The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-01-18
THE [ CANAL.
A Big Meeting and some Work Done

, The second meeting to discuss the question
how to save the Illinois and Michigan cana
: from destruction by the railroads was held il
the Court House on Thursday afternoon. pun
suant to adjournment. The meeting was large
+, ~ attended, the court room beng much toe
small to hold all who came. Delegations vcrt
, present from Seneca, Morris, etc. and most o
q, the supervisors were in attendance, as were al
so Superintendent Thomas and Commissioner
shaw, and reporters for the Chicago and PEG
ria press.
The meeting was called to order by f. How
land, Esq, chairman, who stated that the frs
business would be the report of committees
Mr. S. f. Parr thereupon presented the follow
ling:
i Your committee, who were appointed for
the purpose of having petitions printed and
IclrCulatcd tor signatures, respectfully beg leave
to report that they caused several hundred cop.
les of the petition, the form of which vas
agreed upon at the last meeting, TO be printed
and have caused the same TO be circulated for
! signatures as extensively us time and OppOrtu-
nifty have permitted; that we caused fifty cop
les to be sent to Chicago and circulated for sig.
,
that the people seem To be alive to the gravity
Of the interests under consideration, and that
with the proper effort nearly every voters name
! in the northern part Of thls state can be pro.
cured.
The following letter to the committee was
also read by the Secretary, j. c. Armstrong:
! .HcssrS, +. p, BuN, de-, commtttcc, dc.,-
| Please send me - more forms for use here.
]
! have presented them heartily endorse the move.
ment and checrtully present them to their enl-
IplOyccS except the auoCratic Chicago repre-
sentativcs of the l"tc honorable house of A. r.
Stewart Il Co.. who will not even permit it to
! be presented To their employees. l. it Won
der that the Jews dislike them? Every Off
cial department of the city heartily co opcr-
atcs with the movement. Very truly
b. f. SHOTwEIL.
The following communication to the sccrc.
tary was then read by that gentleman
There i, no local question Of greater lmpOr-
lance TO producers of the northwest than the
one you now have under consideration.
u
! The report of Mr. Bralnard a railroad and
warehouse commissioner in 1915, shows that
the amount saved on freight transported on the
| Illinois and Michigan canal from its compile.
! ton up to 1870, from the amount charged on
\ like freight transported an average distance on
and at prices estimated on the actual charges
OF five principal railroads radiating from Chi
icago, was greater than the gross cost of the ca.
nal (some SS00000O, | beheveJ When YOU
estimate the amount of freight available to
water transportation of the Mississippi and
Missouri rivers and their tributaries and the
amount that can be saved thereon from present
81,
linois and Michigan canal, you Will find the
cost an insignificant sum compared with the
actual benefits conferred. If the cost were as
sessed upon the lands of Illinois Or Iowa. it
would amount to less than 40c. per acre; if on
the lands of Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Nilsson
ri, Kansas and Nebraska, less than DC per acre
! Had the work been COnsummated 90 wears
iago, it would have paid the people of the north
west many times its cost. If contaminated it
would be one of the most efficient barriers to
the aggressive railroad monopolles
1t should be made a national highway, free
| from toll, wherein every citizen to the manor
born or adopted, can paddle his own canoe"
or command flat boat or steamer.
Respectfully, your obedient servant
| Is. +. SHOTWEIL
| The secretary reported that some 1900 sign
crs to the petition had been obtained IN Ottawa,
Seneca about 500; and throughout the county
IN all some $500. The best way to secure
names is to send the petition to one active man
in each town or county.
The chairman states that money was needed
to carry on the work properly, and committees,
and suggested that more complete organiza-
ton be effected
| w r. Milligan had the following from the
Chicago Times of the 10 inst, read
Among Il swash of resolutions offered after
the reading of bills was one by Mr.. Fay rs
follows:
ReSoircd, BY the house Representatives the
senate concurring therein, that there shall be
submitted to the voters of this state at the
next election for members Of the general as
scmbly, proposition To so amend the fourth
clause of section , of article II Of the Consti-
tuition of this state that it will read rs follows
/ The Illinois and Michigan canal shall never he
sold or leased until the specific proposition for
the sale or lease thereof shall first have been
Submitted To- 4 vote of the people of the state at
"A general election, and have been approved by
I a majority of all the votes pUllcd at such cleo
ton. The general assembly shall never loan
the credit of the state or make appropriations
bill NV ll'dNNlN tlI'iI'I III VliA vi ltll
but may do 50 in aid Of the extension of the
4 Illinois and Michigan canal to the Mississippi
.Iriycr
Referred To the committee on canals and
'lrivcrs.
! Mr. Niligan said he thought this deeply
laid plot to ruin the canal by bringing the
question before the people before anything can
be done to save it, The canals enemies are
crowding The matter The same plan was tried
in Pennsylvania with fatal results. If you
leave the question TO the people TO lease or not
To lcas" lho canal, away gocs The canal, The
Hast clause Of the resolution i, only u snare
The interest the greater part of the state Is
against the canal and the people will vote
against IT, think see IN tins resolution the
stllhuntcr"
Hon. G. W. Armstrong said he thought tn,
I, amcndmcn, proposed in the resolution would