The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-09-07
Ghe 9S!]ailg Arens,


| ktOuCiuueu from ScCOnu pdRGl
Of freight on the canal was about 100000
The cost by rail, at the ordinary rates west
OF Lake Michigan, away from water com
petition would have been 81, 722, 1923. This
makes saving to the people of more than
one million of dollars in one year, by one
little sectional canal.
The difference is still greater on the
Mississippi and other navigable streams
1t costs more to carry ton Of freight from
LaSalle to Chicago by rail than from La
Sale to New Orleans by water. when the
Illinois river is in good navigable condition.
The union Republican congressional
committee" in their milk and water ad-
dress to the people of the United States,
venture to say 1T is asserted that by an
expenditure of 100000, 600 per annum for
six or seven years, new channels may be
opened which will lessen the cost of trans
porting the grain product of the Mississip-
pi valley alone, in the SUN of $40, 10000
annually. The figures are startling, but
are far from improbable.
They do not venture an opinion on the
subject, but content themselves with say
ing 1T is asserted, and conclude by say
ing: but whatever may or may not be
expedient to be done, this much seems GER
tain: If the national government is to do
anything to cheaper transportation, only
the Republican party can be relied upon to
do it. The Democratic party has fore
sworn all such labors.'
NO HOPE FROM THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.
The Republican party has been in pow
er, more than thirteen years, with ample
power and still without any policy upon
this all.importaut transportation question
except to say, IF the railroad charges too
much you need not employ it." aud a
promise to Guido Democrats on internal
improvements.
The address of the Republican congress
is clear evidence of one of two things
They are either ignorant, or determined
upon sustaining the monopolies by non
committal policy in some cases, and in 9th
ers by espousing their cause openly.
1T HAS NO FINANCIAL POLICY.
On the finance question, the very best
they propose to do is to keep little ahead
of the Democrats. They admit squarely
that they are not agreed upon anything
touching this great question, but claim
that they are more likely to find the way
out Of the woods than the Democrats.
NO TRANSPORTATION POLICY.
They don't seem to know anything about
water transportation. They say it is ''as
serted that by an expenditure of from
1920, 100000 to $l40,0O0,OOO the produ-
GERS of the Mississippi valley would save
$40, 100000 annually. This assertion
seems to have startled this committee. -
They have never studied this great trans
portation question, and don't dare offer
any opinions, but promise if kept in power
to out do the Democrats. We are DISCUS
ted with this sham fight and talk of beat
ing the Democrats.
Will the people of Illinois and of the
Mississippi valley permit men so uncon
cerned about their welfare to continue in
power? These congressman can ex-
pend hundreds Of millions of money to i'm.
prove the property of spectators in har-
bors and city property, and in railways and
otherwise, but when it comes to the ques
ton of spending money to emancipate the
people of the Mississippi valley from bond
age to railway kings they touch it with
assertion without opinion or promise,
except this: Keep us in power, and we
will do better by you than the Democrats
ever did. Such miserable attempt at
humbugging the people, or of ignorance on
the part of these congressman, is indeed
startling. And so much so as to make it
certain that this people are determined on
starting such men from power and placing
in their stead those who have more inter
est in the improvement of the highways in
the Mississippi valley than in the city of
Washington.
THE REFORM MOVEMENT TIE PEOPLES |
ONLY HOPE.
The state of Illinois has peculiar inter
est in this reform movement, by reason OF
its remoteness from the markets of our
own, as well as reign countries. We
cannot thrive upon the glories or misfor.
tunes of the past. Old party names and
partisan feelings must be thrown to the
winds if we would institute measures of re
lief from the misrulings of the past We
earnestly invite all friends of reform and
retrenchment in the state to join rs in the
effort to regulate the great corporations Of
the country; to get their products to mar
ket at reasonable figure; and to elevate the
masses. JAS. NJ. ALLAN,
Chairman Independent Reform Central
Committee