The New York herald., 1878-02-28
New York'S Commercial Greatness
Must Be Sustained.
BUSINESS BEFORE SENTIMENT.
How Religious Allusions 'Irritate
Local Statesmen.
CUTTING DOWN OrFlcllL SALARIES.
ley rxrre.ApH TO THE HEsALp.l


ALBANY. Feb %, 1878.
The concurrent resolution introduced by Dr. |. L
Haycs on February 10, providing for an amendment
10 the constitution making the caoas OF the State
tree was the special order Tor to-night's session.
Delegations from all the boards Of trade and trans
portalion In the State hand TO listen to the
address which was known the author Of the resolu-
lion would deliver, and immense map OF the routes
10 The ssaboard covered side OF the chamber. A
bouquet, sent by '.The Friends Of the Canals" COW
cred the Doctors desk, and he was in his best voice
ana mood. He listened TO with great attention.
raE DOCTORS POINTS
Mr. Hayes certainly mado some strong and interest
Ing points support his measure the principal Of
which are ioiows:-
Deeply impressed With the Importance Of the ques-
tion n The oil the great State which nave
tho honor in part 10 represent ~ this Assembly
have prepared amendments to tns constitution
making the canals lreo, and have presented
them with entire faith tnat Their. adoptioa
would greatly promote The prosperity OF TINS Inc
Empire S,ale und enable 1t 10 retain with Its grasp
the key 10 The commerce OF The Continent II 10
hardly nesatui say that these are very rad.
variance with tho meaning and intent Of the original
trainers oi thai instrument Ihey are provisions
never contemplated by those public splrited
mon whose genius conceived aud whose energy per-
isctsd tho canal system OF the State. The simple
means OF tue business which they Isgi.mately per-
formed, pay n the expenses Of their mainte-
hc,cnt revenues 10 liquidAte the debt in.
CURED by their construction. II was never dreamed
BY ishers ol tno canals that they ever would, or
ever could be tax upon the property and revenues
Of the state IL dreamed That the rivslres
o railroads would change their relation to the course
OF srade. Railroads. we're then unknown.
SECRET OF NEW yoRKs GREATNESS.
In tho place. start out with the bold assertion
that Nov York State has less natural grounds for
being tho homo oi prosperous people than any equal
sm0ups OF territory witDin the federal Union.
what is there TO make her greats She produces
,l&.s nf antI
more than sufficient 70 sustain her population
aud yet she has within hur borders oas OF the
cities I mean those centres OF traffic. Of money
and OF power which monoy makes, that repre-
sent the various Countries holding The leading place IN
odaie all the ships oil all the world but tho river
which pours mo II Ills vast volume o water is The
most worthless RIVER OF any magnitude on the
face OF the earth. Groas cities are built
up because they draIn 10 them by wafer
certain products Of the earth which men require.
There as Two outlets from The NORTH American cop-
nuent to tho sea. Tho Mississippi River and ST.
Lawrence. Man has maie third. l. Is the Erie
Canal, by which the whole line OF the lakes
has been made tributary to tie Hudson
River, and siven that river ny artificial means
out the Eric Canal and the Hudson River Is but
magnificent stream, ana the ci,ies by us side would
TO Ds and notwithstanding Its matchess hsrbor
Now York city would take It's place IN
history with Babylon and Carthage nna olhor
commercial marts OF past ages 4 may here,
perhsps, bs wered with the question: Cannot the
railroads New York aud 10 hor assistance?
tell you they will not and they capn0t, and make
this declaration, that there is net limo Of ruroad
transportation that Is profitable anywhere in the
vorla which does not follow more or less directly on
the limo OF nav,gaois waiers. Ana venture stu
iurtncr that tbere 10 not railroad In the
world which pays any profit on It's Investment tpat
does not connect one point on nAvgaoic water with
smother point on navlgabo water, and These points
within go hundred m les OF each other.
FACTS All FIGURES.
