Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-25
THE NICARAGUA JOB
Is Defended by President Miller in
a Long Speech Before
THE TRANs-MISSIssIPPI CONGRESS
Resolutions introduced Which Would Give
Legislators Work.
TOPICS FOR THE SOUTH AND WEST

various resolutions were introduced ant
referred. They favor construction of tn,
Nicaragua Canal; urged appropriation b!
Congress for rivers and harbors; recon
mend that the Government issue a suffi
cjent amount of legal tender TO restore til,
equilibrium between money and over
production; that New Mexico, Arizona anC
Utah be admitted as States: that thi,
convention recommend to Congress the en-
actment of such measures as will insure to the
people of the country that the law giving {
bounty on sugar and admitting machinery
for the manufacture Of sugar free shall moi
be recalled for at least five years; that the
Government abolish Indian titles to land
and the tribal system; that Indians be dis
armed and made amenable to law; that all
Indian reservations be opened for settle
ment: demand free and unlimited coinage
of silver; that the action of Congress regard
ing the Hennepin Canal be Endorsed; de-
nouncing trusts and combines
AGovernor on Waterway Works.
Governor Hubbard, of Texas, delivered an
address on the subject of waterways He
said that until the meeting at Denver, the
plea for appropriations was in vain, or was
too late to do good. 1t was not so to-day.
They had succeeded in getting the promise
of the Government of Sc, 200, 900 to deepen
the harbor of Galveston, and in good, due
time from 20 to 80 feet of water might be
expected.
Governor Hubbard predicted that in less
than five years great ships, laden with cot
ton and grain, would be passing in fleets
through all the passes of the Mississippi
river; that the same would be the case at
Galveston, Velasco and even at Aransas
Pass, Tex. The country from New Orleans
to the Rio Grande is vet virtually in vir-
gin state, but this will in a short time be a
country densely populated, and will hold
the balance of power in this country.
The following resolution, offered by the
New Orleans Maritime Association, was
adopted:
WHEREAS. South Pass. though at present
efficient, promises in the near future to be
scarcely adequate to accommodate with
ease the prospective increase of vessels to
and from that port, therefore, be it
Resolved, That Congress be petitioned to
system of the Mississippi river
Warner Miller Talks of His Canal.
Hon. Warner Miller, President of the
Nicaragua Canal Construction Company,
was introduced and delivered an address on
the plans and progress of the canal, of
which the following are extracts: He gave
a brief historical account of the various
efforts tnat have been made to construct an
inter-oceanic canal, and an account of the
various SURVEYS that have been made by the
United States Government and the provinces
of Canada, the result of which has been to
prove that the only feasible route for
canal across the American isthmus is by the
- l..
demonstrated this most conclusivelv by
several extended surveys which it has
made of the entire isthmus from Mexico
down to South America, said Mr.. Miller,
who continued:
canal has been concurred in by all Ameri-
can and foreign engineers who have ever
examined the country. Generals Grant,
Sherman and McClelland all approved of
the route, and were desirous of seeing the
work undertaken. 1t is well-known fact
that Generals Grant and McClelland were
both interested in former concessions and
would have been the one President, the |
other chief engineer of the enterprise, If |
they had lived. Americans have always b E. |
lieved in the feasibility of this route, and
never had any faith in the ill-fated enter |
yrise of De Lesseps, and the result proved |
the soundness of their Judgment
The Obstacles to Be Surmounted.
Mr.. Miller then gave description of the !
physical conditions of Nicaragua and of the |
route as now located, over which he passed |
with party of engineers and other gentle |
men who all pronounced the work clearly |
feasible. He added:
The total distance across the country, |
from Greytown on the Atlantic to Brito on |
The Pacific, is 40 miles, OF which there is
only q miles of direct canal, the rest being /
river and lake navigation, amply providing |
for speedy and safe transit of the largest |
vessels now navigating both oceans. Lake
Nicaragua furnishes more than ten times /
the volume of water necessary for the oper-
alton of the locks of the canal, and for the I
artificial basins to be operated, while slack
water navigation of the river is obtained by !
of a large dam.
Tho value of this canal to the commerce of
the United States is illustrated by stating
that the distance between San Francisco
ind New York and New Orleans is shortened
4 little more than 10, GOO miles from the dis
lance going around the horn, or nearly one
half the circumference of the globe. The
Pacific States are benefited not only by be-
ng brought nearer to the gulf and eastern
ports, but they are also brought proportion
ately nearer the whole of Europe. The ex-
port of wheat and most of the raw products
Of the Pacific coast is to the market of
Europe at the present time, where they are |
brought into competition with the wheat |
coming from India through the Suez canal.
A Gain for the Pacific Coast.
The construction OF the Nicaragua canal
night easily double the output of the Pacific
states in wheat and other agricultural pro-
lucts and find for them ready and profit
lble market in Europe-a more profitable
market than now, because the cost of trans
which is q large item of expense
n commerce, would be reduced by the re-
luction OF distance as above stated.
1t has been estimated that the increased
7alue of the timber now standing around
Puget Sound would pay for the construction
If the canal No doubt this estimate is
al
he great forests of Michigan and Wisconsin |
re rapidly being destroyed, and Europe |
must look to new fields for timber. This is |
he best found upon the Pacific coast of the
he building of the Nicaragua Canal will
apidly increase the population of all our
'acific States. The soil there is most fer
lie, the climate is the best in the world. |
of a hundred million, if all the
ands were taken up and cultivated.
The Bait for the Central South.
The benefits that would accrue to the Gulf
tates and the interior States lying west of
he Mississippi and north Of the Gulf would |
e only second in importance-if second at |
Ito TO the benefits derived by the Pacific
oast. If the States lying along the Atlantic
oast, from Maine to Virginia have grown |
lore rapidly in population and accumulated
reater wealth, iG has been largely because |
hey were able to control the commerce of
his country with Europe. They were more
svorably located for this. All the
of the West have passed
hrougn the Eastern ports and added
luch wealth to those communities. Those
lcturing centers, and this has added to !
heir wealth. There is lying south of us a ,
leat continent-South America-which ,
lould be in closer trade relations with us
nan it is, and there are lying upon the
acific great States, like those OF Japan,
orea and the east coast of China, which {