The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1875-11-10
The Transportation Question.

Dodge county Agricultural Society,
at the fair grounds near Dodge Gen.
ire. His speech was devoted mainly
to the question OF transportation.
= Admitting that the State might legal
:, ly exercise authority over transpor-
tation companies, to defend its cit.
liens against their extoF tions, he
urged that the; use rof this power
must always By Of eq!liy6dal propri>
ETY., except in extreme cases, and
that it frequently might not be Of
practicable advantage, because the
lines of travel extend through sever
al States, while the authority Of each
State is restricted to its own territory.
I In consideration of the difficulties
attending this method Of, protecting
the interests Of Western farmers, he
maintained that the people of this
section ought, also, to insist upon
having the advantage Of all feasible
routes, and ESPECIALLY Of all routes
Of water carriage. The opening of
water communication from the Mis-
sissippi river to Lake Michigan, by
way of the Wisconsin and Fox rivers,
had, he said, been pronounced prac-
ticable by Major General Warren
and other eminent engineers, and
and at comparatively small cost;
and the improvements being made
by Capt: 1Eads at the mouth Of the
Mississippi would secure naviga-
BILE channel there for deep draft sea-
going vessels. The proposed routes
from the Ohio river through Western
Virginia, across Illinois, and through
Tennessee and Georgia were, like
wise, briefly alluded to. .'A
Mr.. Window said that the pur-
pose Of the Congressional commit
tee having charge Of this subject was
to inquire into a mum Der of routes,
so as to accommodate the entire
country. 1t could hardly be ex-
pected, that Congress would appro-
pirate large sums of money to beA-
eft the'People Of one. section, unless
those Of other portions were tos!re-
ceive compromising advantages; and
it would be especially difficult sin
this case, on account of the power
f4l influences that would be arrayed
against ga these projects by the corpo-
rations to be affected unfavorably.
Hence the desire to combine the
entire West and South in advocacy
Of these projects. AS to objections
of impracticability which had been
made, he did not pretend to answer
them, ,,to=ing no engineer, but was,
willing to take the word Of engineers
who had examined the routes care
fully and staked their Professional
reputation upon the favorable REL
ports they made. y,
We must confess to having been
surprised by, both ): the matter and
manner Of the DISCOURSE throughout,
1t was entirely devoid Of demagogu-
ical efforts to lead the people to
believe contrary to the burden of
proof offered, and';was modest
presentation of facts and arguments,
showing close study, extensive OBJ
servatlon, and careful ,1at1enti6n:
We were convinced that the speaker
had engaged earnestly in this labor
and that what he had done as con-
:gressional committeeman was with
a sincere: purpose to benefit the
farmers Of his own. State. The
opening of canal through. Wisceon-
sin, together with the enlargem tent of
the Erie canal, will free the people
OF, =, Minnesota Inn from dependence
wholly upon railroads, durin g the
season Of navigation, and give US
cheap transportation, and it will 'af-
ford at least seven weeks more Of
nayigable season than would be