New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-05-30
THE DEMOCRACY AND THE CANALS.

yHE DEMOCRACY AND THE CANALS.
Governor Flower has been making tour OF
the canals of Newly ork, and has been talking
about the treatment which they have received
this wear at his own hands and at the hands
of tbe Democratic Legislature. In the recently
unfinished address of the Republican members
Of that Legislature to the voters OF this state
attention was directed to the TACT that al
though the Democrats who controlled le2l'la-
Iion had largely increased taxation, the canals
had been neglected. "Thc people will naiu-
,allv inouirc" saws the address, as to the d.
rec,ion in which the large sums appropriated
Ly the LEGISLATURE will be expended, but they
will not frd that they have been appropriated
for any great purpose. While 5000 was
poured into that monumental folly the new
Cayto as Governor Robinson termed it, no
sum adequate for the improvement of the great
canal sy.tcm of the state was giver. The
canal appropriations amount to S1,32O,3OO,
but this large sum is to be used merely for the
maintenance and ordinary repairs of the canals
ard for the construction Of an inOrdinate num-
Der Of canal bridges Moreover, portion of
the canal system, the important OswegO Canal,
was almost entirely ncglected and necessary
appropriations to repair the canal were either
killed by the Legislature or vetoed by the
Governor"
Evidently the Governor did not relish this
criticism upon a Democratic Legislature and u
Democratic Executive lie would fain con-
vince the bCatIncn and all others who are in
tcrcsted that he and the Legislature of 1898
were champions Of the canals. Accordingly, ne
tells reporter thai the assertion that the canals
were neglected this year ~ not founded upon
fact BY way of making good this contention
he saws that he signed every Necessary inn
provement bill which was passed last winter,
and that the aggregate Of such bills was
$500 900 more than the corresponding appro-
plationS OF last year. He adds that only I'VE
locks need frightening in order 70 complete the
line of double locks on the Elie, and one OF
these will be heightened this year. This IS we'll
Il, far as il goes but obviously ii does not 20
far enough 10 meet the charge made in the Re-
pnblican address. What about the Oswego
Canal? Was il or was il not neglected by
the last Legislature? The Republican minor
ity hold that j. was, AMI the Governor makes
no answer. Several Yeas ago the state re-
solved that the canal, should be enlarged and
improved. What did the last Legislature do
toward carrying ont this policy? The Toy
crnor himself. in his annual message, recon-
mendcd that all the canal items should be
placed in single bill. This recommendation
was obviously in the interest of prudent lcgis-
lation: if it hal been adopted the members
would have known AT glance Just how much
they were appropriaiing for bridges and other
purposes. But the Democratic Legislature abb
,olutcly disIcgard'd The recommcndaiion-and
the Governor went on signing canal bills all
the same.
The people Of Til, state demand that the
canals shall be put and kept in condition OF
the highest efficiency. while III the same time.
ol cou>c. they are opposed to excessive APP
preparations. When they discover that the
sum total to be- drawn from The public purse
thi, year exceeds that of last year by S3,712,-
lS3. they will naturally assume that a portion
of this big increase goes 10 the canals. But
they will be mistaken. This may have been
good year at Albany for the canal ring, but
il was not good year for the caIils.