The Columbus journal., 1881-07-06
River transportation.

made the following addresses.
SENATOR SAUNDERS ADDRESS.
Pending the reports of the COM
mittees at the afternoon session,
Hon. Alvin Saunders, senator from
Nebraska, was called on TO address
the convention. Senator Saunders,
after some pleasantries between him
and Chairman Hogan, said that he
was heart and soul in sympathy
with the objects of the convention,
fact which no man knows better
than you, Mr.. Chairman addressing
Mr.. Hogan. Turning TO the dele
gates he said, / came to hear you
talk and tell what you want me to
do, giving a full expression of your
views. Mine are pretty well known.
took grounds in the senate in Feb
ruary last, in a speech in the senate
for an appropriation of one million
dollars to be expended between
Sioux City and the mouth of the
Missouri. The committee reported
in favor of SI,S00,OO0. We got only
100000. Congress is not informed
on this matter. could name sena-
tors who didn't know that a steamer
ever ran as high as this point. GLOW
do steamboats, get to Nebraska ~
asked one. "Very easily" | replied,
son the largest river in the world"
sTBut | thought" answered the sena-
tor. "that the Missouri river was
back of Kansas" But ignorance
will be overcome. These rivers
must be opened. They are the only
free highways that the people own.
am not prejudiced on this subject.
am a railroad man as well as a
river man. We want all the rail-
roads we can get and twice as many
as we now have. There is business
for all. There is too much talk
against the railroads. We go to
work and start railroads, and help
pay for them; we open them with
great enthusiasm, and the next day
we come out and denounce them as
monopolists. This is all wrong. If
the railroads abuse their powers and
their trusts we have our remedy in
the courts, and the legislatures and
i'm congress. But there are some
things which we OF the west cannot
afford to demand of congress. We
only cut ourselves off from the adj
vantagas they give US when we ask
congress to pass law establishing
mileage rates between our section
and the great markets. Such pol
icy would isolate the west. But il
is Just what the cast wants. The
east has water competition and low
rates, and we can have the same ad-
vantages if we 60 to work, not fight
ing the railroads, and open the river
TO cheap transportation, so as to en-
able US to compete, not only with
the markets of the old world, but
with our own. We need to open
up communication with the south
and give them our grain and pork,
so that they may use their ground
for cotton. We are nothing if not
an agricultural region. Ii we can
not find market we are cut off and
must live in poverty, when we ought
to be the richest people in the world.
The place to begin is in local meet
iugs, in boards of trade, and in
conventions. The senator then re-
ferred to the market which should
be opened up in Brazil. We buy
fifty millions of that country and
sell them but five million a year
not because we do not raise wheat
they want, but because we have no
ships. What we do ship has mostly
10 60 ria Europe. Now, start these
barge lines, and lay our products
alongside the sea vessels for Brazil,
and we shall have one of the best
markets in the world, almost at our
doors. | did vote once, | believe,
for monopoly" :" | voted in favor of
granting subsidy to Roach, to ena-
BILE him TO open line from New
York and New Orleans to that
country. That was the only means
| could then see to give us of the
west this important advantage. We
want the privilege of doing the best
we can with fair play. Delegates
of the convention, we of Nebraska
will give you a helping hand; and
let us unite and show congress that
we can justly claim a fair share of
the millions it spends, i'm aid of the
richest valley on earth, which only
needs an outlet and a market. Fol-
low up your demands till you are
heard by congress. We have been
slow in this matter. / received
more thanks for the efforts | made
from st. Louis than from Iowa,
Kansas and Nebraska together.
Cease being slow in this thing.
Wake up and 60 to work, and your
object will soon be in a fair way of
accomplishment.
ADDRESS BY SENATOR VAN WICK.
Senator Van Wyck said he had
come TO the convention with the
view of listening and learning the
views of others, though on this SUBJ
ject he has for years held definite
views of his own. The question of
the Improvement of the river is year
by year becoming more and more
important to the dwellers in the
valley. There was a time, and that
not long distant, when the rivers
were the only openings with the
outside world. That was the day
preceding railroads. Now there are
four great roads which permeate the
country; and they have done good
service. But the people of these
mid-western states are growing, and
cultivation is extending; and those
who live here ten years hence will
find population doubled, and pro-
duction quadrupled, and the rail-
roads will also have to double their
rails or there will also have to be
double the number of railroads. In
this crisis, comes in the question of
a river improvements question of
interest and importance, not only to
n a