
usl rsirosd shn,gs' Of Of TIE r. county H urged
overnment could easily secure the necessary
Ieans, and concluded.
NJ. Fsrgusen moved that vote q thank, be
Die addresses, and that they be published, for |
istribution by the convention; which was agreed |
,mmittee had made an estimate Of the expenses |
the convention, and called upon the delegates
, contribute, which they did.
as:Ts g. M Ss9: Of Illinois; M..xsli Of Ten;
NJ. r. B. Thurber, or New York, from the CON-
'ittee on rstlrosds, submitted the following re-
ort: E-.r. ~.
TIE committee On railway transportation Of |
Ais convention respectfully report that the chAr-
No granted by the people Of the different States
ma . vofl~NyR have IN fUata0Aea hAea