The Russellville Democrat., 1892-11-03

means to construct great artificial water ways, or great lines of railways, could not have been obtained, nor would tLe traffic have paid for their construction. Increase in commerce and advance in civilization forced new modes of transportation. Orig inally only natural water courses were used. The canal and tow boat were next added. The railroad is the product of the last sixty-f five years, and only in the past thirty years has the ship canal become reality.
 Our railroads serve mainly for interstate commerce.; substantially all our interna- tional commerce must be by water. This country has grown too great and our posi- ton is too commanding for mere interstate commerce to supply our needs. True, we have access to the industrial countries of Europe, but we have no advantage over them in the production oI articles of man ufacture, and are at great disadvantage in reaching the markets of the world. We are situated nearly midway between indus trial Europe and the population of China, Japan and other countries of the Orient But the Isthmus of Darien cuts us of from this the world's s great market except from our Pacific coast. Our products cannot be eatried by rail across the continent and shipped from there to market and compete with Europe, situated so much nearer and at present so much easier of access. The construction of this canal will bring the markets of the old Eastern world more ac- cessible to us than they are now to Europe.
 The theory of preserving home markets for home manufacturers by protecting them from competition with the products of other countries took root early in the history of this country. The excuse was scarcity of labor and inability to compete in foreign markets. The condition of labor has changed; it is not only plenty, but the market is glutted The lack of facilities to transport commodities, and the stimulant held out by high protective tariffs, natur- ally, of late years, caused an over r-produe- ton. The remedy applied has been com pines and trusts 10 restrict the output to fit the demand of our limited market and thus maintain high prices. This limited the labor required and produced an idle surplus that cheapens it. To protect against this and maintain wages labor or ganized, and troublesome and costly strikes have been the result
 For the lack of sufficient market there is an over-production of cotton and other agricultural products, but the producers of cotton are not protected. They can form O trust or combine to sustain higher prices. We hear much said about restricting the growth of cotton. It will be restricted only when the producer has become SO poverty stricken he will be forced to quit. Can country be in prosperous condition when lock must be put upon the wheels of her faeioriesY When even the blow and the hoe must be held in checkf No country has ever produced such vast crops as have been grown here in the past two years. Yet b siness is stagnant; nothing thrives but trusls and combines.
 We have grown far beyond home market theory. If our markets were broadened so as to create demand for onr products, all trusts and combines, to charge high prices and pay low wages, would be at an end, the planter would prosper, and labor would be employed at remuneratiye prices.
 Gen. Grant, after his trip around the world, said that China and Ja pan would furnish market for all the cotton the South could produce. These countries are now supplied with cotton from India, but prefer to use ours if they could get it st reasonable cost. Six years ago one ton of cotton was shipped to Tasmania, New Zealand and most of the islands of the Pacific. These have warm climates, and the population will naturally be cotton consuming people, when brought within reach of us, it cannot be extrava- gant to say. that in time the construction of the canal will double the market for the cotton of the South.
 The South is rich in coal and iron, and we have vast forests of the best hard woods in the world. California has neither coal nor iron, and there is no hard wood on the Pacific coast The freight charges on coal, iron and hard timbers are now almost pro nibitory. The canal will bring our Pacific coast 10 us and open a new market for our eoaI iron and hard woods.