Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1878-05-01
WATER ROUTES.
Letter OF Ex-Gov. Horatio Seymour of
New York to Hon. VIM. Window, e.
s. Senator from Minnesota.

Letter of Ex-Gov. Horatio Seymour of
/ New York to Hon. VIM. Window, e.
S.fSenator from Minnesota.
The st Paul Pioneer-P Press publishes
the following letter OF Gov. Seymour of
New York to U. S. Senator Window of
Minnesota on the water routes of the
United States:
UTICA, N. Y, March 81, 1S78.-Dear
Sir: am glad to see that you hold your
ground with regard to water routes.
In little time the public will be with
you. In this state there has been
great change in the views of our people.
High tolls, frauds and other abuses had
run down our canals to point so low
that most men thought their day had
gone by, and that they would be of little
or no use in the future. The railroads
pushed them hard to get them out of
the way. In 1870 we began the fight
for low tolls After a time they were
cut down from six to three cents on a
bushel of wheat from Lake Erie to the
Hudson river. This was done after
very hard work to bring it about They
were then put down to one and half
cents, then to one cent, over the whole
length of the Erie canal. No one now
makes war against this very low toll,
and large party has grown up which
asks fol- free canals.
Grain can be carried and give the
boats a fair profit for less than the tolls
paid the state a few years ago. Six
cents a bushel is enough to pay the
state, the boats, and all charges.
The whole country has been stirred
up about the kind Of money we should
use. However grave this may be, it is
a little matter compared with the ques-
ton of our ability to sell to the
world what we raise on our lands. If
we can do this we shall have all the gold
and silver we want. If we fail to do
| this we shall be poor; our credit will be
low, and our money will be scarce or
poor. We are to raise more grain than
we have ever done before. The change
of times drives men from the city to
the country. Those who come here
from Europe are mostly those who till
| the soil. A like state of things exists
elsewhere. War may for time make
call for our grain, but we must not
count upon wars which may not take
place, and which in any event will soon
be over. Ill
Can we, then. sell our grain in Eu-
rope against those who raise grain in
Europe? We can if it does not cost too
much to get it there, and this will turn
upon very small sum. The question
is not, if it cost three cents more to get
it to market, how much this will tax
the states of the west, but will this little
charge stop the sale of our grain abroad?
The men who know most about the
trade say that at most times it will. If
three cents profit can be made it Will be
bought If not, it will be left on the
hands of our farmers to bear down the
price OF that which we use in this coun-
try. If it cost three cents too much to
carry grain, we shall lose many millions
of dollars. If the West does not sell its
grain it cannot buy of the East what it
has to SELL The wheels of commerce
and industry will all be checked. To
show you what reduction of one-half
cent bushel will do, I send you the
report of the comptroller of this State,
which proves that when about year
ago, the toll was changed from cent
back the trade to the Erie canal
I wish you would note the fact that
this was not due to the large crops of
last year. Less grain was sent to the
seaboard markets in 1877 than was sent
in 1876 up to the time the canals
closed.
What the canals gained last year the
railroads lost, viz, about 100000
bushels of wheat. (See Copmtroller's re-
port. pages "a and 35.)
We do not know if there will be a,
war between Britain and Russia. But
all mustsee that we are to have "a long
! fight with Russia for the markets of
Europe, and upon this turns the whole.
question Of the revival of the trade and
the prosperity of our country.
Can our railroads give us a victory !?
No one thinks more highly of them
than I do. We cannot do without them.
They have uses Of their own which
water routes cannot meet. On the 9TH
er hand without water routes they will.
and do, charge more than they should.
They have cost too much. They can.
not live unless they make pools with
each other. In other words they say
openly, that it is not their policy to car
ry for low price and thus make trade,
but to carry less and charge more. They
cannot make pools with water routes for
each man owns his. own boat. For this
reason English railroads have bought
up English canals to get them out of
the way. They have done this in other
countries in Europe. They have tried
to break down the lake, river and canal
routes in, this country They will fail
as to the great lakes and the Erie canal
I send you report made by Mr.. Rich
mond, of Buffalo, which will give you
facts of great value as to the great lakes
lido not know enough about the Mis-
sissippi river to speak about it. I hope
its trade WILDE kept up. It may turn
some from New York, but it will be for
the good Of the whole country if it
keeps the railroads in check. There
must be a steamboat route from the
Mississippi to the lakes It will not
only carry much grain, but it will do
much more good by keeping down