The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-08

which vigorously pitches into the resolu-
lions adopted by the late Davenport Con-
venfion. 1t devotes one of its ablest edi-
torials TO demonstrating that It is not the
duty or even the privilege Of the federal
government to do anything that may BEN
fit commerce, except to improve the natuT-
al arteries of trade, like the great rivers. Ii
maintains that it is not the function OF the
government to provide remedy for the
oversight of nature" and when nature has
provided such a channel as the Father OF
Waters congress should not infere in any
way to circumvent nature and divert trade
| from its legitimate outlet by helping to dig
a canal across lots to the seaboard.
Its argument, based upon the obvious
designs of nature, is very good consider
| ing the source from whence it emanates,
but still it scarcely meets the case, and II
it be pushed to its last analysis it is liable
| to prove too much. The designs of nature
as interpreted by the CD, are continual
l1y being interferred with, and are likely to
be to the end of time, not only by digging
canals and improving rivers, but by orher
artificial means of communication, such as
railroads. which now transport about LOO
bushels of grain to the seaboard while one
bushel finds its way past the big bridge
and down to the Gulf. These artificial
over the land in response to the constant
development of the country and the de-
mands of increasing trade, but they
are much more expensive than water
routes, and canals are needed to cheaper
rates of transportation by healthy compe-
tition. st. Louis has been stretching out
her arms for the trade of Texas and the
south, and has the benefit of both water
and railroad communications. To deprive
the people interested of either would be
serious loss as well as an inconvenience,
and both means are needed for the full de-
velopment of the country and the wants of
trade. So the Hennepin canal would be
great benefit to far more populous and
richer region of country than is accommo-
dated by the means at present within
reach, and in the minds of people directly
interested it is lifted into national impor-
lance.
Concerning the second resolution which
was adopted at Davenport, the ST. Louis
Globe Democrat remarks:
The second resolution ingeniously declares that
the system OF improvements agreed on for the mis-
sissppi river will be increased in efficiency by the
construction of canal from the river to Hennepin,
and thence to the lake at Chicago. This is a new
discovery and which the promoters of the river
system viii be slow to appreciate AS another
luton declares that the Erie Canal ought to be free
the meaning of both together would to be that
the Mississippi river ought to join the free-canal
lobby in the New York Legislature. The moral of
this is that charity does not always begin home.
The idea of uniting the Hennepin Canal scheme with
the improvement of the Mississippi is preposterous,
and could have originated only in desire to weight
down the latter There could be no more effective
way of killing the improvement of the river than by
coupling it with such an absurd doctrine a that
contained in the resolutions The river States
should be on their guard against being drawn into
the seeming countenance OF snch an aosardlly. Inc
cal even with its present appropriations, and II
the cost OF eomprehenslYe scheme o. canslg =
hpnITe InfA 10 a
which viii involve the river improvement in the dis
repute attached appropriations for visionary pur
promptly be denied by the river with thanks.
This is a world of compromises, and
many good people are often compelled to
make them against their will, in order to
accomplish other things that they deem
very desirable. The st. Louis folks, and
those people all along shore, are very
much interested having Congress spend all
the money that is needed to improve the
Mississippi river, even by the most absurd
and expensive schemes, but they are
jealous of any attempt to stretch the power
of the Federal Government in another
directions for the benefit of internal COM
merce. We are constrained to remark
that the motive of the CD. is more
selfish than patriotic, and that
its opposition to the Henne-
pin scheme has its inspiration in
jealousy of Chicago, rather than in a desire
not to see the constitutional powers of con-
gress overstrained. 1t may be that the
promoters of the Mississippi Improvement
are strong enough in congress to secure
whatever appropriations they want to ac-
complish their purposes without any ALI
ance. offensive or defensive, with Others,
and can set their feet upon every other
rival enterprise, but we very much doubt
their ability to do so. The Globe Democrats
advice for the 'river states to be on their
guard" will be accepted by other states not
on the river, whose members have a |
broader vision than the St. Louis editor,
and who are willing to aid in the develop
ment of the whole country