The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-02-06
IN SESSION..
Meeting of the Mississippi River Con
ventiOn in Washington.
A Large Attendance and Much Enthu-
siasm Manifested.

WASHINGTON, Feb. 5.-The Mississippi
river convention assembled this afternoon
in Lincoln hall. The auditorium was di-
vided into sections by states as follows:
Wisconsin, Colorado, Arkansas, Illinois,
Missouri, Minnesota, Louisiana, Missis-
sippi, Tennessee, Kentucky Indiana, Ne
braska Iowa and West Virginia Back
of the stage was stretched a large piece of
canvas bearing the record of the amount
of tonnage carried by a Mississippi steam
er, followed by the words, ''lf you tell
this to congress, be sure to add that with
the improved channel this record of work
will be increased 40 per cent without an
increase of expense. This means a benefit
to the producer" About five hundred
delegates were present when the chairman
of the executive committee, B. Wood, of
New Orleans, called the convention to Or
der. He said there was no economic ques
ton of common importance that was now
before the convention. They represented
great population aud enormous areas of
country They came not to commend, but
to urge as business men, the conclusions
of people. He belieevd their conclusions
tary G. L. Wright then read the call of
the convention.
TEMPORARY ORGANIZATION.
Gov. W. D. Washburne, of Minnesota,
was elected temporary chairman, and was
escorted to the stage by Gov. Stafford, of
Missouri, and Judge Billings, of Louisi-
ana. He thanked the convention for the
honor bestowed, aud delivered an address
setting forth the desirabilty and import
ance of the improvement Of the Mississippi
river, and declared that in no manner had
the provident care of the Creator for an
ideal Republic been 80 manifestly shown
as in the location of the Mississippi river
A great empire in the west now demanded
the full improvement of that river, so as
not only to float the commerce of the
country. but to remain bond of good
will and fellowship between the sections.
A resolution was adopted providing for
the appointment of committees on Gre
dentials. rules. permanent organization,
each state to be represented on the COM
mittees
Commissioner West, of the District of
Columbia, welcomed the delegation in
brief address. lie said this convention
stood preeminent in Importance among
the conventions held here. 1t concerned
the welfare OF the whole people. Strike
from the map the Mississippi river or OBJ
struct its flow, and its deterioration would
rapidly spread itself throughout the
country.
The convention then selected its com
mittees, and took recess.
THE AFTERNOON SESSION.
When the convention reassembled res
olutions were adopted extending the
privileges of the convention to members
of the Ohio river committee, now in the
city. The committee on permanent
organization presented the following
names for officers and they were unani
mously elected President, E. O. Stanard,
St. Louis; vice presidents, c. c. Sheets,
Alabama; John C. Calhoun, Arkansas; II.
G. McPike Illinois; NJ. A. Marks, Indiana
Gen. M. A Dodge, Iowa: George C. Wad
dill, Louisiana; H. G.. Waite, Minnesota;
John R. Lynch, Mississippi; Hon. Il. Q
Van Horne, Missouri; Hon. Frank Pan
some, Nebraska; George H. Anderson,
Pennsylvania; S. Collier, Tennessee; John
Mcclure, West Virginia; William Wilson,
Wisconsin; James NJ. Freeman, Colorado,
and J. Fl. King. Dakota. Secretary,
George L. Wright, of St. Louis; assistant
secretaries, John W Bryant, New Orleans;
D. F. Wilcox. Illinois; S. l.. McHenry,
Pennsylvania, and G, A. Founsbarry
| Dakota.
Mr.. Stanard addressed the convention.
| He said that delegates were neither repub
lican or democrats, but both. when the
objects of this convention were in view.
| They were not here to button hole con-
gressmen, but to express themselves In
favor Of cheap transportation, and to see
that these great national waterways were
made the means of transportation for the
| products of the country. He believed the
east was interested in this matter equally
with the west; for were not cheap freights
as important to the consumer as to the
producer? If this country repeated its
history and doubled its population in the
next fifty years, we would have 10000,
900 people. and how could their freight
be handled? Suppose the railways were
quadruple, what guarantee was there that
they would not pool the receipts and
maintain the present pricesg The main
tenance and improvement of the water
ways of the country were the only checks
upon railroads. If New York state spent
over $40, 000, 900 on her canals. was it not
proper that this great nation spend what
was necessary for the improvement of the
Mississippi, on improvements that would
benefit 50,000,00O people" Since the
creation of the Mississippi river commits.
sion, congress has placed at its disposal
about $50 100000. He believed the only
way get adequate improvements for the
Mississippi was through commission
| (Applause.)
Stanard read extracts from the report
of the Senate Special Mississippi River
Commission commanding the work done
on the river by the Government engineers
as valuable and important He recon-
mended the attention. of the delegates tc
that part of the report concerning jetties
While he would not recommend appropri
ations for rivers not now navigable ant
that never could made navigable, he earn
estiy hoped to ses the day when the gov
fernment would improve the waterways Of
the West so that they would be navigable
| from the lakes to the seaboard. [Contin
ued applause.
A number of resolutions concerning
river Improvements were introduced anc
referred to the Committee on resolutions
The Convention received with applaus.
the resolution fayoring the contfnuanc,
of the improvements on the Mississippi
river, now in progress under the direction
of the Secretary of War. A motion wa