Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-07-15
WESTERN WATERWAYS.
The Hennepin Canal Item in the River
and Harbor Bill Before
the Senate.
Many Good Reasons Given Why the
National Government Should
Construct the Canal.

WASHINGTON, July 12-The senate to-
| dav resumed consideration of the river
and harbor bill. The merits of the
amendment appropriating $35O,0OO for
the purchase of the Portage Lake Canal
and the Lake Superior Ship Canal were
presented by Mr.. Conger, who submitted
resolutions of the Legislatures of Illinois
Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, urg-
ing Congress to make the waterway com
posed Of these two canals free to the com
merce of the country, and petitions of
various chambers of commerce and
boards of trade to the same effect. The
amendment was adopted without divi-
sion.
The Hennepin Canal amendment hav-
ing been reached it was strongly advocat-
e5 by Mr.. Cullom, who stated that the
canal was the most important work of
canal improvement now pressing for con-
sideration.
Mr.. Cullom argued to show the value
and necessity of the improvement from
every point, and in answering the obiec-
tions made, said: 81 know that it has of
late become the fashion in some quarters
to fercely denounce appropriations of
this kind as immense jobs, as part of a
grab game in which each representative
and senator is interested only for the pur-
pose of securing votes by obtaining for
his district or state more than its share of
what is called the sway and it is freely
alleged that such opportunities are divid-
ed up more with reference to these per-
sonal interests than to the propriety or
necessity of the expenditures made. 1t
is for easier for these cities to make such
charges than to investigate the facts, and
they are not made by those who are
most familiar with the needs of the coun-
try, but
CONGRESS CAN NOT JUSTIFY ITSELF
in declining to provide for public i'm
provements, demanded by the necessities
of commerce, from fear of an unfavor-
able public ontcry any more than it can
IN making expenditures which are not
shown to be necessary and advantageous.
And the history of our country will show
that congress is just as apt to err in the
direction of mistaken economy with ref
erence to needed important public i'm
provements as in the direction of unwise
and extravagent expenditures.
There is another important view of this
subject. To-day we are defenseless on our
lake bOarders. We have, [ believe, one
little vessel retained on the lakes as
warning to foreign nations that they
must not encroach upon Our rights. We
have no protection upon the lakes, and
very little anywhere upon our sea-coast
Or upon the gulf. Should not congress
provide for any needed defence? We
have a
GOVERNMENT ARSENAL AT ROCK ISLAND.
where preparation is made for the manu-.
facture of guns. Should not this arsen-
al be used in the construction of guns
and gunboats as we'll, to used on the
Sakes or Gulf as necessity requires, and
the construction Of the Hennepin Canal
would enable such vessels finely armed
and equipped to pass down the Mississi-
ppi to the Gulf coast, OF through the
canal to the Lakes, and would make such
means of defense available to answer the
calls of the nation whenever needed. [
despise the policy which controls the
government now. and has controlled it in
the past, and which has resulted in our
almost HELPLESS condition in so far as
preparation for desenSe is concerned. We
here in Congress do not agree upon the
exact thing to do, and, therefore, do moth
ing. We diff along with no coast de-
fenses, no flag upon the seas, no prepar
alton to meet emergencies of war on
land or water that may any time arise,
with no assertion of a positive National
foreign policy, and with an apparent
sense of self security that can only be
likened to strong man asleep, uncons-
cious of impending danger, In times of
peace prepare for war. Let US construct
these canals in the interests of National
defense as well as of National prosperity.
All of these considerations call upon
congress to enter the work. Other ma
tions are alert on the question of adopt
ing every means for securing to the peo-
pie chepp transportation. Let US not
close our eyes to the importane of such
means of improvement.