Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1878-08-24

cation with the sea as New York. and every far,
which makes the of New York
foreign would apply equally TO the commerce.
OF ST. LOUIS. l assert that st. Louis. nm inland
mart, AS 1t Is called, is rs directly I'M rr,si.,ti in
foreign commerce AS the city OF New York The
sanit remark VIII justly AplIlV 10 every innt nj
ground, town or country. in This valley on which
- produced or eNchunSei II particle of vain.
what Is foreign commerce? Ii Is the movement
Oh coMiLlonitirs INTO and out OF d country in m,
course OF business. Of course the snhirc, nj
internal Commerce may supply every particle OF
, ish c,iiiin-ice. Who, then, snail dare 10 say
that iiie people oil tins valley are not VITALITY con
cerIed in the movement OF foreign commerce.
or That the rivers OF this valley ar. NOT Links IN
the great chain OF commerce that girdies the
ehrth. lhe TACT that they are, and that withon,
inns valley and these rivers, that which ia de-
nominated foreign Commerce Alnnr m, s.,.
nosrl would scarcely exist, exhibits IN bold re-
!ifl tht injustice which iIas been uraciIcrd ,n
our people through this frivolous distinction
from the commencement of the government.
oCR INTEREST N foEEIGS COMMERCE.
,onsiuef, gentlemen. Tor n moment, what con
tfibution Is made by our people to foreign com
hitfCc, what are lis coiuinercIai nrr,is, ami what
relation our rivers bear to them. II II the sur
pius production oi acou,.trr that finds Its way
norVnn ana enters INTO wi.t Is called foreign
commerce. Now. You know that the sIirlIu.
production OF this valley, which cannot he con
suii'u al nome and must seek II tprsfgn market,
Is great already, and before many wears will br
doubled and treblei.
SURPLUS PRODUCTION or THE VALLEY.
statistics show that in ls77 ITS production al
Indian corn. wheat, barley and other grams wus
rom 40 10 80 per cent. Ui that OF the Who'll.
Union. that IN the same year we exported! Of
th1sr articles 10 the value of sill. .rD. 900. 1t Is
believed that outside OF The valley the production
OF these articles vii! not exceed home consume.
tion. The whole Sll1 ,GAI. $50 OF hrcHi,,ufs
must therefore. be taken as surplus OF this valley
In 1876 there were exported from the Cnitc.
States "i cotton and cotton fairies more than
gown IA the valley. Here, then, are Sl.1 go.
900 OF surplus products ui this valley sent forth
from II III one year to feed and ClOthc the world.
Cail II what you VIII. Internal Commerce. or for
tiSn commerce, but If it were stricken out OF
eXi5tnnce the industries of this whole country
wouii sir!vrl in II day nay. my friends, a wall
,i Woe mould pass through the civilized earth
let ! have mentioned i part only of our surplus
productions.
TRANSFORMATION.
Now, you see that our surplus has 10 be trans.
ported IN SOME way from its place OF ;roduc.
ton. And here We ar. face to face with the gue-.
tion: What 10 the value To our people of tbs
great natural waterways witch are rami;lc,
through the country In all directions 2 What
ines their transportating power contribute to it.
COMMERCE; Let us test This by surprising them
never 10 have existed. 1t lis zuppus. that in
rIv"r IN II bark canoe TO the Mississippi river
there nad been no Wisconsin or any other river,
ana mat transportation WAS 10 be had only by the
hands OF men OF by wagons. carts or sletls and
teams OF animals. Who can ted my friends, whru
a pound OF freight would have proceeded from
tins great state OF Missouri which We intiabit d:
w o iSeN "iitu 'ltAS " lis lltltls "DuIi nave
bS'n cleared or cultivated > The very though,
OF The n"n-eAtstence oil the Mississippi river
ana It's tributaries rolls back the tide oi our CIV
iliGatton. With this thought the millions OF
our surplus production and all the ,irv-lopmrni
ol our agriculture. manufactures and mines Ior
the last century disappear. Without our rivers
Is II not certain thai the natiOns now inhabItIng
tins valley would now BE here? 1t was the FIRST
beginning Of moving feebIy upon
lhose WIFI anu almost solitary waters, which
developed the beginnings OF that wealth which
has swollen to such II volume. which lead tn.
Way tor emigration and capital and spread your
cultivated fields tu the loot Of the Rocky noun
tails, reared the mighty cities you behold and
hlaie possible that wonderful railroad system
which Is the last triumph of the creative and de.
Weighing. power ui our navigation. At first il
was me trail Canoe ui the yuyageur with Its trw
hundred pounds OF pclErIrs aud corn, now II Is til.
InnirstIc steamer with her 4, $50 tons OF merchan-
Iisr gathered from the ends of TIE earth
But II was commerce all the time. II was To The
river that We are indebted both Tor the canoe
AMI the steaIlrr; not for them only but tor al
tbs creations OF their wizard power. The his
tOricui suggestion WAS TO improve the rivers and
hold with II strong hand tI's- ancient and I'M
failing instruments OF our commercial growth
Our history shows that the people fully under
STOOD their interests, tnI mad" energetic and
repeated Efforts Tor river improvements, hut thai
all their efforts failed Congress could never b,
induced TO DO what WAS needed.
The ear 1915 witnessed the signal failure Of n
great popular movement IN tut direction. While
the memorial OF the Memphis convention present.
Ell the claims oil thu people lnthe strongest p"ssi.
~ = az ~ i"9uii~tti's ~ 4INElt-S 'blRlt--
was conclusive that nothing could Ice expectation
years 10 come
RISE or TIE RAILROAD INTEREST.
