People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-06-02
Canals and "Canals. I"

OuI eSJeelueu lellOW ClIlZen, MI.
John Saylor, has communication in
last weeks Monitor looking toward a
method by which cheaper transporta-
tion may be secured for the western
producer. He says:
During my brief residence in Kan.
sas | have noticed the great need of
cheap transportation to the seaboard
for the immense amount of the prod
ucts of central Kansas, Nebraska, and
the future states that are to be south
Of US.
Being forced to compete with the
transportation of the Mississippi riv-
er, it is expected that all products
from here eastward will have to nav
their own freight, laid down at the
wharVes of the river, either at St.
Louis, Memphis or elsewhere. or sold
at prices on the basis of mississippi
river rates." All of this expense is
taken off of the producer, for we all
have to sell on that basis, no matter
which way our products 90.
Now we think the citizens of the
country who are within reasonable
distance of this great artery of our
commonwealth extremely fortunate
in their location, by being enabled to
receive in price for their products all
that we receive, and in addition all
we pay in transportation for plac-
Ing them there, and the same princi-
pie is true conversely in regard to all
the goods and products purchased.
VIZ: that less freight makes a lower
price.
Now feasible remedy for this in.
equality of natural water facilities
to this large area Of country, and for
the benefit Of this generation and
those that are to come after lis as
well as for the more rapid develop
ment OF our common country, is in
the hands of general government, by
providing for the construction of a
canal having for its northern termi-
nal some point on the Missouri river
for a feeder (Say at YanktOn) from
thence across central Nebraska.
southwark through Kansas, Oklaho-
ma and Texas to the Gulf of Mexico
at AranSas Pass or some other point
of deep harbOr for the southern ter
minal.
Mr.. Saylor has perhaps not kept
track of events, else he would doubt
less have known that a convention is
to be held this month at Lincoln.
Ne6., looking to the very object he
has in view. 1t was called by the leg
iSlature of Nebraska. The intention
is to formulate plan for building a
"canal" over the exact ground he
mentions. 1t is to be built upon the
ground and supplied with iron rails
upon which vessels" with iron
wheels will navigate. 1t has been
found upon ample experience that
this sort of ''canal" is less expensive
and far more practical. In states
where the two kinds of canals run
parallel, theVater canals have pro-
greSSed into 6bliviOn-almOst retired
from business. The modern "canals"
are open the year around instead of
being closed half the year, and always
have full stage of water" In
stead of carrying our grain to the
Missouri they carry it all the way to
the Atlantic seabOard where the
price is fixed. And in reality
1t picks up nine-tenths of
the grain along the banks of the
Father of Waters and transports it
to the eastern seabOard. The old
sort of canals have been superseded.
The modern canal" is master of the
universe. 1t levies toll on the prod
ucts of the whole land regardless Il
the old canal.
As the old sort Of canals "were paid
for mainly by a grant from congress
of 100000 acres of land" in one
state alone, we think the modern "ca-
nails" ought to be given the same sort
of show. However, the Dakotas.
Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma and
Texas propose to foot the bill wheth-
er the general government likes it or
not. When complete it will not cost
more to ship grain from here to Gal
weston than from Galveston to Chica-
60. The VOICE is decidedly in favor
of the canal, but we wish it distinctly
understood that we want the modern
"canal."
Silver Dick Bland now repeats the
declaration of the st. Louis Republic
for new party of alignment. He
says:
mo man in Missouri can survive
the demand for free coinage who op-