Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1884-02-06

When the convention reaSSemDled
resolution was adopted extending the
privileges of the convention to the men,
bers of the Ohio River Committee now in
the city. The Committee on Permanent
Organization presented the following
names as officers, who were unanimously
elected. President, f. o. Stanard, st.
Louis; vice-presdents, c. G. Sheets, Ala
bama John q. Calhoun, Arkansas; II. g.
McPike, Illinois; NJ. A. Marks, Indiana;
Gen. G.. NJ. Dodge, Iowa. A. Y. Shoot,
Kansas; George c. Waddell, Louisiana;
II. c. Waite, Minnesota; John r. Lynch,
Mississippi; the Hon. r. T. Vanhorn, Mis-
souri,; the Hon. Frank Ransom, Nebraska;
George ii. Anderson, Pennsylvania; A. S.
Colyar, Tennessee; John Mcclure, West
Virginia; VIM. Wilson, Wisconsin; John
NJ. Freeman, Colorado, and J. ii. King,
Dakota. Secretaries, George l.. Wright,
New Orleans; ID. +. Wilcox, Illinois; :. l..
McHenry, Pennsylvania, and G. A. Louns-
berry, Dakota.
President Stanard addressed the conven-
ton. He said the delegates were neither
Republicans nor Democrats, but both,
with the objects this convention had in
view. They were not here to buttonhole
congressman, but to express their senti-
menrs in favor of cheap transportation,
and see that these great national water
ways were made the means of trs Nsporta-
ton for the products of the count '. He
believed the East was interes, I'd in
this matter equally with the Vest,
for were not cheap freights as
important to consumer as producer. If
this country repeated its history and
doubled its population in the next fifty
years, we would have 100,000,000 people,
and how could their freight be handled?
Suppose railroads were quadrupled, what
guarantee was there that they would not
pool receipts and maintain present prices
The maintenance and improvement of the
waterways of the country were the only
checks upon railroads. ii New York
State spent over S70,000,000 on her
canals, was it not proper that this
great nation should spend what was neces-
sary for the improvement of the Missis
| sippi, improvements that would benefit
| directly 50,000,0O0 people. Since the
creation of the Mississippi River Commits
sion Congress had placed at its disposal
about $6,000,000. He believed the only
| way to get adequate improvement of the
| Mississippi was through the commission.
| Applause. Mr.. Stanard read extracts
from the report of the Senate Special
| Mississippi River Committee, commenting
the work done on the river by government
| engineers as valuable and important. He
| recommended to the attention of dele
l Sdlco llidb pdII VI tllC lSpOib
| the jetties, and said it was fresh and Of
| fetal. While he would not recommend
appropriations for rivers not now naviga-
| BILE and never could be made navigable,
| he earnestly hoped to see the day when
| the government would SO improve its vast
waterways in the West that they would
| be navigable from the gulf to the lakes
and seaboard. [Continued applause.
A number of resolutions concerning
| river Improvements were introduced and
| referred to the Committee on Resolutions.
| The convention received with applause a
resolution favoring the continuance OF the
improvements OF the Mississippi river
now in progress under the direction OF the
| Secretary of War. A motion was adopted
| thanking the President for his two special
| messages to Congress embodying his broad
and statesmanlike views upon the im-
provement of the Mississippi river. Ad-
| journed.
The delegates accepted an invitation to
call upon the President tomorrow morn