New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-02

IL he iDaugurated II, = am willing for one
ceive that every good citizen, OF every party.
should be willing to do the same. and to give
sandard-bearer. conceive, Mr. Chairman, that the
who little understands what the feeling OF the
people - as attempt make out of 1t mere personal
advantage or mere personal gan' VIII ma IN the eld
are be trded with when the question 10 brought
distinctly before them In black and white To my MIND
they are entirely IN earnest ie T mn nns,nsss
from Buff 10 to the City OF York. They mean the
calling out OF the men concerned IN these frauds ana
they mean the entire overthrow OF the system under
which the canals have been managed Ana To-Day, In
carrying on al G ea az s esE S6e
the resolutions which You are about to adopt anu tue
fact that so many influential gentlemen are here
present will have very great and commanding effect
lApplause.J
SPEECH OF THE HON. ERASTUS BROOKS.
Mr.. PRESIDENT The cause or occasion for
this meeting assembled Of the busiest hours and
places of the day. is fresh manifestation OF interest In
the questions which have called together. Suddenly
all eyes are turned to NewYork, and especially the
eyes of the people OF the Far Westthe great grain
ducers the country. All along the water line, ny
ocean, river canal and the lakes from the Mississippi
10 British Atlantic some 5000 or 5000 miles, the
message OF Governor OF ono OF the American states
commands universal attention. Others not only fix
their attention upon but we are turning our eyes
within ourselves and must confess the spectacle is
not a pleasant 1t It's never pleasant sight to lay
bare to the public gaze the nquities Of our ellowmen,
or wrongs OF the State and least OF all Is agree
able when see In the before u.s. the extent OF
the greed and plunder which has wrought so much mis-
chief to our own municipality and commonwealth.
Our thanks are due to the Governor for his message
and its recommendations. the one is timely and the
other gives practical evidence of enlightened states
manshp and Of practical devotion 10 the best interests
of the State. The purpose OF the message read It,
is no vndictye assault upon men, but rather to stop
the criminal admins ration IA Tue csuai vi
the State, tn secure quicker ana cheaper anspoL.aon
to get feet OF water III the canals bnt
OF alt to get honest canal officers anu CONTAGIOUS
who shall no longer rob the State.
As We survey the facts mist feel that 1t Is not the
contractors alone, nor corrupt state onals alone nor
the Legislature alone. nor negligent Governors aone'
who have wrought the evils OF which we complain:
This year is the half centennial since the completion or
Erie Canal, and those who are familiar win inc
past will recall evidences Of constant naladmiDlstra-
authorized 6y BODY OF capable aud Intelligent men,
with abundant capital and security TO perform an they
good repair they were then. or IA they had peen
for five previous years. for s5OoOOo year when
proposition almost matter Of course met with no
favor, aud from that time TO the present the manage
upnt has been rather worse than better. Indeed
am almost constrained to believe IN the truth OF tue
statement OF one OF the most experienced OBJ;
servers affairs the State, that IN the aggregate OF
frauds committed in the different modes to wDich we
referred, II will be shown tnat money enough mas
been stolen from the canal fund TO have gwen us snip
canal from Lake Erie TO the Hudson RlVer it tho
canals cost hundred millions for bulldlng
that from forty to fifty millions been misapplied
or stolen should this sort of management continue
the time is distant when the people Will have to
choose between the monopoly or private cana cor
pOratiOn under legal restraints aud the state aDahuon
nent OF a system which the past has been not only
the great glory Of the Out chei source
OF its wealth, population ana polltlcal power :,
have said ali must share in the present public dis
grace. and include just so many Of the people rs re-
fused to vote for constitutional provisions of 1879
the agislatnre OF 1874 OF the Senate OF 1875
a part and which refused TO submit TO tho people the
constitutional amendments framed by the Commission
OF 1871 in which the two great parties were equally
divided, and which unanimous In presenting and
Of the canals now recommended to the Legislature.
the people In their temper OF last year would nave
seized the opportunity nave adopted THIS reform Just
as they gave power 10 the Legislature TO surrender the
lateral canals which IN five years have cost tue state
s26O 900, and one of them alone tne SneL 'o Ianal
about the most useless OF ALL 100000 dl0 me Legis
sture fail TO act upon ths urgency ne s S h 1
10 1874. but for public opinion at tne present TIME
veors and nearly s5OOoO0O taxes, and about s23OO
600 OF canal taxation In ten years. me people nave
En refopm for the future They expect from the pres
ent legislature and have rlgh 10 expect from ~ an
utter abandonment OF much OF the contract system
az bv any possibility be traced TO ignorance, dis
honesty or COLLISION There must De no more OF what
are called unbalanced BIDS and no moro OF the tricks
eyposed In 1865 auctiOneeng Oh lODOery with
efftced, defaced, and interned bids.
There must be honest aud intelligent engineers and
all local engineers ought to be recommended to the
Governor and Senate by the Englneer-at Large win
mower of removal for cause. There ought to be Canal
SUPERINTENDENT with undoubed integrity and capacity.
the largest powers good pay and Responsible 70 the
mIted 10 be VICIOUS 1t is not only vicious but
pcated as 10 require patience ana r1perience, Jug
ment and study TO comprehend III but IL Is not the
vicious system which robs the STATE and people out
vicious born OF ayarlce baptized Ia deceit ana
bad men combine. that good men should unite. Honest
possible IN Office even a. small p o ana rer her
as evldepce o the fact names hk M mei4ttre
nS Robpson Dennison and Fuller, Burrows, Nichols,
and HOPKINS iustrious In the annals OF ts state as
Honest capable and faithful men, II at oil times all
One word more The duty OF the hour is actlon-acon
10 Drecede and not follow investigations The only
true promise OF lower tolls and practcai dement's TO
Dube spirit Ispeak OF the latter. gentlemen, refer
epce the enormous elevator charges ooth AT Bunalo
end York 1t is right that Buffalo should CON-
bne against the producers and consumers LOCKING up ~
or 20 of It's elevators allowing 10 OF 10 40 1ne %ork
interest of commerce. that floating elevator here
should from $500 20 $500 day or stationary eeya
tor $3.50 O day and employed about every day In the
year. told there are what are called scapers here
well as at Chicago and Buffalo out whether mere OF
boatmsn, hummer or middlenlan, not looking to the
sn s snS SI
State in private life, or what is called IN order TO
escape the personal responsibility vicious system
In CONCLUSION gentlemen, you need for the city
freedom OF trade and the lowest possible cost OF trans
pOtaon to eaboard The precedent to these great
be honesty OF purpose Intelligent adminstra-
the past and security future, and the Empire
State. with her 100000 people, and nearly 100000 OF
virtue let her take down boastfu banner OF Excel
sor and borrowing from the bad example OF the canal
contractors long the OF the commonwealth,
eface the pure white with tho black words OF wrong
fraud ana degradation. Now, or never, Is your oppor
tunity
ADDRESS OF THE HON. WILLIAM +. DODGE.
/ will not detain you fellow-citzens, moro
than single moment. came bere at the invitation of
your Association that OF the Chamber OF Commerce,
which have the honor of representing, and to say to
Won that wo have today, at our monthly meeting,
passed very strong resolutions IN the OF those
l..Iu "a Inn va adlnnrned