, 1874-02-10

of Ohio and Indiana OF such grave character
that resolution has beon offered In the Ohio
Legislature appealing to tho United statos to
Interfere and compel tho sovereign State Of In.
diana to fulfil her contracts. The casus belH
may be thus stated: In 1921 Congress author
lied the State Of Indiana to construct q canal
through tho public lands from tho 1aumco
River at Toledo, in Ohio, and the naylgablo
waters Of tho Wabash River, ind in 1927 Con-
grssa granted strip Of lind Ave sections wide
to aid In the construction of tho canal. This
grant was to lndiana and tho canal wna to re-
main forever public highway" Indiana sub
soquontly appoalod to Ohio to take the job Of
constructing the 80 miles Of canal in that State
of her hands, takipg tho proportion of tho land
grant for that purpose, and after long delays
Ohio consented, and became tile prop1i.ator Of
That end OF tho canal extending from Toledo TO
the Indiana State limo. Ohio spent s3 0N,, 900 Of
money. Terro Haute was then the head IT navi-
CATION On the Wabash River, and Indiana, after
severe struggle and at the ccst Of an enor-
1saous debt, also completed her cid OF the ditch,
3our feet deep and forty feet wide. Under this
debt the state labored hopeleasly for many
years, mud finally compromised with the bond-
holders, giving them 50 per cent Of their dnbt in
cash or new honda, all Of which hayo beon aimee
paid, aud tie canal! Ohio, on tho" other
hand, loasea her part Of the canal
at . nonina rent On condition that
1t bo kept in repair. Owing to the Introduction
Of railways, tile holders Of the indiana eul Of
tho canal have been unable to got enough out
Of ID to kesp the concern in order, md therefore
have practically abandoned it. The Indiana
part Ut the canal haa thua partly filed up-it
mover was very deep-and Ohio finds hen.clf
with piece Of cAnal leading nowhere. The
lcaseo Of the Ohio end has recenSly given up
his leane. Some fer years ago, Ohio rptiaed 1n-
diana that, when tho two States united in the
canal Job, there was formal contract that
each party was to maintain and keep
in repair ite portion Of the canal. To
this notice Indiana mado response that
pared and submitted for ratification to tho Leg
islatures OF the two Statos that tho Legislature
Of OHIO ratified tho contract, but that there ia
no record that tho Legislature Of 1u4liana over
did. Now, tho Legislature Of Ohio proposes to
ask the United States to compel 1nGiaua to re-
pair tho highway. Indiana has disp''sed Of her
interest," in the canal, and does not propose to
do apy thing Of tho kind.
Tnis is tho lntor-Staso controversy aa 1t
appears OIL the surface. But there is fsaouu,thing
v.ntlerneath. The bondholders who took tue
Indiana canal in part payment Of thoir debt
thought at tho time thoy Ind nude good tlzlng of
the bargain, bnt 1t has proved total loss. They
lave been for several years urging tho sttte to
take the canal back, aud givo then State bouda
for it, to the amount, porhaps, Of two or three
millions OF dollars. The State, however, has
refused to do 40. Now It haa been discovered
TINT "wator route" from Toledo through
Ohio, 1ndiana, and Illinois to Missouri
would DO just the thing to break down
railroad monopoly, and therefore they pro-
pose that Congress Rhall construct such canal
| by au appropriation from tho National Treasury,
Of courao buying tho present canal through Ohio
and Indiana. The old boudholders Of 1ndana
are perfectly willing to contribute TO break down
tho railroad monopoly by selling their aban-
doned ditch to the United States. Congress- may
also purchase tho Ohio canal at reasonable
price. Theu by oularging aud roconatructinG
them, and extending tho clsual to the
Mississippi River, great intcr-continou'
ta1, iao.hennal, anti-mouopoly highway cnr
bo furnished, to supplement- the Jamos
River t. kanawha enterprise. To got tho move!
to do this, al TINT IL nselsd is to print TIM
asaouns OF additional greens,aeks+ The "war
between Ohio and Indiana, upon investigation
will turn out to be = nero cover Of job to sci
two worthless aud abandor.ed canals to the Gov
ernmout.
From June 90, 1866, tc.June 80. 1874, Congress
appropriated for public, works in tho City o
Washington $t562o,o ,o00.- During that timo i
appropriated $7o.U0o for: dredging tho canal tim
runs through the etyf7 1t than approprlate
9tkatO0 for the nurcht 40 of tho same canal, III