The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-06-20
i" -" 1 11:1 AN UNION STRENGTHENS KNOWLEDGE POWER.
RED WING, MIMI, WEDNESDAY,, JUNE 20. .ls77.


States will construct and own the canal.
The fact that he has taken 20 much in
terest in the subject, together With the
presumption that he would like to find
digni6ed and profitable employment,
and associate his name with great en-
terprise, lend probability to the story
that he would accept the presidency o.
an international company formed for
the purpose stated. ~ .."'"s,
1t is to be hoped that such q compa.
ny win be organized, because of the
danger that our government will be in
duced to undertake the work unless it
lis forestalled by private enterprise.
The cost of the work has been estima-
ted ut $50, 900, and perhaps it
would not exceed that sum if performed
by company at its own expense. But
if it were performed at the public ex-
pense through the agency Of a company,
with two or three Credit Mobiliers and
construction companies operating with
in it, the cost would not be less than
800, 900, and there would be more
work for investigating committees. We
have had enough, and more than enough,
of government subvention, and govern
ment embarkation in commercial enter.
plises. If experience has demonstrated
anything, it has demonstrated that gov
ernment, or our government at any rate,
cannot engage in any such enterprises,
or aid them, without being plundered
right and left. And, what is worse, it
has demonstrated that when government
mixes in such undertakings, corruption
pervades congress and the executive de-
partments. J.
. Nevertheless, government has part
to perform in connection with such a
work as the Nicaragua canal. 1t is
not a local enterprise. It. is interna-
tional in it's character, and the interests
of all commercial nations imperatively
demand that it should not be liable to
be closed in time Of war. It has been
proposed that the territory for dis.
tance of fifty miles on either side OF the
canal, and the waters of the Gulf and
the Pacific within fifty miles of the ter.
minus, be declared neutral. This can
only be accomplished by means -oi
treaties, and It is to be presumed that
in case company is organized it will
not proceed with the work until ample
guarantees of neutrality have been pro.
vided by international agreement.
That Mr.. Grant would gladly accept
the presidency of the proposed company
is altogether likely. That one object
of his visit to Europe is to awaken in.
terest in the project and secure for him
self the prize Of the presidency is moi
unlikely. That the ASSOCIATION of hie
name with the enterprise would intro.
duce it favorably to British capitalists,
and perhaps to the capitalists of Other
European capitals, is probable But
whether he is just the man to place al
the head of the company, is a different
question. He has enough energy and
4 persistency, but it is by no means Ger.
tain that financial skill which is a prime
requisite. Granting all that his warm.
est admirers claim for him as a com
mander of. armies, it does not follow
that he possesses the qualities of a good
business man. There is nothing in his
career before the war to indicate that
he is a practical fnancier. Since the
beginning of the war he has acquired
some property because it has come to
him, and not because of able business
management: In his appointments to
office during his two terms as president
he showed partiality for personal friends
and a partizan spirit, rather than
sounaness of judgment in regard to: the
character and capacity of men.-Chica-
90 Times. Is o]'@ - ..7,'t-a