What do the canals oi New York State cost ber
paIry little milton Of dollars more or loss, for their
annual maintenance, not onc.thirteth part .of
tho taxes that are annually levied Tor the
support of the cities o. New York and Brook
lyn, ana yet neither OF them would have ex-
istenco to-day or have been OF any conse-
qucnce whatever In tho world but Tor Ere Cuna.
which, by divcrting trade from the land Channels
gave them prosperity ana gathered about New York
harbor 2O00.oOo people. Had the railroads any
thing to DO with llf Not one particle, excopt as
they were accessory 10 tue general movement
OF tradc that came with the wnter trans
poraton; and right hero II Ia well for US
10 understand that lines oi tranlo go parallel with
each Other, and With the rivers never acrcss them
Railroads innumerable 1t is rue cross the Mississippi
kiver, but the crossing 10 simple convenience
rhc profit lies in b. circumstance that they
drain down to tho river The products OF
he earth. And here, IN this connection
need NO further than 10 quote from the last re-
port OF the Auditor oi the Canals George W. Schuyler,
VINO ys:-rnat long as transportation facilities
re In excess OF the needs OF the country that route
which carry the cheapest with prodt will CON-
manu- the bulk OF The trade, and, NJ Tor cncapness,
The water route by lakes anu canas 10 beyond SUE
cessfu competition" From the first opening 10 the
cosc OF he last than I70 600. 700 tons,
ported through our canals. This large ION
mage has brought to the city OF New York
the commerce OF the world, and tho pecuniary
advantages resulting thereirom are beyond calculation
Inc population OF that city has from 1873 706
IN 1870 to lo46 o37 1915, and the aggregate valua
500, $50 1853 IN 1870 10 81, 3s4, ,isi lis, IN 1871
Tho canals have soss the people SIS 000,0 ,000i IL ap
Vus s rC
ths outlay and which nowhere appear in tue financial
accounts OF the cauals. then IL dwindcs
ACHn In nf xrla Ia aslvo
compished and their promise Tor tho iuturc can we
not Afford 10 remit the toliss
A MATTER OF BUSINESS
Do you suppose that tho people OF the West will
SEND their produce hero through any scnumentY
They mean business, aud 50 do We they WIN ~ 10
the sosboard by the cheapest route. It is tor us
70 invite thcm. They can get there by the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad 200 miles nenror
than by any o,hcr line OF COMMUNICATION.
The simple question is, Shall We mako II cneapcr to
come BY our wsyr We can, and pi omiso You We
v n' peoPS o. ,nS se,s 70. demand y r ana h noy
llc oeoent and not Tor private gam. The
right OF way through them tho y,n.
Interest Tho people are sovereign and as sovereign,
they kold In trust that which they will exercise Tor
snuss from tho canals; but tnev do demand that
they shall bc administered and their AFFAIRS
conduc'cd In manner suited To tho require
mcnts OF tho agc. They DO insist that the
State shall not lose lis prestige through the folly OF ITS
representatives IN the Legislature Who iu 10 read the
sgus OF the tiInss Tncy huve seen enough and expo
.rIcncsd enough OF railway monopolos and combina-
tions to more than satisfy them AS to the selfish pnr
poses o all corporations 20 winch they have through
tncr Legislature granted franchises. They nod
In their baads tho right OF way from tho AtIantic
Ocean 10 the great lakes; they mold IN Their nnnds
the ksy 10 The commerce of the great West
ond holdiIg IT, have no hesitation IN assert
ing that thcy will not Yield 10 TO any power OH
tho earth. but that they Will Keep that wnrh
their ancestors acquired through their energy
and foresight ~ q sacred trust and power forever
Tncy will mako the Erie Canal highway oil Their
own FREQ tho trackicss ocean, open 10 all the
world. aud will eay 10 The Great West, through III .
channel you may pour your vast products Of tho soil,
and 10 the East huner may you pass unsramneiied
win tbc fruits Of toll gathered from every quarter oil
the earth
OTHER sfEAKsRs
M Hurd, OF Erie, followed IN the same strain. Hc
ssa that II the expense Of supporting tho canals was
imposed on the State at large sbe tax would only
amount to about one-seventn OF n,I the dollar.
Mr. Hepburn, Of 81 Lawrence, spoke against the
bill, aud quoted previous speecnes oi DR.. Hayes, IN
which he took entirely diGerent ground IRON that
which he hau just addressed the House.