The period between i,i5 and I-O marked N.
advent into our midst of a new commercial
power. 1t was then that political influence Ant
capital combined To magnify and foster the mer
Its oil railroad transportation in this valley, and
Of course. Ia Gcprcciaie the merits and value o
water transportation The whole business com
niun!ty was iliet with enthusiasm :Dr the con
s!ructIon of railroads. DO you ask what wa
the IlOtlvelur this The motive Is clear enough
TH- RIVERS ARE FREE.
The natural gifts Of tod To mum are tree. Tn
air. the sunlight. the rain. the great sea an,
the river. that run INTO II may not be appropri
ated to any exclusive usc. In general they at
the Omino property of us all. The naturi
HIGHWAY is accessible to US all. And they ar
accessible upon our own terms. No living ma
can dictate a t4rlT for our rivers. They ar
open 10 ii thousand boats H. We'll as one. fu
competition is unrestrained and universal.
KAILRukI. MoNoPoLIEs.
But an artificial highway, one that man liza
COnirIvc'! himself. the canal, III. turnpike, III
railway, may he AMI most generally Is II mo
nopoly. All these are represented by a aeparat
class Of the people. WHOSE interest u IL TO tuste
the monopoly and make money tor themselves
II Is no rei.cctIon upon railroad men to SAY TO
such Is human aatuIt) ~tnryeIre ever on the aleI
TO delreciatr all competing interest; 10 divert til
course OF business from natural channels whic
they cannot controls and direct II into thu arti
| h'ini .'NA'Att 81 nay W. il.fb'l'p4Ist Iitlt
then, Is the marked ami distinguished icatur
nf our commercial transportation To-day.
The natural facilities ui our transportatio
hrSt III Importance because FIRST 1T value. hay
been forced INTO II subordinate position. No
being m"nopolIes and having no separate elias
OF the people powerful in capital and social an
political Influence to chaiupiGn their claims
the rivers have succuIuhdd to the oyersbadowin
power o! the railroads.
HE RAILROAD MAMA.
Tn. railroads tor more than thirty years hay
been the favorIies OF legislation The wsHlt
of cities. towns. counties. townships and stat,
has been lavishcd upon them. The general gov
eminent At Washington has come forth in all il
majesty 10 create and endow them by roy
boupties both OF lana amt money. While tn
railroad policy has been dominant It has bee
Impossible to procure even n share OF public II
tcntion 10 river transportation. The prevaieI
aniinus has been millions tor railroads but not
%centfor rivers. Railroads have been construct.
right along the banks OF the most importal
rivers. As If they could be substituted for then
Tncy have been constructed over mountains
defiance OF natural im~pcdimtntS, regardless
expense ana in some cases OF utility such fac
AS Indicating the energy and enterprise of OF
people deserve the highest cnmIu.ndst,nu.
But when we look solely To the pubiIS goo,
when We consider tbs interest ct tEs wlIuIe pee
pie, the wisdom Of deprecIatiIs river transpo
tatIOn l. NIT apparent.
fRASscENpIHG MEHIis or RIVER TRANSPORT.
TON.
IL IL An undeniatrlc fact that while our rivr
highways are almost wholly neglected; VIII
their currents are lett To follow AS many chal
nel- aS they Will, ami gather IN deel,s or sprc:
in shoals; while their bells are filled with ''snaj
and logs and ars' which obstruCt navigailo,
and the perIis are such az result in contInu
losses ~ boats and cargoes and human 1--we
both by day ami 10y night, Notwithstanding a
disadvantages, river transportation is cheap
than railroad transportation. am told that OF
farmers may send fhcIT proITct2 IN New Orira'
by water tor onc-third or one half the sum d
manded by tho railroads. And that Is Il gener
fact throughout the country wherever Il railroi
and river are in competition That is. our tn
roads demand Tor the transportation OF cor
wheat, honr, oats, hemp. tobacco. pOtatoe
horses, cattle. hogs, beef and bacon prices tn
the farming interests Will not bear.
In other words, IL appears that water tran
portation Is the only Means by which the stapi
, OF tins valley can he ordinarily transported
market at reminerating rates.
Yet, gentlemen, such has been tie course
; things that our people, Possessing the rich.
! country in the world, and natural commerce
! facilities through their great waterways 10 y
their commodities into the markets of the wor
= Ut the very cheapest possible rates. and to Z,
csivc from abroad their imports al the sal
cheap rates. have. in tsct, been compelled
the policy OF the government 10 import and q
7 port At eNOrhiiant rates. will mention a Il
which illustrates the whole subject. In lS71 I
l people OF the valley CONSUMED 81, 900 tons
. coffee, OF which only T., 900 tons Were import
: by way oil New Orleans. That is TO say our pr
} pie paid upon GS,U 900 tons OF coffee used by the
in one year, railroad ratea of transi"rtaii"
simply because OF the impedi1nents Ia our MAJ
$ CATION. This is not all. The consequence
. ohstructions 10 lngress and egrcss at the port
e New Orleans has operated disastrously upon I
t foreign OF that port and the wl'
country il supplies.
t What is ignore natural or cCnmon than tn
neighbOring reople at peace should trade wi
each other. Nothing hut some eXtraordina
impeachment could prevent 1t. Now it Is stat
i in a report of Mr.. Roberts, OF Louisiana, cha
n man OF the on levees and improv
IL ments of the Mississippi river last session
II congress-, that IN 1873 MEXICO imported To
{ amount of Sis. $50. 600 from distant Europe, n
only about 81 zoo, 900 from the United States