The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-10-26
RIVER. coNAENTrON.

RIVER. CONVENTION.
ST. LOUIS, Oct. 26.-The Mississippi
river improvement convention met at the
Grand Opera house at half past elev en-.
Five hundred delegates were present from
all states in the valley and a considerable
number of prominent gentlemen occupy
seats, especially invited guests. Michael
McEnnis, president of the local executive
committee, also president of the st. Louis
merchants exchange, called the convention
to order. Geo. L. Wright secretary of the
executive committee, then read the call for
the convention, after which Mr.. McEnnis
spoke briefly.
Mr. Henry Hitchcock next delivered an
address of welcome. He said the wise men
of the east already recognized the impor
tance of cheap transportation, and why
should not we:the calls tell you that 80 per
cent. of the corn, So per cent. of the wheat
and 43 per cent. of the oats produced IN
1880, in the United States comes from the
Mississippi valley. The millions of bush
els of grain grown upon more than one
million square miles, means millions Of
prosperous and happy families: Improve
ment on the Mississippi is no new. project
but it is now generally understood; an in
creasing current, public opinion is push
ing it on.
He said: lit is strange that at this late
day there should be the necessity for calling
people of this valley together to urge upon
congress its duty and obligation to enact
measures for the Improvement of the Mis-
sissippi and its navigable tributaries. Peo-
pie of the United States are famous for
their public spirit and enterprise. Every
subject involving the interest or happiness
of the people has received due attention
except alone the Improvement OF our great
water ways. What causes this Indifference
to question, so vital to the prosperity OF the
people? Are we ignored of their value, or
can we dispense with them? No! We
have frittered away much time and money
over small schemes and purely local ques
tions. It is time we stopped and altered
our course. This valley of ours includes
eighteen states and three territories. 1t is
capable of producing sufficient to feed,
clothe and house the world. 1t now
contains half the population of the United
States and could sustain ten times as many
1t now yields surplus production that has
turned the balance of trade in ourfavor and
made us creditor instead of debtor nation.
It's product will soon enable us to control
financial destiny of world and we viii reap
the harvest, always within great people
highly favored but we must do our duty
This duty is plain and unprotective. We
must go before congress with such over
whelming proofs of necessity of improving
these rivers by deepening their channel
removing distractions and giving us a
free outlet to sea that our petitioners,
I would rather say demands, viii meetwith
immediate and favorable consideration.
Government engineers have completed
their SURVEYS. Their recommendations
have been approved and adopted by con-
gress and the war department commission
has been appointed and is now at WORK
within scanty limits of the appropriations
and doing good work. The time has now
arrived when we, the people of the Missls
sippi valley, must unite and in
slst that these improvements
shall be vigorously pushed and
that sufficient money shall be appri-
ated to permit work to be inauglrated at
all necessary points at one and the same
time We should not tolerate more
'eh OF twenty years delays. We want Q
systematic, foreseeing statesman-hke man
asenent OF the great work With labor
ana cost OF property, the improving of these
streams would not be one
fourth of that necessary for
the building of the railroad to the Pacific;
have these watery highways improved and
the vast valley win ring with the song of
happy millions bound together by com
mon bond OF interest. We propose, with
your help, gentlemen, to make this conven-
tlon the dawn of a new era in the CONNER
cial history of this valley We do not in
tend to permit actions of this convention
py higher coutr or buried in the committee
at washington. We will compile and
PRINT the correspondence, resolutions and
acts OF this convention, with statistical in
formation that win sustain and jusrify en-
'couragement that shall not cease until
Justice is done this valley and our local