St. Paul daily globe., 1886-10-01

cheaper than by rail- the Importance OF fur
nishing our people with these means or cheap
transportation is apparent. The value to our
people of these waterways is fully Illustrated
by the fact that the freight charge upon
bushel of wheat between Chicago and New
York in winter, is from twelve to fifteen
cents, and in summer it Is but half that
figure. 1t is believed from what has already
been accomplished, that with the reasonable
expenditure deemed necessary, such depth
of water can be secured in the Mississippi as
will allow wheat or flour to be transported
from the Minnesota valley and
THE FALLS OF ST. ANTHONY
to the Belize or the Gulf of Mexico, and put
upon ships to be conveyed to Europe, and our
Mexican and South American neighbors, at
rate not to exceed oue-thIrd what is now paid
to rSSch those places. Our last legislature,
IN memorializing congress upon this subject,
declared that wheat at cents per bushel
(freight) on board ship at Belize means S6,-
4O0, ,00U per year saved to Minnesota on her
present production" If this would be the
present annual saving TO the people OF this
state, what would be the amount ten years
hence? comparatively small amount has,
so far, been appropriated by the general gov
ernment for the improvement of the Missis-
sippi river. and yet the channel depth has
been increased from two and one-half to four
and One-half feet, during what was formerly
known as the low-water period. AS part OF
the Western waterway system, the Hennepn
canal is advocated and urged by the people of
Illinois and many others. The project is to
build canal connecting Lake Michigan, at
Cnicago with the Mississippi river in the vi
city OF Rock Island. OF it, | will only say
that, if feasible, regard it as one of the
grandest schemes 10 benefit the Northwest
that can be devised. / will not dwell upon the
manifest advantage of having continuous
waterway from here to Chicago and from
there on to Buffalo. Ius highest estimated
cost is about $l2 000,050, aud il there are not
INSURMoUNTABLE OBSTACLES
to its construction, that canal would be cheap
al more than that price to the Northwest. AS
might be expected, there ID much opposition
to it-emanating possibly from rival In
terestS-and various objections urged,
but to me the important question is the
feasibility of its perfect construction as a
useful waterway. Satisfied as to this, the
other objections must be serious indeed that
would prevent me from voting for its con-
struction. MI navigable waterways are the
most potent regulators of the cost OF trans
portation. They are highways which all can
use, and over which there can be no control
ling monopoly, and the Improvement or them
should be favored by every faithful repre-
sentative of the people of the Northwest. 10
better protect and look after the interests OF
our farmers, the department OF agriculture
existing in Washington should be elevated to
the dignity of cabinet position. AS those or
our citizens who are engaged in agricultural
pursuits form large majority OF the pro-
duclng class. they should have representa-
tive in the cabinet who would be capable OF
advocating their claims and protecting their
interests.
PENSIONS TO VETERANS.
The fact that among the vetoes by President
Cleveland of bills passed by the last congress
were some vetong private pension bllls, mas
brought the subject Of granting pensions TO
kafN
These vetoes have been used by the profess
sional politician in an attempt to create pref
udice against not only the president, but the
patty which elected him, and it is but another
form of the stereotyped effort to use the vet
Grams of the late war to gain party advan-
tage. 1t is not my purpose to defend all the
vetCes OF President Cleveland, whether they
relate to pensions or other subjects. But
those persons who attempt to create the I'M
preston that the president or members OF the
Democratic house of representatives have not
proven themselves to be as true and warm
friends of the sick and disabled soldiers as
their political opponents. do them great in
justice. Any fair minded man, who is famil-
lar with the facts relating to the legislation
upon pensions, and the action oil the president
thereon, must conclude that such persons are,
if informed, dishonest in their assertions.
These vetoes are represented to be an evi-
dence of an unfriendly spirit towards our
ing gratitude of the American people for pre-
serving our government and saving the
Union. Nothing is more at variance with the
truth, and the facts show that Ii a compar-
isou is to be instituted between what Presi-
dent Cleveland has done and the action of his
predecessors, he is entitled to De considered
one of the best
FRIENDS OF THE SOLDIERS.
The facts are. as stated by Harper's
Weekly, that the committee of the Demo
cratic house reported favorably over seven
hundred private pension bills against four
hundred reported by the committee OF the
late Republican house: that man. were re-
jected an utterly undeserving Showing how
great is the pressure of unfounded claims),
and that, OF the seven hundred, the preSi-
dent has vetoed but ninety-most OF which
had been rejected by Republican commits
sioner of pensions. Thus, while President
Cleveland has signed 644 pension bills in six
teen months, Gen. Grant approved only
542 in the eight years of his administration.
Such facts dispose effectualy OF the un-
worthy partisan assaults upon president
Cleveland as hostile to the soldiers. The
bare mention of these facts is Suhc1ent to
show how unjust it is for these partisans to
indulge in such Wholesale denunciation of the
president as has been attempted. For my
self, always (as my intimate friends well
know, have had fixed and emphatic views
upon this subject. My opinion and belief has
always been, that we could never 90 too
much to reward these brave defenders OF the
Union for their services in our behalf Many
of those who exercise the elective franchise
to-day were, in the dark days OF the rebel
lion, either residents of foreign land, or
TOO YOUNG TO REMEMBER
now the sacrifices which those brave men
made in defense of their country. But we
who were here then, and who had arrived at
the age of maturity, can never forget the
a oOff a otrin hnrnnc
They were told, when they enlisted, that a
grateful country would always remember
what they had done, and fully recompense
them if they returned from the war, and
honor their memory and protect and care for
those dependent upon them II they fell in the
nations defense. eaconnected with the
service / enlisted and mustered into the army
many of them, and while doing so felt war
ranted in vouching to them that these prom
ises would be faithfully fulfilled, and as to-
day remember those brave men going forth.
relying upon those promises, and the trying
parting scenes that were so often enacted in
my presence as they separated from their
loved ones, and what they endured, feel, as
1 have always felt, that 1t was religious
duty on my part at every time and on every
occasion when an opportunity presented
itself, to do all in my power to redeem those
solemn pledges. The man or woman who to-
day would be opposed to granting pension
TO every Union soldier deserving of the same
Surely cannot reflect upon what these men
underwent-the hardships, privations and
sufferings which they endured. Who is there
to-day that for the highest pension that is
allowed to a soldier would be willing to leave
his family and friends and go forth to risk his
life in battle and by engaging in campaign
in the most unhealthy portion OF our coun-
try? How many would be willing, for PEN
sion, to spend FIVE years
ALTERNATELY FIGHTING AND MARCHING.
in the burning sun and drouth of summers
and the mud of winters (where it ralned all
the time it wasn't freezing), between Wash
ington and Richmond, or in the Swampy
valley of the Mississippi. everywhere con-
tracing the diseases generated by the malaria
and unhealthy climate of those regions? Who
is there that will say those men VINO spent
weary months in the Libby, Andersonviile or
Belle Isle prisons, did not earn pension? 1t
is useless to attempt to describe the deadly
conflicts and battles in which they have been
engaged, and that have made nearly every
mile from Washington to Richmond and from
Cairo to New Orleans ana to Atlanta, and
thence to the sea, historic as the scenes OF
- hort Of sQpUuinarv