The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-03-20

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than Sl2 900 per mile. The Illinois river and the IL
linois and Michigan canal will connect the lakes
at Chicago with about ID, 900 miles OF river naVl
CATION, to say nothing Of the completing commm.
ication with the far west and the Gulf OF Mexico
| In the present imperfect condition oi the llll
nois River and Canal Improvement, one-twelith
of the lumber shipped from Chicago and one
eighth OF the corn received at that city passes
through the canal. At St Louis one twentieth
part of all the freight received by rail from
the fifteen railroads centering there and from the
rivers passing along tins route. In lS'6, OF = II
STEAMBOATS, arriving at ST. Louis 2D were from
the Illinois river. These facts show the impOr
lance of the provement not only to Chicago but
also to st. Louis. and may convey some idea OF
the great importance of the project, not only in
furnishing additional means OF water transpor-
tation, but in chcapening the rates oil railroad
transportation coming into competition with the
! river.
1t may be urged that the proposed work
should lie done by the state Of llnios-that the
Illinois river being entirely within the state,
should be cared for and improved by the state.
This position is untcnablc and can be taken only
by those who hold to the long since exploded
doctrine that the federal government cannot
Iconstitutionally make any Internal Improvement.
The Illinois river does not belong exclusively to
! Illinois. Its waters flow down the great Missis
sippi valley into the Gulf OF Mexico II is part
! of the system Of water courses known as the
Mississippi and its tributaries, part of the
! great river system draining an area OF 35U}
| square miles WllcD pTOuuctu III 100 oNtI ooo,
600 900 bushels of wheat, l,200000 900 bushels OF
corn, and of cotton, tobacco, sugar, rice cattle,
| hogs and other articles not included in manuiac
! turcd articles an amount valued ut one and q
! half millions of dollars. An area in which man
ulacturng interests have developed into very
| great Importance within a very few years. An
area which contains more than ~, 600 of PEG
pie, and ia already the seat Of political power in
the republic. 1t belongs to the republic and
! should be utilized by the goyernmcnt-should be
nu intricate
problem of transportation which must be worked
out by the craftsmanship Of our times.
| It would be rs pertinent and equitable to de
mand that La Sale county should bear all the
expense Of the canal enlargement within her
borders, as TO compel the state OF Illinois to do
all the work necessary TO improve the river and
canal. Up to this point the state has borne very
much the larger part OF the expense OF what has
been done. The land grant of March =, 1877,
was liberal donation on the part of the general
government, but its proceeds did not begin to
! furnish moietv Of the expense OF building the
canal, and the United States was fully compen-
stated for that grant by the accelerated sales OF
other lands in the vicinity The canal grant,
like the Illinois Central grant, was the wise act
of a large land owner, who ludiciously parted
with a small fraction Of his lands to secure
ready sale for the remainder
So far, in the improvement OF the Illinois river,
the state has done its full share but what re
mains to be done is a national work ana should
be done at the expense of the nation.
I We can profit by the experience OF older ns,
tons. In France and Germany, while railroad
building has been pushed with great energy,
they have most carefully maintained and extend
| ed their river improvements; and the river trans
lportation, with its c0ntributary canal system, is
there regarded as just as important now rs 1t wa,
before a railroad was thought of.
| We, the people Of this great valley, demand
| that the national government should lose no
further time in extending its hand to help in the
! improvement Of this great system of riyers-the
national highways of our commerce. or the
$50 600 900 which have been given by the gov
eminent in money and lands, for the public
works and improvements, only one hundretdth
part Of the amount has been given to the Missis
spp and its tributaries and most Of this small
sum has been given with so slow and parsmoni-
Gus a hand that it has done little good-has been
in effect thrown to the winds
This must be reformed. The Mississippi val
| ley demands the attention of the government.
The Illinois river as one of the tributaries OF The
great river, must have its share of the appropri
ations, and receive what is due to it without dc
lay As essential to the success of any improve
ment that may be made in the river, the govern
ment must assume control OF the canal anu
adopt it as part of the water course that will
eventually, and We hope soon, connect the great
chain Of lakes with the Mississippi river and the
Gulf of Mexico. This meeting is the initial step
in the movement that must result in the con
summation Of the proposed wedding OF the great
lake with the great river and its business should
therefore be done with a full appreciation OF the
importance that will attach to whatever action
may be taken by us on this occasion.
The next speaker on the programme was
COL. CLARK L. CARR OF GALEsBuRG,
who said, in substance shall have time to say
but word rs mast leave in time to be home in
the morning. feel very much interested i'll this
great work and was glad to see such enthusiasm
manifested by the distinguished president and hi.
EXcelency, Gov. Cullom. In fact got to feelin9
almost, while Mr.. Wentworth was speaking, as 4
he intended to build this great work himseli
Perhaps some one will say to me, what inter
est is the canal to you you don't live upon the
Illinois river or line of the canal, but 80 miles
away But sir, We who live away from the river
have the same interest in all great works OF this
character, as you have. Connecting this canal
with the river brings Chicago, $50 miles away,
100 miles nearer with her great markets, her
great competition, all to our door.
Some one has said that he who makes two.
blades of grass grow where but one grew before
is public benefactor. This is perhaps true, vet
still there are enough blades of grass growing to
day, there is enough of food grown to-day an
abundance for all the people of the world, and II
is question whether he is not greater pubic
benefactor who brings together the prOaucer
and the consumer and thus make it possible for
them to come together ana get the advantage OF
the industry of each other. go
Ibelieve this great work of the ship canal Will
be accomplished; this American people likes 10
accomplish great results, to surmount great 90
sticles and If there had been a mountain lying
between the Illinois river and the lake, believe
that before this it would have been broken thro
and we would have connected the two. The build
ing of this ship canal is so SIMPLE problem IL
has not vet aroused the enthusiasm Of the people.
The finger of Providence is pointing to-day to the
ten thousand miles OF navigable waters in the
Mississippi valley and to the great lakes, with the
Injunction that we bring them together.
The next speaker introduced was the
HON CARTER II. HARRISON,
Mayor Of Chicago, who spoke as follows: We
have heard the programme Of the President Tor
buildinr this canal by the state and that the con
stitution must be changed before the state can
appropriate a dollar for that purpose. That in
wolves too much time, and the national govern
ment must do 1t, as Gov Cullom has tod you.
I nronose To speak TO the following resolution: