The Portland daily press., 1888-02-21
The Canadian invasion of maine.

To the Editor Of tbs Press:
1 think your comments upon the article
which appeared in the New York Sun at
tacking the power of the State of Maine for
granting the right to the Canadian Pacific to
construct railrogd across its territory must
meet the approval of all our citizens.
The power to grant right of way over
her territory rests exclusively with the State,
and the federal government has nothing
whatever to do with it. 1t is one thing to
grant railroad company the privilege of
building a railroad within the territorial lin
its of State and quite another thing to reg
ulate the traffic over such a railroad which
may be destined to another State, territory
or to foreign country. 1t is undoubtedly
within the exclusive power Of Congress to
regulate commerce between the several
States of this Union and between the United
States and Canada, but the granting OF
privilege to build railroad, or any other
way over the territory of the State of Maine
rests exclusively within the sovereignty and
discretion of the State. The State may
grant such privilege to its own citizens or to
foreigners as 1t may decide 1t Is for its best
interests.
But this assault contained in the lSun has
wider and deeper significance than what
appears upon the surface. 1t is part OF an
organized effort to deprive the New England
States Of competition in the transportation
of grain and other freights from the West.
In this same direction was the speech of
Gen. Wilson before the Interstate Commerce
Commission, and while it is not expected
that Congress can be induced to take such
radical action as will put an end to transp0r-
tation of grain and other staple articles from
the West by way of Canada, 1t is hoped that
such amendments may be made to the Inter
state Commerce act as to cripple such trans
portation so as perhaps to practically des-
troy competition. The effect of such action
would be most disastrous to the New Eng
land States and especially fatal to the mer-
camille interests of the city OF Portland.
For many years the Grand Trunk Railway
has been open as "a competing line to the
west, preventing monopoly and regulating
rates by the more favored trunk lines. Our
merchants have received the advantage OF
this competition. kecently tne Oanaaian "a
the Pacific waters, and now is seeking out
lets for its freights in the ports of Maine,
Massachusetts, and the Dominion. The di-
rect advantages of this trade TO the railroads
and cities of New England cannot be over
estimated, and whatever threatens obstruc.
ton to these routes imperils the prosperity OF
all States which border upon the Dominion
of Canada, and especially imperlls the growth
and prosperity of the cities of Portland and
Boston. 1t is quite evident that it would Oe
for the pecuniary interest of other trunk
lines if these avenues of trade connecting US
with Canada and the west should be closed I;
but can the business men Of New England
and the west afford to allow great monopolies
to spring up without any northern competi-
itor simply by appeals to national prejudice
or national cupidity? The great trunk and
transcontinental lines which are wholly with