The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-07-17
THE COMMERCIAL LEAGUE.
Important Address Of the Executive Commit
tee to the People Of the Northwest.

Important Address Of the Executive Commit.
tee to the People Of the Northwest.
The executive committee appointed to
devise the way to establish q commercial
league, met in St. Paul, July 8, and
adopted the following circular letter:
To the People ef the State of Minnesota:
On the 7th day Of June, 1879, the follow
ing resolutions were introduced into the
St. Paul chamber Of commerce:
WHEREAS, The commercial interests of Min
nesota and the new Northwest, and the pros
perity and happiness of their people require
that they shall have some control of the nat
ural and artificial lines of transportation on
which the prices of all es ports and imports de-
pend: aud
WHEREAS. By the combination Of wealthy
and powerful corporations there is danger that
such control may be lost, and this State and
its neighbors uf the Northwest be reduced to
the ccuditi. II Of appendages and tributary
ard
WHEREAS, The Mississippi rive; and the
lakes, which project lar into our territory, are
natural highways of commerce, which need
only to be improved and utilized to form the.
basis Of an independent system Of transporta-
tion, now, therefore, be it
ReSolred, By the chamber of commerce of
ginning already inausurated by this chamber,
looking to the improvement of these great ar
teries IF commerce. should be persistently fol-
lowed up from ear to year until complete sue
cess shall crown our efforts.
ReSol,td further, That the new Northwest has
the natural advantages, the wealth, the popu-
lation and the credit which make it both feas-
ible and desirable to inaugurate m independ-
ent system of transportation, the bases of
which shall be the Mississippi river and adia-
cent lakes; and to bring about consnmma-
tion vital to our interests we recommend
the formation of a com mercial league con>ist-
ing of the various cities of Minnesota
and Dakota, the cities of Buffalo, Detroit,
Montreal and Others East, together with the
cities OF the Mississippi river from New
Orleans to Minneapolis. and such transporta-
tion companies as may be interested in the
purposes Of the league.
ReSol,ed, That in order TO carry out the or
ganization of such league and perfect the
details of the most iudicious ways and means
of accomplishing the ends in view, a commit
tee of ten citizens Of st. Paul shall be ap-
pointed by this chamber to confer with like
committees from other localities in the State
and the Northwest and that they meet in this
chamber at 10 O'Clock on thc-day of july
1879, for consultation and further action.
These resolutions were recommended for
adoption by the committee on commerce on
the 30sh of June and the 7th of July ap-
pointed as the day for which the conference
called for.
Such a conference was held on the 7th of
July, IN which representatives from the lead
ing cities of the State, from the St. Paul &
Sioux City railroad. and the St. Paul, Mime
apolis & Manitoba railroad, were present
After full interchange of sentiments, show
ing the dangers which threaten our
entire new Northwest, and the absolute ne
cessity for combination to meet combination,
there was but one opinion as to our ability
to avert the threatened dangers if the entire
State and the people interested will arouse
to realizing sense of the situation and
stand shoulder to shoulder in defense of
their independence. TO bring about this
result, you were invited to meet st st. Paul
on the 22nd of July, by the adoption of the
following resolutions:
ReSolved. That the commercial league con-
templated by this conference Is not for the
benefit of any city or locality in the State, but
and the agricultural and commercial interests
of the people of the State, which are threat
ened by the combinations of powerful outside
corporations which discriminate against our
interests; and the press of the entire State are
respectfully requested to call the attention of
eat Of the State of establishing an indepen-
dent sys em Of transportation based upon the
Mississippi river and tue adjacent lakes as out.
let's, SO that there may be competing lines and
a choice of markets for our products. Be it
further
Re$olred. That at the adjourned meeting of
this conference. to be held on Tuesday, july
22. at ii o'clock, a: the St. Paul cha mber of
commerce rooms, u general invitation is hereby
extended without further notice to every town
and the buards of trade aud chambers OF COM
mercc in the State to send delegates. and to
citizens of every county who feel an interest,
to meet with us and participate in the confer
ence
An executive committee consisting of j.
W. McClung and w. l.. Banning, of St.
Paul: Richard Chute, of Minneapolis; J. s.
Culver, of Duluth; L. F. Hubbard, Of Il ed
Wing, and Gorden E. Cole, of Faribault
we're appointed to propose ways and means
for carrying out the obi jects of this confer
ence and to issue an address to the people ol
the State.
We're it not for the apathy which has hero.
tofore existed upon this subject which has
caused US to sleep soundly while the combi'
nation of railroad companies have already
wrested from US nearly every railroad line
which was built by the mun,dcent land grants
OF tue beuelaA GoSeInLueut auu IHo Aoco'
bounties for which our cities and counties
are mortgaged for taxation for years to come,
it might not be necessary to add another
word to urge upon you the Importance OF
giving list ening ear to this appeal.
The policy o: Chicago is that all roads
must lead to Rome. The policy Of the rail
roads is consolidated to bring about this
end. The policy of both is that the splendid
empire that stretches from the head waters
of the Mississippi and the lakes to the Paci
fc ocean, endowed with the natural cspaci
ties to make it the eranary of tie world
must be conquered and made to pay tribut,
to Cesar. The edict that Carthage must b.
destroyed" was not q more settled policy
than this. We are to be compelled to carr
our exports and our imports by Chicago