Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1885-09-04

the lakes, the Erie and the Welland canals,
and the st. Lawrence ruin the trade of our
four or five great railway lines to the
seaboard? Are they not growing rich
and prosperous beyond all the bright.
est hopes of their owners and
projectors? Have the sail-vessels and
the steamers on the Hudson river ruined
the railway by its side on the east? So far
from that, another on the west bank has
recently been opened onward to Lake
Erie. There ought never to be any oppo-
sition by the railways to the improvement
OF the great waterways of the republic. 1t
is sure in the end to be both unpro fitable
and unwise for them to make any objec-
ton to it. Another thing. The Upper
Mississippi States paid into the national
treasury on account of internal revenue in
1884 S30,005,9 1888. Illinois alone paid $685.
520,2l6. Now, have not the 100000
and more of the people represented in
this convention right to demand of Con-
gress at least ive-aye, twenty-per cent.
OF what they actually pay into the national
treasury to improve their great water.
ways and to construct a short canal
between them, costing only $7,OOO,-
600, thus giving them the means
to make much larger contributions
to the resources of the government?
Only S3OO,O00 was asked of the last Con-
gress to begin the construction of the
HeDnepin canal-only one per cent. of
our payments-aDd the selfish parsimony
OF other sections of the Union defeated it;
aud thereby the whole river and harbor
bill, to use cant phrase, wes sent "where
the wocdbine twineth." Now let this CON-
vention and the Representatives and SEN
ators OF the great States here represented
give notice, distinct and emphatic. that
until the improvement OF our great water.
quate or :. system, with an ade-
-..re of the appropriations, no
I river and harbor bill shall ever become
| Law of the land. More than SO,Ooo,OOO
people East and West demand il, and that
demand must be needed. The Erie and
< the Weland canals, with the water transit
of the great lakes, now end at Chicago,
| but with the Hennepin canal and
the Mississippi it will be extended
| from GOD to 500 miles northwest to
| st. Paul. Can any man doubt that such
| work would reserve to the people ten
times the interest on its cost every year?
Surely there should be no more delay than
| is absolutely needed IN its construction.
Some of you may remember that Lord
Duferin, while Governor-General of
Canada, made speech at Winnipeg, in
which ne glorifisd the Dominion by show
ing that only great country could sup
port such rivers as the Frazer, the Sa,-
katcbewap, the Red, the Mackenzie and
rhe magnificent ST. Lawrence. True, my
Lord; but We beg respectfully to suggest
than we urnish more than half the
water for the Red and the st Lawrence
| rivers, and with our Father of Waters"
nd its Missouri and other branches,
and the r.vers of the seaboard, We can
give you large odds in the number and
eDgth o. our river sys EN- and in the ex-
tent and richness and the vast resources of
the country through which they run. We
envy not the great extent uf the Dominion;
| and are only sorry that the ice king has
his remorse less grip on SO large portion
OF 1t. And now, gent emeD, permit me to
| say in conclusion that the time for facts
and arguments on this subject is passed.
| They are conclusive rs to the vast i'm
portance OF the improvement of the water
ways of the Mississippi Valley. 1t is in
no sectional spirit that We make this ap-
peal. 1t is for the whole nation that we
| speak. Every town and hamlet in the
| entire republic would be benefited were
our appeal in behalf of our water.
ways to be granted for the States
| for which we speak to furnish a very
large percentage of our exports to foreign
nations. If America is to retain that vast
| trade our waterways must be improved,
and thereby the cost of transit of our
| cereals from the source OF supply must be
| greatly reduced. India, Russia and other
| countries are constantly competing with
| us for this valuable trade. Let Congress
complete them rs demanded by this con-
vention, and the greatest work and most
| important to the wealth, the prosr Gritty,
and the progress of the nation, for all time
to come, is accomplished.
The convention then adjourned until
80 o'clock tomorrow morning.