Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1882-11-25
The Mississippi Response. i.
New ierk Commercial Bulletin.

1
The Mississippi Valley people have
been attentivey watching the New Yort
free canal movement as II under the CON.
ylctlon that il New York is going to carry
Western grain 10 the seaboard for nothing.
something will have to be dono to prevent
the further diversion. 0 business from the
great water route of the interior The
grain trade via New Orleans, as is well
known, has feen augmenting quite ran
IDLY wlthin.the few years past, and as II Is
deemed sential to the maintenance and
eXteDsi n If that traffic + have transpur
tatlon charges kept d wn to q point winch
Will enable the Mississippi to comuet,,
with the Erie canal, everything has been
done to tempt shipments in that direction.
not orgetting multiplication of first.
class ocean steamship facilities for pro-
yiding cheap frSigbts, etc.
Naturally, therefore. the adoption OF
the tree canal amendment by the people
OF this State has quickened the apprehen
sions of our Mississippi friends as to the
effect upon their trade; and If ANYBODY
supposes that they are going 10 SIT down
and throw mp the sponge, we q ais.
posed 10 think be will be mistaken On
Lhe contrary, the st. Louis and New Or
leans Journals are already mapping out
programmewhich is intended to neutral
lze as much as possible the advantages an
tlciipated by our people in the removal of
tolls nom the Erie canal. The pro-
gramme Is in every sense an imposing one
II contemplates the immediate prosecu-
ton, at the cost OF the Federal Treasury
of vast system Of Mississippi river i'm.
provements, which wi add greatly to the
existing commercial tTaHsp Ttation facili-
ties BIZ that route by proyidinp deeper
Water for q larger tonnage and by a
removal Of sand bars and other obstruc-
tons which at present add to the time
occupied IN making the trip frcm st. Louis
and Cairo When these plans are carried
out the calculation is that the Mississlpn
will not only beable to hold its own against
the New J FORK free canal, but that I'D a
winter routa, it will be able To attract !
commerce compared with viii h the
present volume Of business, largo as il
lst Will be the mNrest hagatello.
This Is pretty ambitious scheme. but
It may as well be understood that the
Mississippi people are in earnest about
carrying 1t out. They claim 10 be a no.
lltical power at Washington which neither
OF the two great parties, us a matter of
policy or self interest, can afford to antae-
onize, aud when it comes TO Federal an.
preparations il is difficult to see how thc
claim can Ia disputed We have prac-
tical proof of that Irresistible political
power IN the pregnant fact that of tho
Sls, az, 90 appropriated fer tho improve
ment OF rivers and harbors Mt the last
session of Congress, upwards of 81 zoo On
was set apart for improving the Mississip-
pl from Cairo to the Gulf Of Mexico.
Inc new argument for further
sweeping appropriations from the
Federal ex"hrqGg- Mn embrace
not only ,hS !, T.. f "f toll from "Uo
the Erie canal, but The certainty that tbe
competing commercial water yays IN
Canada will shortly be exempt from tolls
also; Ganad9 is a foreign eagnlfy, and
the leenng OF patriotism with certain
degree Of fplaugibility viii be invoked on
pehali OF the Mississippi as against the St.
Lawrence canals. II will Not do to saw
That hubie opinion, as voiced at the re-.
cent elections, has pronounced against
sweeping appropriations fQr riyers and
harh9rA BECAUSE ihis Is met with the
assertion that the popular Judgment
IN that respect had reference only 10
the Pennsylvania mill dams. the Nov
jersey and New York tout Rama etc
and in no sense to q mighty national river
which flows through SIX ftates. and
which hgs beon, from the beginning of
the Government down to the present time
the object Of special solicitude, and The
part Of statesmen and economists as y
means q developing our Internal com.
nherce, We leave Il 10 Congrs.t ~ Vs., "a,,
now now Ihese .s argamenis are to b., met That
"- .@-S win nave to be met, no one who has
studied the present tono and temper Of The
Southern and Southwestern journals can
question. Meanwhile, we simply make
the point that free canals in New York.
followed BY free canals in the Dominion
thus bid sair TO pave the way 10 sucl,
enormous drafts on tho National Treasury
as will PROBABLY make the new policy bs.
fore 1t reaches its final logical result a
pretty costly business for the taxpayers
we do otfay Of New York alone, but oi
tho whole country