The patron of husbandry. (Columbus, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1882-03-18
The Ship.RafIway.


intelligent farmers who have exam
ined the question and appreciate its
great importance to the farming in
terests of the country. 1t is unqnes-
tionably the most important ques-
ton before Congress so far as the
commerce and agriculture of this
country are concerned, and we feel
sure that we could not devote our
space to better purpose. The ar
ticle from the Washington City Re
b~bIic and the extracts from the re
port Of the Committee on Commerce
of the us. Senate viii be found full
of information, valuable to all who
see in the success of the Ship Rail
way the opening OF the markets of
Eastern Asia to our manufactured
goods and the tremendous impetus
it will give to the culture and man
ufacture of cotton in the Cotton
States. It will be but short time
after the completion of that great
work when its quickening Influences
will be seen and felt in every branch
of industry in our great country, and
its influence will be especially ben
eficial in the South and West. All
intelligent farmers in the Cotton
States must see that the demand for
the cheaper qualities of cotton goods
from Eastern Asia-a trade which
England now controls-must have
the effect of greatly improving all
branches of the cotton business from
its production to its manufacture,
and this demand will stimulate them
to manufacture it themselves. The
revolution in the cotton business in
this country would soon be COM
plete Thousands of Clement At
tachment factories would spring up,
and in a comparatively brief time all
the cotton goods sent to Eastern
Asia, now manufactured in the East
and in England, would be manufac-
tured in the Cotton States and
shipped from Southern ports over
the Ship Railway. Let farmers con-
slider these facts in all their bearings.
and they will not be slow to give
the Ship Railway project their most
earnest support.
From the following letter from
Capt Eads it will be seen how high
ly he appreciates the powerful and
timely support of the Jetty bill by
the National Grange when that bill
was before Congress in 1873 1t
should be remembered that the Ma
tional Grange took decided posi-
ton in support of the Jetties even
when the Board of Trade of New
Orleans opposed that plan of open
ing the mouth of the Mississippi
And while the railway monopolies
of the country are concentrating
their power to defeat the Ship-Rail-
way bill now before Congress, Capt.
Eads naturally looks to the Patrons
of Husbandry-the most intelligent,
progressive and patriotic portion of
the farmer class-for support. This
support they can give by petition
ing Congress to pass the bill, and
every Subordinate Grange in the
land ought to send on a petition,
signed by all of its members, to its
respective Representative in Con
gress at the earliest moment:
WAsH1N GToN, D. c., March 6, 1882
w. H. WoRTHINGToN, Editor of Tie
Patron Of Hns6andry, Columbus, Miss
Dear Sir: l am glad to see that you are
calling the attention of the members of the
Grange to the Importance of urging Con-
gress to aid in the building of the Ship
Railway at Tehuantepec. Without the
support and influence which the Patrons
of Husbandry concentrated upon the Jetty
bill in 1875, it is very doubtful if the bill
had been passed. The result of it is that
that the Jetties now control the transpor-
tatien rates on the larger portion of the
productions of the Mississippi Valley, and
the reduction in the present cost of getting
their produce to the foreign markets of the
world, is saving the producers of that Val
ley not less than $25,ooo,ooo annually.
This may seem like an over statement, but
a saving of s cents pei bushel on two
thirds of its corn crop is alone equal to
100000. The Jetties gave the Valley
the choice of the markets on the Atlantic
side of the world. The Ship Railway will
give it command of those on the Pacific
side of it. and will establish line of trans
portation that the railway monopolies can
not control. They know this and are de-
termined to defeat it. The Patrons OF
Husbandry should more Promptly and
with their 4vhoke force, for since the pass
age of the Jetty bill nothing has been pre-
scented to the attention of the public which
will so thoroughly cheaper transportation
and benefit the producers of America as