The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-12-04

md he deatrucion OF their crops. tAppause.
itn,,od States az beggars but we 90 there with
a mai claim. and we go there TO ask them f.
consider this great anes,9m o AIT ~ ahopf ,
nj ali times n channel adequate to its yast com
merce and TO eonllne It's waters within If banks
we have seen The city Of Cincinnati egpend-
Ing siG 5000 600 In n single line n railway, run
Ming down into Tennessee with tho Wow of
connecting with the Great Southern Railway nf
Ilporgia and running through Florida to Key
West IN order that ultimately she might have z
other countries " that line Of rail way Il worth
sIG goo ooo to the State of Ohio and this we
code whit ls the Misssa!ppi riyor worth 4, the
knaw that If you take the commerce ~ this
country yen will End that about eighteen thou
sand millions are annually carried on. the
railroads Of this country. while one thou
sand miionR In value are carried on
The wa, ep' he 6 uasas e t tha
carried by rail- The agricultural indus
tries Of ths countr,. largely IRON the Miasls.
sjpni valley annually produce two thousand
miiIions bushels If grain. The value of the sur
plus Of this vast crop ia made abroad whore II
e consumed and !, we can by wise LEGISLATION.
save one cent per bnshel we have added many
millions 10 the wealth IF the people Therefore
II is worth this conventions attention to devise
means for the Improvement Of the Mississippi
river and its tributaries, and while doing so,
adopt means for the reclamation and protection
of the slluvial lands. that will ultimately be-
come OF greater value than can possibly be con-
ceved Of now, for they produce those articles Of
which cannot be 40 successfully cultivated elae-
where IN our country; In consequence, of the
expenditure Of vast sum Of money BY The
government during and after the war. and the
construction of 7p.0n1 mi of railway. and the
general prosperity which prevailed ny to 1879;
attracted to this country thousands Of skilled
mechanics and laborers, who furnished mar
ket for the surplus products Of our farms and
nanufactorles but the day OF prosperity ceased.
We have seen the products OF our Industries de-
cline In price in consequence Of the closing OF
our mines and manufaetories and the inability
of the people to buy Thousands of those who
built our railroads. worked the mines and
found remployment In the workshops. We're
driven into agriculture, and are to-day in com
petition producers with those whose products
they consumed In more prosperous days Inc
result Ia. we now see agricultural products IN
n so n u arv ere wba AIN es
the great depreciation which has taken place!
What is e render the farm Of the farmer OF
value2 What is to develop tho resources Of the
lands and enable them to make livelihood for
their owners7 We should find q, remedy; and
send out such, q call TO the country az VIII in
duen them to- listen to our demands and shape
legislation 10 our interests.
Another question is our foreign trade. Bra
I'll, with a territory larger than The United
States with population If i2,0n 600, sells 10
us annually about $50, 900 of her products
and buys Of us hut s10oo.o0o. while England.
whose trade with her was stationary from 19t0
to 1850 Increased more than 300 per cent within
1--WE yeara after her establishment of mail
Steamship communications with that country
In 1850 Brazil desires closer communication
with ia and would buy from ia "a much IA we
buy from her II we will furnish the same means
OF communication IA IL furnished her hy other
foreign couutroa. Tho Argentine Re.
public purchases s7h.o0o,ono annually. and
s "na tra wb T ba ,n Y" S The nnf
1000 per cent, or ~ per cent unr annum aiuon
1850 ut which time shc established subsidized
Steamship limos TO tho River Platte. While our
commerce has Increased geo per cent since 1881.
II has remained stationary with that country
Both these governmente are ANXIOUS 20 establish
Operate with this government In supporting
them. The cost Of two first claas ines from
New York aud New Orleans TO Rio do Janeiro
and the River Patio would not cost
100000, less than one cent each TO- the
Of n ,h 2T The n ony ma"
Mexican Government. and the only mail ser-
vice we have with Nen2uela L. paid for by the
service we have with Brazil is paid for by the
Brazilian Government, through the energy Of
an American citizen, Az an American citizen !
feel ashamed Of our want of enterprise IN se-
curing the trade OF thesa great countries. There
ia not a man or newspaper in the land who
would not rise NO and sanction the expendi-
ture of millions Of dollars In preventing a vio-
lation of II political Monroe doctrine on the
continent OF America; but they have allowed
those vast rich countries. simply because n
small expenditure. was necessary TO establish
mail lines with which the people of those coun-
tries could b. brought here to buy that which
we hayo TO sell.
There il another great interest IN which New
Orleans is particularly Interested. That IL tho
SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILWAY.
Hpplause1 We have a railroad now. as you
are all aware. running from Omaha to San Fran
cisco. have the authority OF gentleman he
fore me- who states that n Cincinnati manutae-
turer addressed n communication to that rail
road ~ to what II would cost TO transport q car
load of his manufactures to San Francisco. and
the reply was s2b6o car load, while to-day the
same individual IL Transporting his products
from Cincinnati to New York. and thence via
Panama 81 San Francisco, for $500 n car
Thus L will be seen that with single railroad
line across the continent. without competition,
we cannot hope TO secure n respectable share of
the &23s 600 900 of Australia's purchases of which
the United states now soils about 81 100000 We
know how essential Il is to have cheap trans
portaton. You have seen corn taken from
Chicago TO New York at 10 cents q bushel In
consequence Of competing lines which IL about
Union and Central Pacific tits not IN the interest
of this country ~ longer protect monopoly
OF such u magnitude You are therefore
called upon TO inquire IL n competing line can
not be constructed by the aid of the genera
government, on such y basis as will insure i
early completion without involving ultimately
one dollar OF uecuniary liability to the govern
ment With such II line, the government would
BE- enabled greatly to reduce the expenses OF IN"
War Department IN the protection OF the eoun-
try from Indian depredatons and the trans
portation Of army supplies; and while COM
mendng II as n wise measure for the govern
ment, Ii woult afford an outlet to the rich and
great countries which lie to the south and west
Australia to-day is the most prosperous ma
ton on the face of the earth. With a popua-
ton of a little more han 20oo 900. II has n com
merce of more than three-oights rs large ms tho
United States. with population OF ti0ooooo.
Therefore, Is II not worth while TO secure closer
communication with that country? Genilomen.
without prolonging my remarks. simply want
to call your attention to the call which
has been issued. and suggest that when
we get e business that there shall
be committees appointed that shall
report suitable resolutions looking towards the
Improvement Of the Mississippi river. the pro-
lection of American commerce and the Pacific
Railroad. and with the favorable action of this
convention we can so before the Congress of
the United States and ask their wise statesman.
ship in the Endorsement of measures adopted
by this convention. IApplausel Let us ask our
Congress TO indorse measures similar 20 those |
which have marked the craftsmanship of Eng |
land and France and given those |
countries the control Of the commerce
OF the world. When the Emperor Napoleon |
his people idle and Disconnected. with little to |
do but incite revolution with commerce. that
the judieious expenditure of s. 600 goo or 5000
coo annually as subsidies to mail steamship |