The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-01-04
the CANAL.
An Earnest Meeting In iis Favor.

| 'oh'k VA ldsl, let u large
number Of farmers living within easy distanc.
Of the city were present, as well as few gentle
men from down the river. from Earlvilc, &c,
hut doubtless on account of the severity of the
weather. farmers except from the immediate vi.
entity 0t Ottawa, were conspicuously absent.
However, the Court House was filled. Among
those present were Canal Commissioners Glover,
kngman and Shaw, Smith from the Railroad aud
Warehouse Commission, Superintendent Thomas,
VIM, T. Stackpole, Of Fairbury, an old and de.
tcrmincd worker IN the cause of national sys.
TEN Of water transportation lines, and others,
Reporters from the Chicago Tribune and the
Peoria press were on hand
About 2:3O the meeting was called 10 order by
Mr.. f.. Rowland OF Prairie Center who was
made president; j. H. Shaver, Of Rutland, was
made secretary and j. q. Armstrong assistant.
An organization having been effected, the call
was read, and the meeting proceeded TO bust
ness.
Mr., STACKPoLE said he had come here ria La
Sale, where he had met Alex Campbell, who
sent greetings. The two had decided that the
spirit of this meeting should have wider scope
and for that purpose they would advise this con
vention to call state and national conventions
ITO keep the pot boiling" rs it were.
On motion OF s. f.. PARR, of Rutland, a com
mitt.c OF five was appointed to draft resolutions
The committee was constituted as follows: E.
F. Bull, $. f.. Parr, L. Bangs, W. ii. II. Hold
ridge, ID. Center.
Hon. j. o. GLOVER being called for, arose and
suggested 1t would be better to talk on the reso-
lutions, but AZ none had been presented, he
would say 4 few words. When the state was
Young Gin 1922 the congress of the L. s. granted
TO the state every alternate section of land from
Chicago to La Sale TO pay for the proposed ca.
nal. The terms of the grant were that the canal
should be built and maintained forever free To
the government for navigation in time of war
and peace. In case the canal WAS not built and
80 maintained the land should revert back to the
L. s., and those sections sold should be paid for
by the state. The state accepted the terms and
built the canal. The question now is, shall the
state "go back on" its bargain; As a simple
question Of honor can we let this canal dry up:
Can we do so legally? In private cases such
contract, are enforced, and this one may be, for
the state is bound by this contract to forever
maintain the canal, Keep up the canal 1t will
w t"o'ei W SSt Hioiits WIN bAc II NC
keep up the canal. Let the canal dry up--what
leverage have you on them if you wish any
special favors or reasonable termsy But keep
up the canal and you may dictate to them, and
when you Say to them that you are unwilling
they shall enter into the combinations disastrous
To you they will know you mean 1t The canal
is peace. maker; wipe il out and the New York
and eastern roads will dictate IA they please
Many people have now the notion that it is too
late to prevent the drying up Of the canal MS con-
templatcd by the railroads. The section of the
constitution of 1870, relating to the canal, as
generally interpreted, il stronger than the pro-
vision itself, for when it WAS adopted the canal
WAS In the hands of bond holders. That the
roads are striving to dry up the canal is evident
they don't act as they do now in disregard Of
their own interests. They tell you you can't APP
prOpriate money for the canals support. But
this is certain: when the canal Is wiped out,
you'll have no more freights for nothing. Can
you afford this: The way to act is to tell your
representatives in the legislatures and in CON
gress what You want, and they will help you-
they don't want to be ut war with you; neither
do the railroads, and think If the railroad and
warehouse commissioners WOulu tel them your
grievances they would cease.
"A for the canal, We have been running it with
the tolls fixed at the lowest point that will keep
it in repair but extensive repairs are necessary
and it Is out Of cash But tn" canal has property
which ought to be in proper hands for use IN al
emergency, for which q law should be made.
The Copperss Creek dam was built az cost of
$500, 0O0 and it takes money to keep it in repair,
and to extend the river improvement to ST. Louis.
The largest locks in the world are in your Hi.
uois river, carrying l3 Of your canal boats at
once. 1t is outrageous to let such An improve
mcnt go 10 ruin.
The railroad managers are FIR men, but they
work for their own interests and you must look
out for YOUR. To-day the city Of Chicago has IL
it, pusses,on piece of land included in this
same grant OF the L. 4. to the canar worth
g., OOO, 900, which the railroads are using and on
which is the b. n o. depot, and for which not y
cent sf rent il paid The canal has pitted
against it 2Oo or 900 millions of dollars in the
hands of the shrewdest business men in the
country and who have long been working for its
d,,truction To light them aud this money the
canal should have all its means well in hand. |
for one am against giving up these improve
laents and repudiating our contract with the L..
). united action is all that ia necessary to un-
able us 10 win.
j. 4 ARMSTRONG, OF Sheridan, said he thought
the present laws sufficient, but wanted to know
whether the railroad and warehouse commits
,oncrs, and the canal commissioners, had done
their duty. Have they tried to prevent This I'M
Just discrimination against the canal during the
past summer? Have the canal lands, ~ate'
power, &c, brought their proper rents:
WILLIAM REDDICK said that when the charter
Of the Rock Island road was passed il was pro
vided that 1t should pay to the canal the same
tolls on all articles it carried As were levied on
The canal; but the provision, ON account ot the
negligence or peryersity of the cana! AUTHORITIES
WAS never enforced The railroad bill OF 1877
nrcveuts Discrimination: and they VIII" have
lcnmpl,in To make have but To lay them before
tb. railroad commissioners and they viii correct