The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1880-05-28

body can conceive, or the VIII OF Congress en-
act into law.
One of the great questions of the day. which |
will require al the wisdom and sagacity OF Con-
gress To solve, and which the public demand
shall be Immediately adjusted, is the question
or transportation rates. In tins connection i
wish To call attention to the fact that this canal
with its limited and contracted space. to-day
regulates to great extent the tariff rates OF
freights from Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Min
nesota TO Chicago. IL railway rates are adj
yanced beyond proper amount between ~.
Paul and Chicago, the grain IL shipped via the
Mississippi and Illinois rivers and this canal.
The same IL true of freights between other
Western points and Chicago; and though, but a
limited quantity may be shipped by the river
and canal, il Is owing TO the fact,that il can be
80 shipped that the railway lines charge only
reasonable tariff, and the entire public Is bene-
flied.
This canal is located in a latitude sufficiently
far south To permit of its being open more than
eight months during the year. and, with It's
Illinois river connection TO the Mississippi, it
passes for distance of 800 miles through one
of the most productive regions of the continent,
through the center of the granary of the world.
The single State of Illinois. through which it
passes, produced during the year 1879, among
other pro lucts, 800. 914 900 bushels of corn, .,
$4,000 tons of hay, As 49, 900 bushels Of wheat,
"a, 665O0D bushels of oats, 7,126, 900 bushels OF
potatoes, 990. 900 bushels of haXseed. 1.525. 600
gallons of sorghum, and marketed 1884, 1914
head of hogs, 40, 900 head of fat cattle 10000
head of sheep-yalued to the producer in the
sum of 500, 000, 900 n State which in the fiscal
year of 1879 paid to the Government i'll internal
revenue alone nearly 500 900, 900, almost one
fifth of the entire receipts by the Government
from this source of revenue, and exported SILL
900, 900 of untaXed alcohol.
The city of Chicago, the northern terminus
of this canal, exported direct on through bills
of lading 14,63l, 295 bushels of grain, III, 1863
La... l.. 4 q n nanA
rcls and packages of hams, pork, beef. lard,
etc, a total of 76S, 1873 tons-an increase of
COG. 900 toms in five wears
make this statement to exhibit the amount
OF internal revenue paid direct to the Govern
ment by the state and the quantity of domestic
produce exported direct, an evidence of the
ability of this State, through which this water
system Is required. to pay her proportion of the
annual expenditures made by the Government
for the improvements throughout the country
and the energy and enterprise of Chicago. the
northern terminus of the canal in assisting in
creating balance of trade i'll favor of the Gov
eminent, both of which statements it seems
proper for me to refer To, that it may be
understood that the people of this State
have much of the expenditure required
Tor the contemplated improvement to pay
themselves. This canal Will connect the South
and West 10y water with great commercial
center-the city of Chicago-whose manufact-
lucs Tor the past year amounted in value TO
some $500, 0O0, 900, and with State which has
large mechanical industries. manufacturing in
the single item OF farm machinery more than
one-halt of al that Is fabricated in this country.
Ii will connect by nayigable waters for steam
boat transportation the great inland cities Of
the country. Chicago and St Louis. the former
the northern and the latter the southern ter
minus of this immediate system.
1t will afford easy, direct and cheap water
transportation for all surplus products Of the
fields of the forests, and of the mines in the
great West tributary 10 the Mississippi system
to Chicago, the great lumber, provision. cattle.
hog and grain market of the world. where
these products will find direct water COM
munication WITH the seaEoard.
1t opens mp = market for the staples Of the
extreme South by water with all points upon the
lake system. The Mississippi steamer. laden
with ITS rice and cotton, its coffee, sugar. to-
bacco. and products OF the tropics can unlade
upon the docks OF the port of Chicago and pro-
coed to the large elevators. warehouses and
lumber yards, receiving full cargo of manu-
featured supplies and lumber. flour. grain.
pork. and other products of the farm, for tie
South.
1t completes the system OF the great NIsss-
sippi valley with that of the great chain of
northern lakes. and. remarked by his Excel
lcncy Gov. Cullom, in a recent effort
1.-The actual saving to the producer and con-
sumner by this improvement and those contem-
plated by the Government upon the mississippi
III the price OF wheat ana corn alone would he
enough To pay the cost of the improvement in
one year upon liberal scale
| have endeavOred 70 present in plain and
matter-of-fact manner, without establishment
or rhetorical display, such facts and ideas. as
this subject has suggested, which are conclusive
to my mind that necessity exists for the en-
largement of this canal that such necessity
is not local but widespread that the State of
illinois * relieved of this duty since the en-
largcnent of the canal is comforting n greater
benefit on others than upon the citizens of that
State that the Government cannot derive the
greatest benefit from its expenditures upon the
mississippi and the lake system, and permit Il
connecting link 60 be owned, controlled and
operated by separate corporation. making the
said improvements feeders to such connecting
link that the duty of the Government COM
mences where the magnitude of the enterprise
and the benefits 10 be gained are 80
universal and of such colossal pro-
portions; and that the Congress that has
surveyed SO much and reported 80 often and
recommended so iayshly, but has never appro-
prlated dollar. will be 10th 10 do SO until the
Improvement is controlled by the General Gov
ermncnt With view TO such control intro
duced this resolution as the first practicable
step to be taken by the Government, which ac-
ton il in conformity with Congressional prece-