The New York herald., 1875-03-24
THE CANALS.
ThurloW Weed Applauds Gov
ernor Tildens 8 Message.
HOW THE PEOPLES MONEY IS STOLEN.
Hon. Samuel B. Ruggles on the History
of the Canal System.
WHAT THE CANALS HAVE COST AND PAID.
A Forty Years Study of the
Great Subject.
Necessity CT Deepening the
Waterway to Seven Feet.
STATISTICS on THE CARRYING TRADE.
legislative and Official Action in Reference
to Canal Enlargement.
USELESSNESS OF THE LATERAL CANALS
STATISTICS OF THE CARRYING TRADE.
legislative and Official Action in Reference
to Canal Enlargement.
USELESSNESS OF THE LATERAL CANALS
Speaker Mcclure and the "Fiqht-
. ers" in Albany.


ers" in Albany.
SO much talk has been excited BY Governor
T1ldens message In reference to the canals, the
costs OF the repairs to them and or their opera
ton, ana 50 many and various motives nave been
exposed by interested talEers-each OF which has
been declared to be the one which lmpelled the
Executive OF the State TO make an onslaught upon
the notorious "Canal Ring''-thar the interest in
the message and the discussion upon 1t has in.
creased daily. Senator JARVIS LORDS truculenr
declarations did more to call attention to the
message than anything else. They must have
aroused in the minds of some naaue people
the idea that Governor T1lden had drowned
the senator's honor in the Erie Canal.
and that while the legislator fsned for that OF
which he had been despoiled he savagely de.
nounced his despoier Whatever the initiated
thought OF Senator Lords proclamation most Of
them wanted 10 know what Mr.. Thurlow Weed
thought OF Governor Tilden's message. 1t was to
ascover this that the writer called at MIR. Weeds
residence, in Twelfth street, yesterday.
Mr. Weed has been SO long acquainted with the
politics Of this State, following them to the enus
OF their numerous ramlfcaLiOns tnat the affairs Of
every pubic department nave been In his mind as
II In book which be might open at will.
1t was important to a certain degree Tor
the public to know how he read
the canal message, or rather to know what are
his deductions from 1t. Mr. Weed being opposed
politically to Governor Tlden, q commendation Of
the message and Its design coming IRON him
would De great compliment to the Executive.
Being thoroughly conversant with the affairs OF
the Canal Department, for him to condemn the
message would De to hurt Its influence greatly In
she Legislature and among the public.
The writer called at MI. Weeds residence first
1t about three O'Clock yesterday afternoon. bus
vas informed that the veteran politician would
not be at home before six O'Clock. Shortly before
shat hour second Call was made and
then the caller was ushered into q pleas
ant little library jus. beyond the nall
door. The draughts Of air caused by
the opening and shutting OF the outer door, are ex.
Guided from this sanctum by q screen draped with
the American nag. Thus the patriotic spirit Of
br Weed is evnced to the visitor soon Us he en-.
ters the hallway. Costly ensconced IN o chair be.
lore Naming fire the reporter awaited Mr.. Weed's
Eeturn.
GOVERNOR TLDEN COMMENDED.
When the veteran entered the object OF the
caller's visit was explained, and Mr. weed said
emphatically:-
Il am convinced that Governor Tlden has done
a good thing In exposing the mismanage ment OF
the cauals. He has ut the same time done vary
bold thing He has put himself In opposition TO
an enormous and unscrupulous power. which ts
ramlaed through the central part Of the State.
This power has been growing for many years.
There are men connected with the canal Ring
VINO nave been contractors since twenty-five years
agon
Then going far into retrospectiou, Mr.. Weed
said, renectively :-"Yes; just SO. There are
none now VINO were connected with the con-
struction OF the original canal. The 'Rtngn has
grown enormously within ten years. 1t has en-
trapped into Its membership officials Of all
Kinds. Those honest but weak o11clals VINO could
not be tempted with money It's members have
always found means to beguile. Fraud IN the con.
struction OF the canals and in the Of the
moneys derived from them has been in vogue ever
since the original Erie Canal was finished in 1896"
HONEST WORK.
Breaking his consecutive narrative, Mr.. Weed
remarked:-"Pernaps you DO not know that the
original Erie Canal was built within the cost
which was estimated lor 1t. 1t was. The engi-
neers OF that canal were men or great original
genius and were men OF integrity. Though they
had nothing to guide them in their WORK. for there
were no great canals either here or IN Europe;
though they had to 60 on In the dark, they made
their surveys and they constructed the canal
we'll, and without stretching their expenditures
even 10 the limit OF the which had been set to
meet them.
BEGINNINGS OF THEFT.
although the contractors on the original work
were not fraudulent, they grew sharp a. they
progressed. and after 1926 the era OF theft pegan
WITH those OF them who continued to work on the
canal. Yet the thets did not reach great propor.
tions until about the middle OF the war time, wnen
public morality was generally unsettled. The
nrst peculations were committed with the aid OF
officials meant to watch over the interests
uf the people In the canals The nrst whole
frQn nj hIi ha
locks. AND the thcfts have continued TO
be perpetrated, with the knowledge at least OF
such officials. The TACT is. the men W no have been
CHOSEN 10 care Tor the Canal Department have
always been Of the wrong SORT Those OF them
who have not been dishonest have been weak.
All parties have erred IN selecting persons TO DO
oncias In the CANAL Department.
HOW IT WAS DONE.
'The way in which frauds we're first committed"
said Mir. Weed, "was through the agency OF dis
honest superintendents OF the canal. Each SUPER
intendent had section OF the canal 10 care for,
and therefore mad many opportunities to be D. Oft
soly dishonest. or course, those who were dis
honest gathered around them contractors who
we're Ike them In principle Alter the superinten.
dents lost their powers. the contractors iound
new means to delraud the State. Tney
would nnisn their work under their contracts and
then apply TO the Legislature ior relieL alleging
That their expenditures had been greatly In ex.
Cess OF the amount they had been expe ted TO be,
d consequence OF some extraordinary natural
lnpediment to their progress Then the Legisla-
ture would pass Ds reierring the examination
ana settlement OF their claims the Canal Board.
The passage VI the bills always sested the claims,
1of the GUuaL Hoard povef rei0otad than