Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-01-21

OF November storms. We ask luis
not merely on the ground of justice,
and much less on the ground OF IN
rtqulted bounty. The wisest states
men of our time are confirmed by
every InteIHgenL engineer or VI g red
eral service, in estimating an ulLi-
mate profit to the treasury upon
every dollar jIdiciously uisbursed 10
this branch ct the public service. ln
truth, there are no figures adequate
70 complete expression OF the past
or the future advantages, either to
the government or to the people, OF
the easy ard safe navigation OF our
lakes and rivers. The conceded CD,
| legations of the government IN TINS
department have been tie foundation
of our growth and the life of our in
dustry. But while it is fortunate for
our own people that the duty OF the
government is neither doubtful nor
obscure, it is unfortunate that the
extent of thai duty IS not better de-
fined, and that its faithful discharge
cannot be more promptly enforced.
AS to the special claims of the Fox
ana Wisconsin River Improvement.
| need not indulge in repetition Of
tho facts | haVa already stated 10
my first annual message and on
other occasions. | now call you
attention simply TO the conceded
truth, that not less than one-third
of the states ar more or less directly
| Interested IN this improvement ; aud
TO the testimony of Senator Window
| ana other high authority, that its
completion would connect the COM
merce of nearly two thousand YES
sells on the lakes with that OF quite
two thousand boats on the NJ ssis.
slppi river aud it's tributaries; would
save "ten cents per bushel' on the
cost of wheat shipments, which
would naturally be contributed from
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Nebraska,
Iowa and Missouri amounting to a
yearly aggregate to those states OF
not less than ten millions of dollars;
would save other millions upon the
cot Of transporting iron, copper,
s4l. and llmber from northern WIS
oOnsin aud Michigan, and eastern
| merchandise received in exchange +;
and that with the conn lotion OF the
Huron canal. it's natural extension.
d anco wouli be suffi ;ientIy abbre-
Waited encourage large addition
al production and shipment, even
promising to the toiling producer OF
the west Il profit on his surplus oats
and corn. A hundred thousand
western producers are now paying
G 'ngress for more prompt and lb9r-
al action for the attainment of these
advantages, and | ask you to unite
with me Ia o memorial OF similar
character in behalf of this and such
other improvements of this class "a
clearly demand the continued and
more vigorous support of federal au-
thority.
THE RAILWAY COMMISSION.
In pursuance OF an act of the last
81 ,lature, en'i led IAN act relating
t. Railroads., Express and Telegraph
panies," IL became my duty IN
May last to appoint Board of Rail
road commissioner s. Conscious of the
responsible duties assigned to the
commission under the law, it was
| nv earnest endeavor to SO constitute
the board as to avoid any just sus-
picion Of political partially, or OF q
desire to pr, Judge the interests OF
either the public or the corporations
| believe every one familiar with the
facts will concur with me in bear
ing cheerful testimony TO the i'm,
partially and ability with which The
work of the commission has thus faI
been performed. In addition to the
ordinary duties OF sim lar commits
sone, the act clearly Piled the ne.
cessity OF prottacted Investigation
impossible OF satisfactory mpletioD
within the few months intervening
between the organization of the
board and the meeting of the legis>
lature. Sufficient progress has been
made, however, TO assure US that the
commissioners have laid broad and
strong the foundations of future pro-
gress and more intelligent legislation.
THE RAILWAY c INTRovERsY.
Immediately previous to the orr
ganIZatiou of the board of commits
7ioners. formul communications were
forwa ded TO mo by the presidents
If the Chicago. Milwaukee and ST.
Paul Railway Comps ny, and OF the
Chicago and Northwestern Railway
Company, notifying me, the one in
words and the other in effect, that
the requirements of the liw in i'm
portant particulars would be disre-
garut d by these corporations, and
assigning reasons for this determine
TO-.
Under these circumstances, no al.
teruatiee was presented me. The
cons itutlon declares that the Gov.
ernor ''shal expedite all such meas
u,e, a. may be resolved upon by the
| ..islature, and shall take care thai
the laws be faithfully executed"
This constitution | had soIemnly
sw rn to support. | possessed no
opportunity and no power TO deter
niue be merits of the Nv H. wa-
oot within the scope Of my off ,lal
authority 10 revise the action of the
gis alive branch OF the goverhmer t,
n to consider objections to the per
{ rmance of duties il had required.
\ lr Is it permissible, that corpora
tions, because vested with extraor-
binary responsibility and influence
can righlfullv await the progress of
a protracted judicial investigation,
q a condition Of obedience to putlic
au thority. Sn an assumption il
subversive of all law. 10 this re-
spect the obligations of a powerful
corporation are no greater and no
less than those of the humblest citi-
zen within the jurisdiction of the
state. And 1 should have been false
to you and false to the people we
mutually represent, had | failed in
this enc gency to exert sll the au-