Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1883-01-02
RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.

we're eatlSned that 1t would b0 useless to l
extend an invitation to more remote Sec
tions, where the benefits resulting from
improved navigation of the Missouri
would be less direct and immediate. ii
am not prepared, nor do I desire to ques-
tion the advisability of making your
convention sectional one. In the light l
OF the astonishing growth and enterprise
OF Kansas City no one can doubt but
that her business men are wide awake.
not only to her own interests, but to
those Of the whole valley of the Mis-.
souri,.
1t the object of your convention is to |
accomplish that which will aid in solving |
the problem Of cheap transportation.
you car do nothing that will make it q
purely sectional affair, without defeating
the object of your coming together. The
question of cheap transportation is ono
OF vital Importance to every section Of |
country. The state, city or community
that to any degree antagonizes shipping
facilities, whether by rail or water. Is |
blind to its own interests. The remote
and sparsely settled sections arc equally |
interested with the central and densely |
populated regions. We find in the com.
munities where shipping facilities are
the greatest the highest interest mani |
tested in all movements that tend to fa- |
cilitate transportation. Experience
teaches the value of time saved, costs re- |
duced, and risks lessened.
The section of country that assumes
that the Improvement of any of the trib-
utaries of the Mississippi river for the
purpose of navigation is question Of
only local importance is blind to its own
and the general interests of the Missis-
Ie,sSH
your enterprise should be pltied for
his stupidity rather than be censured for
his bad Judgment. Railway CORPORA.
tions and rail transportation Companies
should not oppose the Improvement of
the Mississippi and its tributaries, unless
they are willing and able to carry pro.
ducts of the farm and merchandise at
not more than one-third the present rate
charged.
The state of Illinois has as much at
stake in the question of cheap water
transportation as any state in the union.
So far as am informed, she will not be
represented at your convention, but there
are persons in every section of our state
who will be glad to hear of the success
OF your convention.
Government aid should be demanded.
The government of the United States
has within twenty years donated to pri.
vate corporations l37, 100000 acres of
land, amounting to one-twentieth of the
whole United States. These corpora
tions have taken the rich valleys and the
choicest upland as their portion. To Q
few individuals was given an extent of
country equaling in extent and agricult-
ural wealth the whole of New England,
New York and Pennsylvania. To six Of
these corporations the government loan-
ed $64,O0O,0OO, represented by bonds
which bear six per cent interest and ma.
} ture in 1896, 1897 and 1898. The supreme
court has decided that no interest can
be collected until the bonds mature. By
compounding the interest, which should
be paid semi.annually, the loan when
matured will amount to $780, 00O, ,OOO
> which must be considered as lost to the
government, because the priority of the
lien to secure the loan has been surren
dered. This gift by the government te
+, few individuals equals the whole green
. back circulation of the United States, O,
One.fifth of the national Indebtedness.
The government has been thus liberal
in aiding private enterprises. She hat
deepened the channels Of the great raj
2 highways. She has built their parapets
e their locks and dams. She has riprapped
= = their banks and protected their harbors
with break-water, making them secnre
: from the force of the current and thu
= waves. She has dredged the shallow
i places for them and planted their Jet
9 ties. She has illumined their beaconles!
: shoals and lighted their Signatures upo1
Il the headlands. She has built their leveel
e with the rich soil of the valleys, pavet
8 their wharves with blocks of gold anl
]. precious stone, and strewn upon thei
|. shores shells of pearl.
RI Under the plea of public enterpris.
3 the governmental the United States ha.
done all this toward building up anG
maintaining the artificial channels o.
trade, taking the lands and money be
longing to the people and virtually civ
ing it to the few-building their palaces
q of marble, filling their vaults with tn,
lgold- bearing debt of the United States
Q satiating them even with the halo o
J. glittering diamonds upon their costl.
robes.
L The water routes are the natural chan
& nels of trade. They are public property
}. and cannot become the subjects of mo
9 nopohes. They are the nations high
ways. When the government is aske,
9 to improve the Mississippi she i aske,
10 improve ner own properly, not Tor tn
9 benefit of stockholders, but for her ow,
o Isake-for the benefit of commerce nov
.. and ever hereafter.
dl So that he who chooses may navigat
It the river in comparative safety. Ths
glevery portion of the rich valleys of th
ir Mississippi and its tributaries may hav
d free intercourse with the great CONNER
N cial centers Of the country. For its ow
IN security against civil insurrection or in
ss ternal rebellion against the power Of th
,e government-the United States owes
ID to itself the duty of improving the nav
ts cation of it's inland rivers and lakes.
ID case of civil st.ife the government migl
g. find itself altogether dependent upo
v. water transportation for the safe movin
Id Of troops and supplies. In the prese,
IN condition OF the river the governmel
he would be utterly helpless against ~