The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-01-25
THE CANAL.
SOME WORK DONE ON THURSDAY

was held at the Court House on last Thursda,
afternoon The court room WAS well filled
-, the audience consisting in greater part d
. farmers, merchants and grain dealers from
- Seneca, Morris, Marseilles, Utica, Ottawa, etc
= The chairman Mr.. T.. Rowland, called the
u meeting to order at o'clock, and stated thai
the first business would be the report of the
! committee appointed to draft plan of action
V Hon. Elmer Baldwin, chairman of that com
. mittee, thereupon reported as follows:
= Your committee, whom you required to re-
port upon necessary measures to be taken fOI
y the protection and pcrpetuating OF the Illinois
x Michigan canal have been deeply impressed
with the importance and value of that great
work, and also with the great and unexpected
crisis which threatens its ruin.
. The Illinois IL Michigan canal was so near
! ~ made by nature and its great value so an.
parent, that the first explorers of this region
:, and the statesmen of that day, regarded its
construction so already determined President
j. Madison referred to it IN his annual message
in 1914. The first governor of Illinois, in his
message tn the legislature called their atten-
' ton to this prospective national work.
It's completion, occurring as it did after
t years Of financial depression and amid the
poverty and privations incident to II new
, country without Il market, was a boon which
the hardy pioneers then here most wildly re
7 Imcmbcr and will be slow to forget The saw
ing IN the cost OF transportation in the thirty
two Yeas since its completion has more than
paid It's entire cost-savlng more than $1,000
200 to those whose predictions have tloated on
, its bosom.
1t kas proved cheaper than any other mode
of transportation, and will continue to do so
if properly managed The difference between
cost of transportation to market from the in
terror railroad stations, etc, and from the
towns on the canal will be Il part of the loss
we shall suffer if the canal is dried up-trom
) 70 10 cents on every buShcl of Grain trans
7 ported.
. And now, when its very existence is threat
ened your committee believe it behOOves
citizen Of the locality and Of the state to rally
to its rescue and support; to fail IN that duty
E would be base lngratitudC to the noble men
-, who in the face Of untold difficulties projected
and built the canal recreant to our own inter-
Csts, and false to the sacred trust we hold for
, postcrity.
The men of to-day will ever receive the exc.
t CratiOns of those that come after Us If they
supincly permit this ineStlmable boon to be
destroyed by the greed Of railroad interests
The state, being the owner of the canal,
/, should be ready 70 supply any deficiency in
? its revenue and see 1t kept in repair, as by its
, compact with the |. :. in accepting the grant
of the canal lands il is bound to do 1t is use
less to reason that the state can release itself
l from IA solemn agreement by It's own act,
| though that act be a constitutional provision
! The |. :. have performed their part Of the
contract, and the state is bound by every prin.
= ciplc of Justice and honor to do the same The
state may not do it, but it will do for us to de.
mand it,
If any railroad discrlminates to the injury
of the canal, let it feel the full force and pen
: atty of the law; but no immediate aid can be
expected from this means, as the crowded
dockets Of our courts and the well understood
delay of legal justice will consume years be.
fore the penalty will tell upon the offenders.
Yet such suits should be commenced for each
and every otiense mot single test case, and
no time should be lost in beginning, as enough
will be consumed before the close.
i Every remedy that promises aid should be
employed; the fight should be decided and
desperate, and never rclinquished until victory
crowns our efforts.
The effort already commenced to induce the
L. s. to enlarge the canal and make il a ma
ional work is an effort in the right direction,
! Nature made it Il national work. Its influence
would be felt from the Atlantic to the Pacific,
and most decidedly from the lakes to the gulf
In time of war the work would be a neces-
sity to the government, furnishing an inland
and safe passage for vessels, supplies and mu
nitions of war to and from the lakes to the
gulf and ocean. OF immense commercial adj
=, vantage to both north and south it would ce.
ment in interested relations sections once
Iestrangcd
Congress has ever evlnCed a kindly feeling
toward this great national work, and persistent
efforts will doubtless secure the success of an
I,,I.; t,F,,, tn ha
i the state the nation and the world.
! Your committee would recommend the
adoption of the following resolutions:
ReS0iced, That the railroad and warehouse
commissioners be called upon topromptly dis
Ichargc their duty by prosecuting every dis
Termination by any railroad that operates to
the injury of The canal and we reques: the
governor to remove said commissioners If they
I fail in their duty in the premises.
\ ReSolred, That delegation Of five from La
i Sale and two from Grundy counties be APP
pointed 10 visit Springfield during the present
session of the legislature to urge upon them Il
proper discharge Of their duty in regard to the
Icanal; to urge the legislature to mcmOraiZe
congress on the subject Of the enlargement Of
the canal and To instruct our delegation in
congress in the matter.
RcSolced. That committee of one from each
ICounty represented in this convention be APP
pointed VINO, with one from eaCh county inter
} cstcd in the canal TO be appointed, shall con
stitute II committee of correspondence and
vigilance, authorized to call meetings of the
people, memorialize the legislature and con
> gresS, and to have general supervision of the
: defense of the canal.
HeSoiced, That it is our duty to support the
business Ot the canal by drawing our produce
To lis warehouses, and also to patroniZe mer-
chants and dealers who will give 1t their
l treightlng.
;, All of which is respectfully submitted
| Hon. G.. W. Armstrong said, it seems to me
} that CORES pondencc by the committee author
o. lied in the third resolution should be opened
with st Louis and the west interested, SD as
to extend the interest rs widely as possible.
! On motion of Hon. Elmer Baldwin, the
f. resolutions were discussed and adopted Seri-
,,,..l